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‘Fall’ season to start in March Valley Stream high school sports are scheduled to begin in January ilies who have been looking forward to preparing for interscholastic athletics this fall,” he said The Valley Stream Central in a statement. “The health and H i g h S ch o o l D i s t r i c t h a s safety of our students and staff rescheduled its fall sports season is always our top priority.” to begin on March 1, according The news was met with relief, to announcement on Sept. 22 by and some trepidathe district’s direction, on the part of tor of health, phys. parents and stued. and athletics, dents. Scott Stueber. “It’s better than The news came nothing,” said Cenafter a decision on tral High School varAug. 26 by a commitsity cross-country tee of Nassau Counrunner Warren Perty school superintenshad, 16. Pershad, a dents to postpone junior, runs winter the start of the fall osBouRNE and spring track in sports until at least TRAill addition to crossthe beginning of country, and said he Parent, 2021 over coronaviwondered how the rus fears, leaving the South High School modified schedule question of whether might affect the athfall sports would be letes’ training regiplayed this academic year. With men. a shortened playing schedule, “Especially for cross-country, the new “fall season” is sched- it’s important to train over the uled to conclude on April 21. The summer,” he said, noting that modified winter season is set to with its 5k races, it favors endurbegin on Jan. 4 and end on Feb. ance over speed. Still, with win26, and the spring season is to ter track, in which 3,200 meters run from April 22 to June 14, is the longest race, he said, Stueber also announced. “You’re still getting in shape.” “The Valley Stream Central Pershad added, however, that High School District administra- with the condensed schedule, tion and coaching staff are sympathetic to our students and famContinued on page 16

By PETER BElfioRE pbelfiore@liherald.com

rom my point of view, we should play it safe.

Peter Belfiore/Herald

BRoThERs Tommy, lEfT, and Anthony DiStefano, owners of the Valbrook Diner, plan to reopen the restaurant in the coming weeks after they embarked on a roughly six-month renovation.

‘We’re not going anywhere’

Valbrook Diner to reopen after renovations By PETER BElfioRE pbelfiore@liherald.com

For nearly as long as they can remember, brothers Anthony and Tommy DiStefano knew they would own a restaurant together one day. “We’ve been in the diner business our whole lives,” Anthony, 44, said. The Bellmore and Merrick natives have spent much of their careers managing diners up and down the East Coast, so when the opportuni-

ty arose to purchase Valley Stream’s Valbrook Diner from its previous owner five years ago, they jumped at the chance. “I knew it was a staple in the neighborhood,” said Anthony, who had worked there as a night manager since 2011. “I knew the staff. I knew some of the customers already. I knew what the business needed to be.” But when the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Valbrook, like so many businesses,

started losing money, and the DiStefanos decided to close. “We tried to do takeout, we tried to do delivery, but you know, it just wasn’t making any business,” Anthony said. But he and his older brother had a plan. The Valbrook has operated continuously as a diner for more than 50 years. Since they purchased it, the brothers had wanted to undertake a major renovation, and with Continued on page 15

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October 1, 2020 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

electioN 2020 By Peter Belfiore pbelfiore@liherald.com

Created in 2012, the New York 22nd Assembly District encompasses the neighborhoods of Floral Park, Elmont and Valley Stream as well as portions of Franklin Square, Lynbrook and Garden City. Members of the New York State Assembly serve two-year terms. In 2020 Nicholas Zacchea, a Republican from Floral Park, is challenging incumbent Michaelle Solages, a Democrat from Elmont, who is seeking re-election to her fifth term in office. Zacchea looks to leverage his decades of experience as a federal auditor and economic consultant in the Assembly, while Solages has focused on issues such as childcare, and pushed for legislation to achieve greater parity in healthcare within disadvantaged communities, where infant mortality rates are higher. The Herald asked questions of each candidate about issues pertinent to their district.

Herald: With a $14.5 billion estimated state

budget deficit looming, and with federal coronavirus aid uncertain, what measures would you be willing to pursue to plug that hole in the state’s finances?

Michaelle Solages Hometown: Elmont

Hometown: Floral Park

Age: 35

Age: Undisclosed

Party: Democrat

Party: Republican

Highest level of education: Bachelor of science.

Highest level of education: Ph.D in economic science.

Professional experience: Assemblymember

Professional experience: Auditor, U.S. Government Accountability Office, U.S. Department of Energy; auditing consultant.

Michaelle Solages: Even as working-class

and impoverished residents continue to suffer from the health and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, corporate entities are seeing an increase in their wealth and profits. We cannot simply “budget cut” our way out of this crisis. We must look at closing tax loopholes and raising revenue from corporations.

Nicholas Zacchea: Spending more than one receives in income is always a problem, as is not having a cache of fiscal reserves for unanticipated expenditures. Both contribute to deficits and are evidence of bad budgeting and bad financial management. I have spent years assessing the manner in which federal, state and local governments, both here in the U.S. and in more than 20 countries, manage the money entrusted to them. Fraud, waste and abuse was always a recurring determination. Increasing taxes and eliminating essential services is never an answer but one that bureaucrats always seem to defer to. I’ve lived in countries where that was tried, and it doesn’t work. The short answer is to hold accountable those that are entrusted to collect taxes and provide essential services by making certain that every financial transaction, every tax dollar collected and spent, and every service delivered is made completely transparent. Moreover, that transparency must be made public by independent, non-partisan and professional oversight. Governments the world over with wellmanaged systems of accountability, transparency and oversight tend to have better economic indicators than those who do not. Plugging a hole in New York State’s finances should begin by eliminating fraud, waste and abuse through an effective system of

Nicholas Zacchea

accountability, transparency and oversight.

Herald: With remote learning continuing,

how can the government help financially distressed or working parents who might be struggling to care for their children during the day when they would normally be at school?

Solages: Employees can only perform effec-

tively when they have a plan for educating and safeguarding their children. While some families can hire outside resources to help during the day, a vast majority of families cannot afford to hire additional assistance to help their children with distance learning. I have submitted legislation that will expand our current paid family leave policies to be more inclusive of families that are adapting to the virtual learning model.

Zacchea: I must begin by suggesting that

this situation, hopefully, is temporary, but also a wake-up call to be prepared for other such incidents. The government, both federal and state, must help working parents. My advisory team and I have begun to assess a number of possible solutions. A solution that is now being discussed is the possibility of initiating a state-sanctioned and managed cadre of state licensed home educational assistants, who are vetted individuals trained provide educational assistance as well as basic child care for children whose parents must leave the home to work one or more days a week. The cost of engaging a licensed home educational assistant would be borne by either the parent, their employer or by the

state. If the cost is to be borne by the parent or their employer, a minor change in the state tax law would allow that cost to be considered a tax credit for the parents or their employers. A tax credit would allow parents or their employers to claim monies spent on a assistant to take care of their children while they are at work, and reduces taxes owed dollar for dollar. This kind of program must be studied and tested before it could be considered feasible.

Herald: This year has seen a historic conversation about race and policing in America. What kinds of reforms do you see as necessary to address issues of systemic racism and police brutality?

Solages: Millions of Americans are saying

enough is enough. This past June, the New York State Legislature enacted a comprehensive legislative package that will promote transparency and begin the process of rebuilding the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Zacchea: Addressing racism requires that our national narrative not detail the inglorious nature of our American history but instead extol its majestic promises. It also requires that the narrative emphasize the dignity of all people and the benefits that inure when all humankind is treated equally and with respect. Racism exists and law enforcement officers sometimes behave inappropriately. However, there are literally millions of daily interactions between citizens of different persuasions that are civil, legal and

courteous. Statistically, behavior influenced by racism is rare. I have read studies that too quickly conclude that disparities between white and non-white populations in areas like health care, education, housing and employment are racially inspired. Yes, acts of racism do occur, but the root cause of these disparities must be identified, not conveniently labeled as racism. During my career I investigated deteriorating government-financed housing in New York City, and my team found that the root cause was not systematic racism but malfeasance and wholesale fraud. Acts of police misconduct are not routine, but the reporting of solitary acts are. We must not find ourselves enveloped in a phantasmagoria that convinces us that law enforcement officers are predators. I have worked with law enforcement officers in the U.S. and abroad. As with all professionals, improvements can always be made in the way they carry out their responsibilities. A carefully designed and well-structured system needs to be put in place that would include enhanced recruiting techniques, specialized training, closer supervision by well-trained managers, fair compensation programs and improved working conditions. Such a system would be a good start for improving and maintaining the quality of the service our law enforcement professionals provide.

Herald: Why do you see yourself as suited to represent the 22nd Assembly District in Albany?

Solages: With your trust, I will work tire-

lessly on your behalf to help address the challenges our district faces and to inspire lasting and meaningful change in our community. I look forward to continuing my advocacy for improved health benefits, government reform, and our work to strengthen public schools to ensure all children receive the educational services they need to reach their full potential.

Zacchea: I will bring to Albany and to the

constituents of District 22 a lifetime of government financial management experience. The primary focus of my professional activities has been to support legislative duties for both houses of Congress. In serving, I garnered a lifetime of experience auditing, investigating, studying and advising governments at the federal, state and local levels both here and abroad. My service also required me to examine the ways in which government contractors, subcontractors and grantees discharged their agreed-on responsibilities. An essential component of my work was ferreting out fraud, waste and abuse. I know government, I know the problems governments face. I know how government should work and I know how to remedy the many problems that governments face. I know the legislative process and what that process needs to function effectively. Note: Answers have been edited and shortened for brevity. For the complete text visit liherald.com

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — October 1, 2020

Zacchea challenges Solages in the 22nd A.D.

October 1, 2020 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

obitUArY

Neighbors iN the News

Charles Robert Thomas dies at 71 Charles Robert Thomas a longtime the Blind, the Jerry Lewis Telethon and Valley Stream resident, died also gave blood frequently. Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020 at a He was the husband of rehabilitation and nursing Kathleen T. Traeger Thomcenter in Rockville Centre. as, father of Allison E. He was born in Brooklyn, Thomas of Valley Stream NY on Oct. 12, 1948 and was and Trevor J. Thomas of the son of the late Leonard Brooklyn, grandfather of and Monique Mallie ThomAva Grace, brother of Patrick (Jean) Thomas of Port as. He was 71 Jefferson. Thomas was raised in A family viewing Valley Stream and was a occur red at the Moore 1967 g raduate of Valley Funeral Home in Valley Stream Central High School. Charles robert Stream. A funeral mass was He was employed for over 39 thomas held Saturday, Sept. 19 at the years by the Levi Strauss & St. Joseph’s Church in SteCompany in Manhattan as an operations manager before retiring phentown, N.Y. and was interred following the mass in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, three years ago. He volunteered for Light House for Stephentown.

News brief Parade to celebrate WWII 75th anniversary Valley Streamers are invited to attend an intra-municipal parade commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Lynbrook on Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. The event will feature World War II re-enactors, ar mored vehicles, civic organizations, floats depicting iconic moments of World

War II, a World War II memorabilia display at Greis Park as well as food and entertainment. The parade begins at the corner of Merrick Road and Ocean Avenue. For more information call (516) 599-8300 ext. 201.

Courtesy Central High School District

VAlley streAm North High School students donated masks to Winthrop Hospital in Mineola.

North H.S. students donate masks Valley Stream North High School students Isabella Scarpa and Caroline Jones donated masks to Winthrop Hospital in Mineola on behalf of the Valley Stream North Drama Club and Frasca Design Group. The effort was made possible through

a fundraising event that took place in June, when the Drama Club presented a virtual open mic night to raise funds for frontline health care workers. Additionally, Scarpa’s family matched the total amount raised, resulting in $1,000 total in funds raised as part of the club’s goal.

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

Valley Stream

HERALD HOW TO REACH US Our offices are located at 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530 and are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000 ■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/valleystream ■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: vseditor@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 265 E-mail: vseditor@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: circ@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460 ■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: sales@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643 The Valley Stream Herald USPS 005868, is published every Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals postage paid at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to Valley Stream Herald, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Newsstand Price: $1 Subscription rates: $36 for 1 year within Nassau County. Out of Nassau County: $58 for 1 year. Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Courtesy Legislator Carrié Solages

NoN-profits iCNA relief and Gammy’s Pantry partnered with County Legislator Carrié Solages to donate backpacks to more than 50 children along with school supplies and food at the Five Towns Community Center.

Non-profits donate backpacks With a new school year approaching, more than 50 children received free backpacks, school supplies and food at the Five Towns Community Center on Sept. 2 during an event co-hosted by Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages, ICNA Relief and Gammy’s Pantry. The back-to-school giveaway was intended to serve as a onestop shop for families seeking assistance with meeting their back-to-school needs during these unprecedented times.

“Thanks to the generosity of ICNA Relief and Gammy’s Pantry, we were able to ensure that the children in our community have everything they need so that they can thrive in their studies and achieve their educational goals,” Solages said. “I thank them for their partnership in this latest effort to support our community and wish every Nassau County family a safe and successful start to a new school year.”

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — October 1, 2020

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October 1, 2020 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

Advocates seek justice for Breonna Taylor By Briana Bonfiglio bbonfiglio@liherald.com

Black women were front and center at the latest Black Lives Matter protest outside the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola on Sept. 24. The protest primarily sought justice for 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was fatally shot by a Louisville police officer in March. Officer Brett Hankinson was indicted on Sept. 23 on three counts of wanton endangerment for bullets that flew into a neighboring apartment. There were no charges in relation to Taylor’s death. One protester held a sign that read, “They charged the bullets that missed.” Others said, “Jail killer cops,” “Shut down racism and white supremacy” and “No justice no peace.” Another said “Defund the police” on the front and “Refund social services” on the back. Several local advocacy groups banded together to organize the rally, including the Long Island chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, LI United to Transform Policing and Community Safety, Nassau County Democratic Socialists of America, Long Island Black Alliance, NY02 Indivisible, Long Island Activists and Young Long Island for Justice. The protest began around 5:15 p.m. and led into a march about two hours later, after several Black Long Islanders spoke emotionally at the microphone. Nia Adams, a Long Island organizer, said she took the death of Taylor “very personally” — “the last 24 hours have been very hard for me,” she said. “The lesson that we are hearing out of Louisville is it is OK to break into a Black woman’s home,” she continued, “it is OK to murder a Black woman in her sleep, and it is OK to then attempt to slander and criminalize a Black woman after her death, and you will not be held accountable.” She added that Taylor’s death is not an isolated incident. “This is a culture that needs to change,” she said. “We need to … divest [from police departments] and reinvest in community solutions — into health care, housing and education. These are the things that matter. These are the things that keep us safe.” Shanequa Levin, founder of Women’s Diversity Network and member of LI United to Transform Policing and Community Safety, said she is “tired of having to give my kids ‘the talk,’” referring to the conversations Black parents have with their children to “teach them how to behave differently” when approached by a police officer. “I can’t take my Black skin off,” she said, shouting. “I can’t do that. I’m Black every damn day, and you see that as a threat.” Couple Devon Toney and Latoya Bazmore, community organizers from Brentwood, spoke about their own alleged experiences with police brutality. They said that they were beaten by Suffolk County police officers on the evening of Aug. 30 while hosting a barbecue at Ross Memorial Park in Brentwood for home-

Photos by Briana Bonfiglio/Herald

Many held signs in support of Black community members feeling hurt by the persistence of police brutality cases across the country.

shanequa levin, founder of Women’s Diversity Network and member of LI United to Transform Policing and Community Safety, vented her frustrations about how Black people are viewed in the United States. less, addicted and mentally ill community members. “I’m still traumatized by what went on that night,” Bazmore said, adding that she often sees people who are on the streets struggling being “brutalized by police.” Protest organizers made several demands, including dropping charges made against Toney that night; charging, arresting and convicting “all killer cops”; divesting from Nassau County police; reinvesting in community safety programs; and providing slavery reparations for Black citizens. Throughout the protest, the crowd took part in call-and-response chants, such as “Say her name, Breonna Taylor,” “When Black lives are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back” and “The people united, will never be defeated.” “All I want us to do is continue what we doing,” Bazmore said. “Don’t ever lose the fight in you.”

PeoPle of all ages, but mostly young people in their 20s and 30s, gathered outside a Nassau County legislative building in Mineola to protest the lack of charges against Louisville police officers for the death of Breonna Taylor. nia adaMs, a racial justice advocate on Long Island, spoke candidly about how the Breonna Taylor case has affected her emotionally.

VALLEY STREAM HERALD â€” October 1, 2020

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October 1, 2020 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

Coaches talk high school, college sports delays By Briana Bonfiglio bbonfiglio@liherald.com

High school and college sports coaches on the latest Herald Inside LI webinar discussed how Covid-19 has affected their programs — including new recruiting methods, alternatives to competitive gameplay and staying positive through it all. The virtual panel was live-streamed on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. and produced by RichnerLive, a division of Richner Communications Inc., publisher of Herald Community Newspapers. Herald Inside LI is a webinar series that aims to educate the community about navigating different aspects of life during the coronavirus pandemic. Local athletic coaches and officials joined the most recent conversation, including Chuck Priore, head football coach at Stony Brook University; Danielle Santos Atkinson, head women’s basketball coach at Hofstra University; Michael Rubino, head football coach and athletic director at Valley Stream Central High School; and David Viegas, director of health, phys. ed. and athletics in the Hewlett-Woodmere Union Free School District. Tony Bellissimo, sports editor of Herald Community Newspapers, offered opening remarks about the delay of fall sports because of Covid-19. “This has serious effects on schools and student-athletes,” he said, “especially the student-athletes in high school with an eye on playing at the next level.” Skye Ostreicher, of RichnerLive and Herald Community Newspapers, moderated the event and asked the panelists questions — first, about their reactions to the delay of high school and college sports. “It tears me apart to not see our kids and be at their games,” Viegas said, “but I think the focus had to be on getting us back into school, and now that we’re there, staying there, staying open.” The other panelists agreed that though it must have been a tough decision for university officials to make, health and safety must be the top priority. “We need to make the most out of it and figure out how to move this process forward,” Priore said. A big concern among high school athletes is losing game time that could be recorded and sent to college coaches, or

Courtesy Herald Inside LI

CloCkwise from top left: David Viegas, director of health, physical education and athletics at Hewlett-Woodmere Union Free School District; Skye Ostreicher, Herald Inside LI moderator; Michael Rubino, head football coach and athletic director at Valley Stream Central High School; Danielle Santos Atkinson, head women’s basketball coach at Hofstra Universit;y and Chuck Priore, head football coach at Stony Brook University discussed how Covid-19 has impacted the college sports recruiting process on Sept. 23. that recruiters could attend to watch them play. However, the panelists each gave advice to those student-athletes looking to continue their sport in college. “We have learned different ways of recruiting and outreach,” Priore noted. This means using online platforms to connect with colleges, rather than in-person meetings, tours or visits with college officials at competitions. Both Priore and Atkinson said they use social media to learn more about prospective players. They also said that they would accept videos of players demonstrating their skills, even if they are not in a game and are recorded by a friend or family member. College tours are also available virtually, Priore noted, as well as a wealth of information about the schools. Now that

prospective student-athletes are diving deeper into Stony Brook’s online information, “I honestly think the kids that we’re recruiting are benefitting from knowing Stony Brook better,” he said. Priore added that being able to hop on a Zoom call for recruiting purposes has been advantageous for his football players looking to enter professional leagues. “Today, we had 32 NFL teams on a Zoom call with [our athletics officials], showcasing our kids,” he said. “We’ve never had 32 NFL teams visit our campus, so our kids got more exposure this year than they normally would.” For high school students, Atkinson encouraged Zoom calls for getting to know potential teammates and coaches at colleges. “They’re able to get on a call and

come face to face with our academic adviser, strength coach and student-athletes, which was a great change,” she said, “because that’s one of the most important things — who are the people that I’m going to be surrounded by during my time in college?” Rubino said that Twitter is a great place for high school students to present themselves to coaches, as well, by adding information about the student’s academics and sports background. “It’s about marketing yourself in the best possible light,” he said. “Let [coaches] know what class you are and make it as easy as possible for them to recruit you.” Although games are not being played, college student-athletes have already begun training in small groups within their teams, while following health and safety protocols, with practices on the horizon. The college coaches noted that during the shutdown, not all the players had access to a gym to continue conditioning before playing. Thus, they are still getting all players on the same page before they start playing in January. “We had to stay in small groups as a football program, social distance and wear masks indoors,” Priore said. “From a training standpoint, our kids have really benefited.” High school student-athletes, however, are mostly still waiting to practice with their teams. Coaches are formulating plans to make this happen in the future. The panelists noted that without competitive sports in the fall, there is plenty of time to focus on academics, as well as maintain relationships with college officials to get recruited. “It’s not canceled; it’s just postponed,” Viegas said. “They’ll get their opportunity; they just have to be patient.” The panelists acknowledged that for student-athletes, many of whom have played every year since they were young, the change in plans could be overwhelming. Atkinson encouraged coaches and parents to discuss mental health with their student-athletes and to shed a positive light on the situation. “Everyone is just trying to stay positive, follow the rules, wear your mask,” Rubino said, “and then hopefully in the next few weeks, we’ll start to see some high schools generate plans where we can follow [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines and get [teams] back together a little bit.”

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and community lending coordinator at Emigrant Mortgage Company Inc.

Matthew Korman, licensed associate real estate broker, Douglas Elliman Scott Wallace, certified buyer representative, real estate salesman, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Husband and wife Max and Ashley Kramer, of North Bellmore, recently bought a home during the pandemic and will speak about their experience.

Skye Ostreicher, of RichnerLive and Herald Community Newspapers, will moderate the discussion, which will guide first-time homebuyers in how to purchase a house. Panelists will also discuss special loans for first-time homebuyers. “I feel that getting knowledge out now is important for first-time homebuyers as they need to lay the groundwork for the home-buying and financing process,” Ferrero said. “Spending time up front learning from knowledgeable sources allows them to be educated, prepared and ready

to put a plan in place so that their firsttime home-buying goes well for them, both financially and emotionally.” Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, Douglas Elliman and Emigrant Mortgage are the event sponsors. To register, visit liherald.com/insideli. To submit your questions in advance, email insideli@liherald.com. To sponsor a webinar or for more information about Herald Inside LI, contact Amy Amato at aamato@richnerlive.com or (516) 569-4000, ext. 224.

V.S. Beautification Committee seeks members

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — October 1, 2020

By Peter Belfiore

pbelfiore@liherald.com

A new effort is getting underway in Valley Stream to come up with ways to beautify the neighborhood. Although officially formed at the village board reorganization meeting on Sept. 21, the Valley Stream Beautification Committee currently lacks a chairperson, but once fully active would be made up of residents who have volunteered to brainstorm and bring to life ideas to help clean up and beautify parts of Valley Stream. Deputy Village TreaEmail: surer David Sabatino is vstreas2@vsvny.org spearheading the effort, and would act as a liaison between the village and the committee. He is currently seeking more people who might be interested in taking part. “The inspiration (for the committee) came from hearing a lot of residents over the years talking about how beautiful our community is,” Sabatino said, “and the minor and more intensive ways we could make it more beautiful.” Although still in the initial organizing stage, residents who expressed interest in being a part of the committee met via Zoom on Sept. 8 to discuss their first steps. So far roughly 20 people have joined, Sabatino said, but he would like to see that number double as a starting point. Members would discuss different projects, such as litter cleanup days, a community garden or murals — whatever might come to mind — and fundraising ideas to help make such projects a reality. Other roles the committee might

interested in joining?

Christina Daly/Herald

the Valley Stream Beautification Committee, currently in its infancy, would be charged with finding ways to make the neighborhood a more beautiful place to live. One idea that has been floated is a Mill Pond cleanup day. play include engaging the village to change some of its operations or exploring ways to make feasible projects committee volunteers might be unable to do on their own. “I think the committee is going to play a major partnership in the village not just by tackling problems,” Sabatino said, “but bringing into light problems that might not be so easily discernable. Organization-wise the Beautification Committee would

be comprised of a mayor-appointed chairperson, who would then select a vice chairperson, a secretary to handle official correspondence and a treasurer to oversee any funds raised. Those interested in becoming a chairperson must submit a letter of intent to the village. Sabatino said he hopes the committee might serve as a means to make ideas residents might have to turn Valley Stream a more beautiful place a reality.

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eleCtion 2020

October 1, 2020 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

It’s Judy Griffin vs. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick the 180-day threshold.

By Bridget downes bdownes@liherald.com

Herald: Baldwin is undergoing the Down-

Former Malverne deputy mayor and village trustee Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick is challenging incumbent New York State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin for a seat representing the 21st Assembly District. The Herald asked Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and Griffin questions focusing on issues pertinent to the residents of several South Shore communities.

town Revitalization Initiative, for which it received a $10 million state grant to revamp the long-struggling downtown area. How can you help bring about positive development, and encourage developers to build, in not just Baldwin, but other areas blighted with empty storefronts?

Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick: The manner in

Herald: The coronavirus pandemic has

devastated our local economy, shutting down businesses and causing steep losses in revenue. What could you do, especially as federal aid is unlikely moving forward, to help the economy recover and help get the funding to the people who need it most, like local business owners and residents?

Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick: Clearly, coro-

navirus has devastated our communities with its health consequences, as well as its economic impacts. Pressing the governor for the responsible reopening of society, especially businesses, is crucial to our recovery. Consistency in policy is also important to help many businesses that are suffering rebound and survive. With regard to making funding available to businesses, I will press governments, including New York State and Nassau County, to follow the Town of Hempstead’s example on the disbursement of CARES funding and other relief. Hempstead Town has used CARES funding to open pop-up food pantries, deliver meals to senior citizens, furnish PPE kits to area businesses, outfit hospitals with Covid safety supplies, establish Covid testing sites, and more. Sadly, some other governments are merely utilizing CARES monies to plug their budget deficits.

Judy griffin: Covid-19 has negatively impacted us in many ways. First and foremost the many lives lost is a tragedy for our community, state and country. Secondly, the economic impact and fiscal crisis that we are facing as a result is unprecedented. We still have not received the essential aid we need from the federal government. All efforts must be made to explore and develop new revenue streams that can fund schools, municipalities, health services, etc. While we wait for the federal government to act, it is imperative to assess our spending and revenues in real time in order to make informed decisions. A mid-year fiscal report from Comptroller Tom DiNapoli in mid-October followed by a fiscal report from Governor Andrew Cuomo will provide essential information. Residents, especially our seniors and essential workers, have been the hardest hit by the pandemic. I will continue to work diligently on unemployment issues, advocate for tax and rent relief as well as helping to fund health insurance initiatives to assist those that lost their benefits due to job loss as a result of Covid-19.

Judy Griffin Age: 57 Party: Democratic education: Bachelor of Science in Business Economics with minors in Political Science and Communication from the State University of New York at Oneonta Individual Assistance is vital during these times. I established a routine set of protocols for my staff to assist people with unemployment claims and other issues that adversely impacted their lives. We also did continuous outreach to senior citizens via wellness checks and provided support where needed. Established businesses throughout A.D. 21 have been hit extremely hard. We are so fortunate on Long Island to have organizations that advocate strongly for our local businesses and economic development. I regularly initiate communication with organizations such as LI Vision, Chambers of Commerce and many others to address our local needs at the state level. I initiated and hosted a series of Small Businesses Conferences on Zoom in collaboration with these organizations. I advocated directly to the governor for the reopening of bowling alleys, health clubs and malls and was successful. Next, it is imperative that we open movie theatres, comedy clubs, smaller live concert venues and increase seating in restaurants now that our Covid-19 numbers have flattened. Although the State Liquor Authority has to perform due-diligence on overseeing that guidelines are followed, we must remain vigilant in ensuring that fines and closures are not punitive or excessive. These hard working businessmen and women need our support and we must make sure that executive power is not overreaching. I co-sponsored a bill that was signed into law in June that establishes a state disaster emergency loan program.

Herald: Schools are struggling to balance

their budgets after seeing a small increase to Foundation Aid this year, and school officials are worried about possible cuts from the state coming later in the year.

Patricia CanzoneriFitzpatrick Age: 55 Party: Republican, Conservative education: Bachelor of Science in Accounting from St. John’s University College of Business Administration, Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law How can you help local schools get the funding they need?

Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick: The Foundation Aid did not increase at all from 2019-20 to 202021 and the formulas have not been fully funded for years. The process of assigning school aid has become arbitrary. At the same time, Long Island homeowners cannot afford the property tax increases that will likely result if our state legislators cannot successfully fend off prospective education aid cuts. In the alternative, Long Island’s top-quality schools would confront severe cost cutting, which would erode our quality of education. New York State’s budgets cannot be balanced on the backs of students. All other alternatives must be explored, including the restructuring of state debt, allocation of federal CARES funding to our school districts, reordering the state’s spending priorities and more. griffin: Supporting our schools is one of

my main priorities. In the 2019 budget I was able to secure a record $198 million in funding to schools in the 21st Assembly District. I also got an additional $1.3 million for municipalities throughout the district. This year’s budget was much more difficult for obvious reasons. If we do not receive emergency assistance from the federal government, we have to look closely at options to fund schools. As a result of schools closing, we had to take legislative action to ensure payments of state aid when schools fell below the required 180-day threshold. This enabled schools to get the essential funding they needed and was signed into law in June. I am also cosponsoring a bill to make sure that religious and private schools are also able to receive state funding despite not meeting

which we approach downtown revitalization and development must change if our region is going to move forward and realize the promise of economic prosperity. One of the biggest obstacles to downtown revitalization is the uncertainty that developers face with respect to zoning, as well as local and state assistance. I am an advocate of creating Economic Development Zones, that would set zoning, as well as governmental assistance parameters for entire neighborhoods or blocks, as opposed to the outdated practice of piecemeal redevelopment of individual parcels. Under an Economic Development Zone program, developers and the community would be made aware of the full package of proposed development inducements, zoning parameters and other factors (i.e. Industrial Development Agency benefits, federal revitalization grants, local government investment such as the complementary use of adjacent underutilized municipal/state parcels). Piecemeal and traditional revitalization approaches have proven cost ineffective for developers and arduously slow for those who live in surrounding neighborhoods. Baldwin residents have endured several downtown revitalization efforts, including the current overlay district, but I believe the more comprehensive approach which is detailed in the aforementioned Economic Development Zone approach would elicit a more prosperous result.

griffin: I was so proud to have a role in securing the $10 million DRI project for Baldwin. This wonderful community has been advocating for this for years. I am pleased to see all levels of government collaborating with the Local Planning Committee. NYS, Nassau County, and the Town of Hempstead have all played an active role. My staff and I will remain in close contact to see this project through. The pandemic has not slowed development activity. Development in multi-family housing, shared office space, and health care facilities has been constant. There is a growing demand, especially from our younger residents, for affordable, walkable communities with a mix of retail, business and access to mass transit. I am pleased to see the progress Bartone Development is making at the former Capri Motel. I will continue to find ways to encourage community and local government supported projects in our downtowns. Note: Answers have been edited and shortened for brevity. For the complete text visit liherald.com

What’s neWs in and out of the classroom

MOLLOY

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — October 1, 2020

Herald ScHoolS

IS THE

Photo courtesy District 30

The DisTricT 30 Board of Education met on Sept. 21 for the first time since the reopening of schools.

Valley Stream District 30 discusses start of new school year The Valley Stream District 30 Board of Education gathered virtually on Sept. 21 for its first regular meeting since the reopening of schools. The livestream was available for the community to view on YouTube. Jennifer Lewner, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and Erica Suarez, summer school principal, shared a recap of the district’s 2020 summer school program, which was held virtually for the first time this summer. They reported that although the program was designed differently than in past years due to the pandemic, they believed it was successful. More than 100 students reportedly took part. Students worked on English and math through tools such as Google Classroom and Google Meets. Enrichment sessions also took place. Following their presentation, Dr. Nicole Schimpf, director of special services, shared her report of the district’s Special Services Summer Program, also held virtually this past summer. She highlighted some of the lessons, along with the technical supports and platforms that were used. She reported zero regression by the end of the summer among those who enrolled in the program. Additionally, Schools Superintendent Dr. Nicholas Stirling shared a back to school presentation with the board and communi-

ty, which consisted of steps being taken in the school buildings to ensure safety, such as mask wearing and social distancing protocols, limiting visitor access and conducting temperature checks each morning. He encouraged everyone to move forward with a positive mindset and praised the staff for their creativity and innovativeness as the district navigates this new normal. Board President Ingrid Wyllie-Dacon also praised members of the district, including the Reopening Task Force, staff and parents for their support. The task force was comprised of a number of stakeholders including parents, teachers and administrators. The group devised the district’s reopening plan. “Thank you to our staff and teachers for embracing all of the changes in, around and outside of the classroom,” WyllieDacon said. “Thank you to the parents who have been very patient and cooperative. Everyone being on board and giving 100 percent created a very smooth opening and that has continued. We are all facing challenges at this time and the board is thankful and appreciative that you are all doing your part each day to ensure that we move forward. Thank you very much for all of your hard work.”

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Special services program at District 30 ized attention to be set on specific student needs. Teachers conducted live instruction through Google Meets and provided activities on Google Classroom. To maintain a structure that students were already familiar with, academic-based apps were utilized on their devices to further enhance reading, writing and math concepts and students participated in hands-on projects and virtual field trips every Friday. In addition, teachers led individual or small class meetings throughout the summer intended to create a sense of community. The program also offered parent training for families for extra support at home.

Virtual Open House Sunday, November 15

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Valley Stream District 30 held its annual Special Services Summer Program virtually this summer. It ran from July 6 through Aug. 14, and was designed to meet the continuing needs of students with learning disabilities from Clear Stream Avenue, Forest Road and Shaw Avenue schools. The six-week program was led by Director of Special Services Dr. Nicole Schimpf. Thirty nine students participated in the half-day program, Monday through Friday. They were enrolled in one of four small classes of less than 12 students and although their interactions were virtual, each student still had the opportunity to engage in one-to-one lessons for individual-

Compiled by Peter Belfiore MOL883_RightNow_TheHerald_Print_Ads_5.04x12.75_v2.indd 1

9/16/20 2:59 PM

October 1, 2020 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

E E

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Peter Johansen

steve milazzo

West hemPstead Commander, Cathedral Post 1087 West hemPstead

valley stream reverend, Bethlehem assemBly of God, valley stream

he year 2020 has been like nothing any of us have experienced before. In March, we were getting ready to host our annual St. Patrick’s Day Party when the scope of the Covid-19 crisis began to become apparent. Something that was a problem in other far-off places became a major problem here in New York. The planes stopped flying, and people retreated to their homes. Terms and phrases like “flatten the curve,” “social distancing” and “cover your face” became part of everyday life. The good news, however, is that through the combined efforts of residents, New York went from being the epicenter of the virus to the state with the lowest infection rate in the nation. I am happy to report that none of our members got the virus. As we get back on our feet, we will do so with the goal of keeping our members and guests at Post 1087 safe. This fall, the post, at 233 Woodlawn Road in West Hempstead, will be a polling place from Oct. 24 to Nov. 3. For those who choose to, they can also request a ballot by mail. We thank you for all your support.

he pandemic has made me realize that I need to stay connected with people in different ways. I connect through Zoom meetings. We have also made a commitment to smaller groups of people meeting over Zoom. Groups of five to 15 people meet weekly. We have 120 small groups meeting outside of church services. It’s important that we are the church outside of the walls of the church building. It’s not about just being in a church building, but it’s about being the church outside in the world. There is a level of stress that goes along with leading a congregation through a pandemic. Navigating through difficult decisions like keeping people safe, staying connected and maintaining continuity with the congregation have not been easy. The pastoral sessions that I have with people have changed. I’m dealing with more people who are struggling with depression and anxiety. I tell them not to be too hard on themselves. I tell them not to live in secret pain and to get the help they need. A lot of people struggle with anxiety and depression, and it’s treatable. My advice to them is that they should first go to God through prayer and read their Bibles. They should never isolate themselves, and they should stay around people who can support them. They need to balance their lives, eat, sleep and make time for self-care. I think that the changes caused by the pandemic have exacerbated things people have been dealing with prior to the pandemic.

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VALLEY STREAM HERALD — October 1, 2020

Their fronT-line sTories in Their own words daNa gaudiuso NaoMi JosePh rockville ceNtre Woodsburgh sPeech Pathologist, NeW York citY dePartMeNt of educatioN

Nurse PractitioNer NYu WiNthroP hosPital

hat I learned through this pandemic is the power of community. I got Covid myself in the beginning, in March, but it was a mild case. When I returned to work, my fellow nurses and I had a 10-week deployment. Usually I recover open heart and lung surgery patients, but then I had to take care of Covid patients only. Some days were easier than others, but there were days when we were counting the number of deaths we were calling. It was terrible. The [Personal Protective Equipment] situation was not so bad at my hospital, but we were issued just one set for the week. We were taking care of patients who were really sick, but we didn’t have enough beds or ventilators. The whole situation wasn’t great. The operating room became an Intensive Care Unit, and certain places were totally closed. In some rooms I had to wear a gown and be covered from head to toe, all day long, for 12 hours, which was hard because I would become too hot and uncomfortable. Another problem was that there was no communication; if a person was transferred to the hospital from an assisted living facility, for instance, the family had a hard time locating their loved ones. The nurses stepped in; we would wrap our phones in plastic and FaceTime with the patient and their families. I’m blessed to work with people who ultimately put their lives on the line every day to help others, and we had a lot of community support.

t seemed as though I was the busiest person on Earth. As my varied careers almost imperceptibly demanded increasing amounts of time, home became a place to temporarily crash while bolting between them. I didn’t plan that life, but one day I turned around and there I was, out of the house more than I was in it. Temporary respite was found through a sabbatical from speech therapy during the 2019-20 school year. But little did I know the implosive life reversal that was about to commence. My children learned remotely, my husband worked from home, and I was not scheduled for teletherapy. For the first time ever, my job description was to slow down, build relationships, laugh, play and relax. I had long conversations. I indulged my clients in decadent self-care. I showered my family with endless hours of attention. And I properly cared for myself. It was heaven on earth, and I decided to never return to a mayhem mindset. I am just one of the millions who have experienced a life-altering renaissance in the midst of this pandemic. But as I resume treating my incredible students along with tending to my other passions, I forge into the new normal with the awareness and practice learned from those precious months at home. My wish for you is that you create in your life whatever you dreamed over the last six months. You can do it. You deserve it.

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SHARE YOUR LOSS, SHARE YOUR MEMORIES Dear neighbor:

We live and work in this community. The lives of each and every one of you is important to us and we are here to tell your stories — from beginning to end. That includes the final chapter. At this difficult time, I want to remind you that obituaries in all Herald Community Newspapers are, and have always been, completely free.

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Valbrook Diner to reopen after renovations

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — October 1, 2020

continued from front page the business shuttered, the timing, Anthony said, “made sense.” Now, more than six months later, with a complete reconstruction of the building’s interior, Valbrook is nearly ready to open in the coming weeks, and is awaiting final inspection approval by the village. While the diner retains the same layout, including its signature atrium area with its curved windowed wall and ceiling, virtually every surface has been redone. The remodel, the brothers said, is a vow that the Valbrook will continue for decades. “ We ’ r e n o t going anywhere,” Anthony said. “We plan to be here for the rest of our lives. This is our livelihood, and we want the community and the neighborhood of Valley Stream to know that the Valbrook Diner is going to be here for the next 50 years.” As part of a family of restauanThony rant owners, the brothers got their disTefano start in the busiCo-owner, ness at a young Valbrook Diner age. Anthony spent most of his career, roughly 17 years, as general manager at his uncle’s restaurant, the Kings Plaza Diner, in Brooklyn, while Tommy, 47, worked as general manager at Metro 29, their cousin’s diner, in Arlington, Va. Looking for work after the Kings Plaza closed in 2010, the younger DiStefano joined the staff at Valbrook, where he met longtime owner Bill Tsempelis. “He was a oneman team,” Anthony recalled when he met him. “He was well known throughout the area.” Around that time, Tommy had moved up to Queens, where he was working as general manager at the Georgia Diner, and the two decided to follow through with their dream of restaurant ownership and offered to purchase the Valbrook. Tsempelis, however, wasn’t ready. Tsempelis began as manager at the diner in 1974. He was 24 at the time, and five years later, he purchased it from the owner before him. Initially, he ran the kitchen and his wife, the cash register. Over the decades he became intimately acquainted with the customers, some of whom he saw every day. “The Valbrook was my house,” he recalled. “All my life I was there.” But as the years went by, Tsempelis started to feel his age and decided to ask the brothers if they were still interested in purchasing the Valbrook. Although no longer its owner, he still visits once, sometimes twice a week, and sits with the DiStefanos for coffee. With the renovation, he said, he wishes them the best of luck. After purchasing the Valbrook, the two

e want the community and the neighborhood of Valley Stream to know that the Valbrook Diner is going to be here for the next 50 years.

Photos by Peter Belfiore/Herald

nearly The enTire interior of the restaurant has been redone. said they made only minor changes. They purchased a new cappuccino machine, and, Anthony added, they put eggs Benedict on the menu. “Basically the only thing new we did from the beginning was bring in our personalities,” Tommy said, describing how the two often engage in friendly one-upmanship. Until the renovation, they kept a calendar in the diner basement with two markers: one green and one red. On days when Tommy won an argument, he marked it in green. The red marker, Anthony joked, sometimes collected dust. “Being partners is hard,” Tommy said, noting he and his brother occasionally butt heads. When things get particularly heated between the two, they resort to a safe word: yaya. “It’s grandmother in Greek, because our grandmother would never want us to fight,” he explained. “So we separate for a halfhour and come back with cooler heads, we figure it out, and 95 percent of the time he apologizes.” His brother jokingly agreed, “That’s usually how it goes down.” But always, their goal, the two said, is to make the Valbrook a comfortable place to spend time. “We always said when we were kids, if we did this together, we wanted this to be an extension of our living room,” Tommy said. “This is our house.” The renovations have brought a computerized ordering system, a new phone system to handle deliveries and touchless bathroom appliances. With the reopening, much of the diner’s original staff have said they will return, the brothers said. “They’re excited to come back,” Anthony said. “They missed the customers.” Although the pandemic is ongoing, he said he looks forward to welcoming his longtime customers back. “Everything’s brand-new, clean, and we’re looking forward to having everyone who’s been here the past 40 years back again.” Echoing his brother’s sentiment, Tommy said, “We look forward to entertaining you in our living room again.”

The Valbrook has been in operation for more than 50 years. It closed for renovations shortly after the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The diner’s signaTure atrium-windowed seating area has been preserved.

October 1, 2020 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

V.S. athletes react to new sports schedule continued from front page “The body’s obviously not going to be used to it. Usually we have a week and a half to two weeks, so it’s not long, but at least you have a little bit of a chance to get your body used to the next season,” he said. “Now we don’t have that luxury.” Pershad also wondered how championships would be held, and how All-Conference, All-County and All-State titles would be determined. “That’s something that really hasn’t been discussed yet,” he said. David Margarin, 17, a senior varsity cross-country runner at Central, was shocked when he heard of the initial postponement, but he said, “With Covid, I think it was a good call.” Looking to receive an athletic scholarship, he said he had been training five days a week over the summer to prepare for September, but when the news broke, he realized it would be some time before he would be able to run races again. He, too, runs winter and spring track, and although Margarin is relieved that cross-country might still be preserved, he wonders how the seasons will pan out. “I want to make this year stand out from my others,” he said. Osbourne Traill, whose 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, plays varsity basketball at South High School, said that even with the late start to the winter season — it typically begins around Thanksgiving — he was unsure whether he would still allow her to play. “From my point of view, we should play it safe,” he said. “. . . I hear a lot of people talking about how if the pros can do it, we can do it too, but the pros are about dollars and cents, and although high school is about dollars and cents as well, we don’t have the means to do what the pros are doing.” Traill noted that professional athletes are tested week-

ly, and in the case of the NBA, isolated to prevent the spread of infection. His sons, two of whom play college basketball, are also tested weekly, but he noted that the high schools are unlikely to have such resources. “One kid can jeopardize not only the school, but the entire town,” he said of the chance for infection. “I love watching these guys play, and I know they put their hearts and souls into it,” he said. “It may seem like the end of the world, but it’s not.” Elizabeth, who also plays softball, said she was upset at the loss of the spring season last spring after it was canceled because of the pandemic, and although she would like to play basketball this year, she understood the potential dangers. “I would love to play,” she said, “but at the same time, I don’t want to risk anyone else getting infected. If I can’t play, I’ll be fine with it.” For Yasir Shabazz-Allah, 17, a senior varsity football player at South High School, he was relieved, he said, with the news of the reschedule. “As long as we’re having another season, it’s going to be fine,” he said. As a running back and slot back, Shabazz-Allah said he hopes to earn a scholarship. “I was looking to have a breakout senior year, and that was my own focus,” he said, noting that now with the rescheduled season, “it can still happen.” He would like to be part of a playoff team at South, and thinks that with the current talent, it might be possible. “Me and the other captains have been really pushing the guys hard,” he said. “With the playmakers we have, I really think we can do it.” Although the new season is now six months out, he and his teammates are continuing to ready themselves, with additional training and mini-practices outside of school. “We’re hungry,” Shabazz-Allah said.

Public Notices

Photos by Ron Manfredi/Herald

Former North cross-couNtry runner Christian Cicilia competing in the Nassau Class III championship last fall. The Valley Stream fall sports season will begin next March 1.

LVAL1 1001

LEGAL NOTICE New York State Surrogate’s Court New York State Bar Association Official OCA Form JA-6 Accounting Citation File No.2019-427/A CITATION SURROGATE’S COURT, NASSAU COUNTY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, By the Grace of God Free and Independent TO:Grassi & Co Attorney General State of New York Jasper Surety Edward S. Jones Dorothy Higgins and any and all unknown persons whose names or parts of whose names and whose place or places of residence are unknown and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained, distributees, heirs-at-law and next-ofkin of the said ROBERT BEUSMANN, deceased, and if any of the said distributees named specifically or as a class be dead, their legal representatives, their husbands or wives, if any, distributees and successors in interest whose names and/or places of residence and post office addresses are unknown and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained

A petition having been duly filed by Public Administrator of Nassau County, who is domiciled at 240 Old Country Road, Mineola, New York 11501. YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court, Nassau County, at 262 Old Country Road, Mineola, New York, on October 27, 2020, at 9:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, why the account of Public Administrator of Nassau County, a summary of which has been served herewith, as Administrator of the estate of Robert Beusmann, should not be judicially settled. [X] Further relief sought (if any): 1. Releasing and discharging the Petitioner from all liability, responsibility and accountability as to all matters set forth in the account of proceedings; 2. Allowing the commissions of the Petitioner in the amount of $34,974.98 pursuant to SCPA 2307(1) and the reasonable and necessary expenses of the office in the amount of $10,389.99 pursuant to SCPA 1207(4); 3. Fixing and determining the attorney’s fees of Mahon,

Mahon, Kerins & O’Brien, LLC attorney for petitioner in the amount of $61,587.50 of which $22,587.50 has been paid and $39,000.00 is unpaid together with disbursements totaling $284.00 all of which have been paid; 4. Fixing and determining the accounting fees of Grassi & Co, CPA’s, PC in the amount of $3,950.00 of which $950.00 has been paid and $3,000.00 is unpaid; 5. Releasing and discharging the surety; 6. And why each of you claiming to be a distributee of the decedent should not establish proof of your kinship; and why the balance of said funds should not be paid to said alleged distributees upon proof of kinship, or deposited with the New York State Comptroller on account for the unknown next of kin of ROBERT BEUSMANN, decedent should said alleged distributees default herein, or fail to establish proof of kinship; 7. Granting such other and further relief as to the Court is just and proper. Dated,Attested, and Sealed, HON. Margaret C. Reilly,

Surrogate September 11, 2020 s/ Seal Debra Keller Leimbach, Chief Clerk Richard T. Kerins, Esq. Attorney Name Mahon, Mahon, Kerins & O’Brien, LLC Firm (516) 538-1111 Telephone 254 Nassau Blvd. South, Garden City South, New York 11530 Address rkerins@mahonlaw.com Email (optional) NOTE: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed that you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney appear for you, and you or your attorney may request a copy of the full account from the petitioner or petitioner’s attorney. 123182

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… Printed in this publication can be found online. To search by publication name, go to: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com TO PLACE AN AD CALL 516-569-4000 x 232

Valley stream south’s Lexxi McNeil, left, moved the ball upfield during a home win over Kennedy in a Nassau Class A first round playoff game last year. The fall sports season was postponed this year because of coronavirus fears.

Employment

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

lynbrook public schools a district of excellence

Bellmore-Merrick CHSD Starting salary: $21,988 - $22,526

full-time positions

(commensurate with experience)

Teacher assisTanTs Teacher aides

Security Aide, F/T $20.50/hr.

(law enforcement background required)

part-time positions

Substitute Positions:

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(must have proper 19A documentation)

• Cleaner: $13.75/hr. • Security Aide: $20.50/hr.

(law enforcement background required)

EOE Minority Candidates Encouraged to apply EMPLOYMENT Help Wanted

This South Shore District in Western Nassau County, committed to Excellence in Education, is seeking qualified candidates for the following position:

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Civil Service Position

Security Guard Full-Time (40 hours/week)

*State Ed Dept. Fingerprint Clearance Req’d Possession of valid license as a Security Guard issued by the NYS Dep’t of State Compensation Range: $24,644-$27,531

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1103447

Dr. Alison Offerman-Celentano, Asst. Supt.

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Send Cover Letter & Resume to: Dr. Mara Bollettieri Deputy Superintendent 1260 Meadowbrook Road N. Merrick, NY 11566 (516) 992-1014

Send Cover Letter, Resume, Certifications, etc. to maureen t. Berman, ed.D. Assistant Superintendent for Personnel, Transportation & Student Support Services

ROUTES AVAILABLE AT CALLAHEAD Corp.

• Clerical Substitutes: $16.50 per hour

employment@lynbrookschools.org

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OUTSIDE SALES

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suBstitute positions

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HERALD

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VALLEY STREAM HERALD — October 1, 2020

HERALD

An expediter or an architect?

Homes

HERALD

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

Q. My father built a dormer on our house in the ’70s, and we want to sell the house but are being told that the permit didn’t include the bathroom or bedrooms. We decided to go with an expediter instead of an architect because it’s a simple thing, and we didn’t want to spend more or make it more complicated. The expediter says we won’t need the insulation information or window changes the architects said we need. What can we Ask The expect? Is this really simple, Architect or complicated?

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

Long Beach

One of A Kind!

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A. Sometimes trying to make things simpler makes things more complicated. Not filling in all the blanks means that if the blanks are ignored, just like a student with a half-answered test paper, you’re going to fail in onte eeper your objective, which is to get the permit, get the plumbing, electrical and final building inspections and get the final certificate of completion. Although you may think this involves just making a few calls, what it really involves, if done legally and correctly, is accurate measuring, drawing and code documentation. What does that mean, and why do you need all that? The original dormer permit, more correctly described as an “addition to the second floor,” was handled as an unoccupied shell (from the drawing you emailed me). That typical ploy was done to avoid paying taxes since it was considered storage by your town, which granted the permit, and your county, which taxes you for the character of the building. By not being habitable space, like bedrooms, it was believed that the taxes would be lower, which they may have been until the house was reassessed. Building officials, if they review your expediter’s documents consistently with their safety requirements for a habitable second floor in 2020, not the 1970s, will require that the window openings meet current, larger sizes. Had the addition been previously approved as habitable space, or if the reviewing plans examiner allows the windows under a code for existing buildings, you may be able to avoid putting in larger windows before you can get a sign-off and sell. In a quirky twist of logic, since the house plans don’t show any insulation, you may be required to meet the current New York State Energy Code, dictated by federal energy mandates. That means more insulation than would even fit in the small rafters — undersized, according to the current code, for the addition. You may be of the belief that an expediter, whom you believe will get this done more quickly and without meeting all the requirements, can get around all this, but they don’t, really. Expediters still need an architect’s or engineer’s signature and seal on plans, because expediters aren’t legally responsible if things are incorrect. Architects, unlike most other professions, are regularly circumvented, and nobody, officially or unofficially, says anything. Barbers no longer pull teeth instead of dentists. Would you do the same with lawyers, doctors or even airline pilots? Would you want to? Good luck!

Mazal Amram, LAB Associate Broker Cell:(516) 782-6331 Direct: (516) 782-6331 Topper Realty 84 East Park Ave. Long Beach, NY 516-889-6677

WishingYouAHealthy,Happy&SweetNewYear

OPEN HOUSES SUNday, 10/04/2020 HEwlEtt 1657 Warwick Rd, BA, NEW TO MARKET!. Outstanding 4 BR, 3.5 Bth Col Built in 2012. Soaring Ceilings Throughout. Open Layout Perfect for Entertaining. Radiant Heated Flrs. FBsmt/ Hi Ceilings. SD#20 .........................................................$1,250,000 wOOdMERE 78 Burton Ave, BA, NEW! 5BR, 4. Bth Col., Old Woodmere. Large EIK, FDR, LR/Fpl, Den, Office. Full Bsmt, 2 Car Gar. Near All. SD#14 ............................................ $939,000 946 Midwood Rd, BA, NEW! Reno 4 BR, 2.5 Bth Col., Academy Area. Gran/Wood EIK, LR/Fpl, FDR, Den. FBsmt. Gar ............................................................................ $999,000 HEwlEtt HaRBOR 3 Payne Circle, BA, 5 BR, 3.5 Cul de Sac. State of the Art EIK, 2 Dens, Bsmt, & 2 Car Gar. SD#20....................................................................................................... $1,190,000 236 Richards Lane, BA, 5 BR, 5.5 Bth Contemporary, Acre Of Resortlike, IGP. Open Plan. Full FBsmt. Main Flr Master. SD14. ....................................REDUCED! $1,599,000 1290 Seawane Dr, BA, WATERFRONT! MACY CHANNEL! Build Your Dream Home, 1.25 Acre. Prime Location ............................................................................... $1,799,000 HEwlEtt Bay PaRK 1261 Veeder Dr, BA, Statley 7 BR, 4.55 Grand 6500 Sq Ft Colonial Cul de Sac on over an Acre of Parklike Prop. SD#14 Near All .......................................................$2,250,000 70 Heron Dr, BA, 6 BR, Contemporary with Open Layout, Acre of Parklike. Move Right in! SD#14 .........................................................................................................$1,699,000 159 Meadowview Ave, BA, Stately 5200 Sq Ft Col., 6 BR, 6.55 Bths, Acre Of Resortlike, IGP, Ct, & Outdoor Kit. FBsmt, 2 Car Gar, Fabulous Location in SD#14 .... REDUCED!! $2,699,000 30 Heron Dr, BA, Magnificent 8500 Sq Ft Waterfront, 2 Acre Resortlike, Pool, Tennis/ Sport Ct, New Landscaping / Waterfall, 3 BR Guest House/ Kit, LR, Den. 300 Ft New Bulkhead. 4 Car Htd Gar. SD#14 ................................................ REDUCED! $4,690,000 90 Anchorage Rd, BA, Over an Acre of PRIME WATERFRONT Prop on Macy Channel, 135' Bulkhead, Open Layout, Main Flr Mstr Ste, Potential for Expansion .....$1,999,000 wOOdSBURgH 185 Bay Dr, BA, 5/6 BR, 4.5 Bth Exp Ranch on Parklike 1/2 Acre, Guest Quarters, Full Bsmt, 2 Car Gar. SD#14 ...................................................................................$1,450,000 891 Keene Lane, BA, Magnificently Reno While Retaining Charm, Stone Cottage. 3 BR, 2.5 Bths. Potential for Expansion. Brand New Mstr Bth. Over 1/2 Acre Property! Near All ...................................................................REDUCED & MOTIVATED! $999,000 EaSt ROCKaway 1 Thompson Dr, BA, NEW! 4 BR, 2.5 Bth Exp Ranch w/Open Layout, Waverly Park. Updtd EIK. O/S Prop w/Deck. Att Gar. SD#20 ................................................... $599,000 101 Emmet Ave, BA. WATERFRONT! Rebuilt in 2010, 4 BR 3.5 Bth Split w/ Pool, Outdoor Kit & Deck. Open Layout. Private Mstr Ste, 2 Car Gar, SD#20 ........$1,250,000 giBSON 76 Page Rd, BA, FIRST SHOW! 4 BR Colonial w/ Updated EIK, FDR, LR, FBsmt. Det Gar. SD#14. Near LIRR, Shops, Houses of Worship ......................................... $589,000

“Going Above & Beyond to find your Dream Home”

Rhonda Healy

M: (516) 236-7269

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October 1, 2020 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

HILLS

1103100

© 2020 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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VALLEY STREAM HERALD — October 1, 2020

HERALD

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Answers

to todAy’s puzzle

opinions

y soul is aching. As the Covid-19 death toll surpassed 200,000 last week, we mourned Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of America’s greatest daughters — an incredible mind with a voracious appetite for learning, a fearless, indomitable advocate for women’s rights and, quite simply, a good and decent human being, with an oldschool sense of politeness that enabled her to deliver a penetrating verbal jab without personal insult. Her death at age 87 came only two months after the sCoTT passing of U.S. Rep. BRinTon John Lewis, who was 80. Together they represented a particular brand of leadership: strength obtained not through bullying, but through the depth of their moral conviction, their sense of justice and their commitment to telling the truth under all circumstances. Each helped create a more equal society and a more perfect union, though they would likely say their work was far from over at their deaths. That would explain why they continued working through the pain of terrible illness. Surely they will go down in the annals of history as truly monumental figures. Their lives should serve as models for our own.

Lewis spoke of “good trouble,” agitating not simply for the sake of agitating, but to move the “arc of the moral universe,” as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called it, further toward justice. For both Lewis and Ginsburg, advocacy meant always speaking their minds, telling the truth as they saw it, without reservation, no matter the reaction, and the reaction was often harsh, brutal even. Lewis was beaten more than once during the 1960s civil rights movement for marching peacefully. Both were ridiculed, mocked. Yet always they maintained their composure. For both, a deep and abiding religious faith — Ginsburg, Judaism, and Lewis, Christianity — informed their responses. They showed love and understanding toward even the most vehement of their detractors. Lesser leaders might have thought of their critics as enemies, but not Ginsburg and Lewis. To them, their detractors were people who needed persuading, and they held out the hope that, with enough time and patience, those critics might realize the error of their ways. The nation could learn a lesson or three from Ginsburg and Lewis. For decades, our political system has become increasingly partisan, to the point that people hate others without ever having met them, for no reason other than they belong to another

political party. As a society, we no longer take the time to reflect on the possible merits of one another’s positions. We assume hostile intent. That must end. I know that’s a big ask in the middle of the most contentious presidential race in memory, but we should, at least, try, if only to honor the memories of Ginsburg and Lewis. That doesn’t mean we cannot disagree with one another’s positions. That doesn’t mean we cannot criticize candidates’ policy platforms, or their records. We can. We should. There is no greater exercise of one’s civil liberties than to speak and write freely, as is one’s First Amendment right. We should, however, train our slings and arrows on policies and practices, not on people. All liberals are not communists, any more than all conservatives are corporate raiders and robber barons. We should never throw around such invective in our political discourse. We should, like Ginsburg and Lewis, assume that those on the other side of the political aisle love their country, too, until proven otherwise. And we should be prepared to forgive those who trespass against us. I was reminded of this last week. I recently wrote a column titled, “A maddening take of two presidencies,” criticizing President Trump’s response to the corona-

he nation could learn a lesson or three from Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Lewis.

virus pandemic and comparing it with President Obama’s approach to battling the H1N1 flu pandemic early in his first term, noting that Trump admittedly lied to the American people about the deadliness of the Covid-19 virus, while in a speech at the start of H1N1, Obama laid out the facts, calmly and truthfully. Five letters from Trump supporters came fast and furious, with three asking why I hate America, and one, as expected, calling me a communist. Three were unsigned. Their vociferous nature shouldn’t have surprised me given how heated the presidential race is, but it did. I was inclined to cry, not at the letters themselves, but at the state of our politics. I thought, my goodness, these writers have no idea who I am — the proud son of a World War II Navy veteran, a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer who taught English and American democracy for two years in the Republic of Bulgaria, a formerly communist nation, and an Eagle Scout who learned right from wrong at the earliest of ages. As a Peace Corps volunteer, I swore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution in the garden of the American ambassador’s stately residence in Sofia, Bulgaria, in August 1991. That sacred document guided me then, and it guides me now as a journalist. Scott Brinton is the Herald Community Newspapers’ executive editor and an adjunct professor at the Hofstra University Herbert School of Communication. Comments about this column? SBrinton@liherald.com.

The porch: not just a place, but a place in time

early 50 years ago, we bought our house in Woodmere because it had a back porch. The seller was very clever. She whisked us through the front of the house and straight out to the porch, where she was sipping coffee and reading a book, as pink and white magnolia blossoms tapped against the screens. It was love at first sight. Our porch is our summer place. The pine walls let in the first chill Randi winds of autumn, kReiss so our porch season is limited. The limitation adds to its charm, since we begin thinking in April about the many dinners we will enjoy alfresco once summer comes. It is my favorite room in the house. Although we have perfectly good beds and couches inside, a porch nap, with the overhead fan stirring the air, is dreamy. These warm autumn mornings, I drink my Bustelo brew and read the newspapers in my back porch, looking

out at the garden and listening to the birds and thinking how lucky I am to have a place that brings me such peace. Sitting out there moves me out of the house and into the day, quietly, the way I like to begin. From the porch I can barely see any other homes; the privacy is complete. When I sit out there, I notice things. Last week I saw cardinals sweeping back and forth across the yard and watched, day after day, until I spotted their nest nearby. I see other things, too, that aren’t there anymore, like my little kids screaming and jumping in and out of a kiddie pool. In recent years, community developers have started building new “old-fashioned” towns in an effort to recreate one of the most precious pieces of Americana — the small, hometown neighborhood. The new communities have clean, narrow streets, variety in the home styles, built-in green space and — most important — ample porches. The builders might as well save their money. Architects may erect nostalgic wraparound porches in darling Disneyesque communities, but there undoubtedly

will be more Pelotons than rockers on those porches, and more cellphones and TV’s than pitchers of lemonade. There is such a thing as porch culture, and I advocate strict adherence to its traditions. You simply cannot fake an oldtime porch. Our porch has no TV and no electric light. In the evening, if we have dinner there, we experience the gradual fading of the day. We light candles. This has led to a remarkable phenomenon, which I refer to as porch therapy. In the glow of the candles, as the sun fades and the moon rises, people who sit in our porch are given to personal revelation. The mood invites intimacy, and we have heard, and told, our share of secrets. The essence of porch culture was captured eloquently in an old favorite novel, “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” by Rebecca Wells. She writes of four girls growing up in Louisiana in the late 1930s and early ’40s, and at one point she talks about their porch life: “An afternoon of iced tea and idleness. Those Ya-Yas aren’t going anywhere . . . They are lazy together. This is comfort.

n new ‘oldfashioned’ towns, more Pelotons than rockers on the porches.

This is joy . . . Not one wears a watch. This porch time is not planned. Not penciled into a DayRunner. . . . People took porches and porch time for granted back then. Everybody had porches; they were nothing special. An outdoor room halfway between the world of the street and the world of home. . . . And in the evening when the sun went down, the fireflies would light up over by the camellias, and that little nimbus of light would lull the Ya-Yas even deeper into porch reveries. Reveries that would linger in their bodies even as they aged.” According to the website This Old House, “In American literature, the porch is a stage where the symbolism is often as thick as the summer air — a transitional space between the cocoon of home and the cacophony of the outside world.” Another perfect example is the porch in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” For me, an ideal summer day begins with breakfast on the porch, includes a spell of reading and inevitably a nap, and then dinner with cicadas chirping their song into the twilight. Here we are in October, and that song feels ever more precious. Copyright 2020 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — October 1, 2020

We could use a little old-school politics right now

Herald editorial

Valley Stream

October 1, 2020 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

HERALD Established 1990 Incorporating the Valley Stream Mailleader Peter Belfiore Editorr NiCole AlCiNDor Reporter ANGelA SHiriAN Advertising Account Executive mArtHA jACoviDeS Founding Editor offiCe 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530 Phone: (516) 569-4000 Fax: (516) 569-4942 Web: www.liherald.com E-mail: vseditor@liherald.com offiCiAl NeWSPAPer: Village of Valley Stream Valley Stream High School District Valley Stream Districts 13, 24 and 30

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Robert Richner Edith Richner Publishers, 1964-1987 ■ ClifforD riCHNer StUArt riCHNer Publishers

e have to wonder what President Trump has against giving people more time to fill out the U.S. census, particularly given that it must be tallied amid the global coronavirus pandemic, making inperson interviews difficult, if not dangerous. But Trump apparently wants the census over with sooner rather than later. The census was scheduled to end on Oct. 31, but in August, the U.S. Census Bureau suddenly reduced the time frame by a month. Last Thursday, however, U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh, in northern California, issued an injunction requiring the Census Bureau to continue tallying people through the end of October, according to NPR. The Trump administration filed an appeal in federal court Friday.

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We’ll say it again — fill out the census

Koh said that the administration’s shortened census time frame was likely to produce errors in the count. We agree. We say this: Complete the census ASAP. No one, regardless of status, should be afraid to fill out it out. Federal law prohibits the Census Bureau from sharing any information it collects with any other government agency. Its sole purpose is to count the number of people living in each state to apportion the correct number of U.S. representatives to the states and allocate the proper amount of federal funding to them. According to the Census Bureau, you should be counted where you were living and sleeping most of the time as of April 1. If you’re responding for your home, count everyone who lives and sleeps there

most of the time. That includes children, foster children, roommates, and any family members or friends who are living with you, even temporarily. If someone is staying with you because of the pandemic, however, they should be counted where they usually live. This includes college students, who should still be counted at school. If they live in student housing, the college will count them. If they live off campus, they should respond for their off-campus addresses. Completing the census takes no more than 10 minutes, and you can do so securely online at www.2020census.gov. To reach the U.S. Census Bureau for help, call (844) 330-2020 for English speakers and (844) 4682020 for Spanish speakers. Representatives are available daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Restoring tax fairness for Long Islanders

n December 2017, Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, pushed by President Trump throughout his first year in office. The act limited the deduction for state and local taxes — previously unlimited — to $10,000. That section of the legislation alone cost middle-class taxpayers on Long Island and other hightax areas thousands of dollars, and in some cases, more than that. Thanks to intrepid reporting by The New York Times, we now know what Trump paid in federal income taxes that year — $750. The year he was elected, he also paid $750. For 10 of 15 years before that, he paid nothing. That is to say, while Trump was hurriedly ramming through a tax measure with little public debate, he was benefiting from a vast array of loopholes to evade paying his fair share of federal income

taxes. Ask yourself how much you paid in federal income taxes those two years — likely thousands more, if not tens of thousands more. Should you not be entitled to a deduction as basic as the one previously offered for payment of state and local taxes? We have editorialized on the unfairness of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act before — and we will continue to until it is addressed. Essentially, the measure forces taxpayers on Long Island and in other high-tax areas to pay taxes on the state and local taxes they have already paid. The deduction was originally enacted to ensure that taxpayers would not be charged twice. The act also nixed deductions for unreimbursed employee expenses, tax preparation fees and other miscellaneous deductions, according to the Tax Policy Center

letters Worried about bail reform To the Editor: Each day, as I scroll through the news on Facebook or Twitter, I am stunned by the incessant rioting and chaos across the country, but I am especially concerned about how it has impacted New York state. In fact, The New York Times recently reported that the murder rate has increased 30 percent in New York City over last year. In my opinion, the increase in crime has occurred because of bail reform in New York. The original intent of this bill was to create a fairer criminal justice system, but because of its careless authorship, all it has accomplished is a drastic increase in criminal behavior, because hundreds of suspected criminals have been released from jail and can continue their lawless behavior. As a result, New York residents, especially in cities,

at the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution. In short, the act eliminated some of the only deductions that middle-class Long Islanders had depended on in the past, while the president employed a litany of deductions available only to the rich — the rich who, we might add, sustained business losses. Congress should have already rescinded the poorly considered SALT provision in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but it hasn’t. Democratic representatives like Tom Suozzi, in Glen Cove, and even members of the president’s own party like Republican Peter King, in Seaford, who is retiring at the end of the year, have spoken out, calling for a restoration of the SALT deduction. Ensuring that happens, however, will require sustained pressure on Congress and the White House.

opinions

ecently, a unique mobile rally and car parade commemorated the 33rd anniversary of the closure of Willowbrook Psychiatric Hospital on Staten Island. Opened in 1947, Willowbrook was, by today’s standards, a horrific institution that warehoused people with developmental disabilities, mental illnesses or any other condition that made them look, act or learn differently. For those unfortunate enough to have been born with or develop a disability or mental illness during that era, placement at Willowbrook HaRVeY a life of weisenBeRG meant neglect, abuse and horrifying, inhumane conditions. I have my own personal horror story of how mentally disabled people are treated. When I married Ellen, she had a son, Ricky, who could not speak or cry and who is now blind. I married Ellen because of the love she had for Ricky, who eventu-

ally had to be placed in a special school, Wassaic, in upstate New York. That broke our hearts. A few weeks after we left Ricky there, we went back to visit him. He had lost half his body weight, was wearing four diapers and had a black tongue. We took him to a pediatrician, who cried when he saw Ricky’s condition. He was later placed in another facility, where he was put in a steaming hot tub and scalded. Ricky is now 62 and living in a group home, where I visit him often. But I can never forget his wretched treatment, or what it did to him — and to all the members of his family, who love him. The unconditional love for a developmentally disabled child is like no other love imaginable. Thankfully, we have evolved far from that unenlightened time, and have become a more empathetic human race. On Long Island alone, there are about 5,000 people with developmental disabilities living in smaller group homes and

he fight for this often forgotten population of special people continues today.

LetteRs now live in fear for their safety and their lives. What really concerns me, however, is that both State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin and Sen. Todd Kaminsky voted for the bail reform bill, which has driven the drastic increase in crime. I am a Democrat, and I voted for these individuals, but I will not vote for them again in the upcoming election because they have kowtowed to their party’s reckless progressive agenda, which has prioritized the rights of recidivists while jeopardizing the safety of law-abiding, taxpaying residents. On Nov. 3, by voting for Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and Victoria Johnson, we would have a chance to rectify the incumbents’ irresponsible decisions. This is a critical election for the residents of this state, inasmuch as it may literally be a matter of life or death for our families and loved ones. REGINA A. ROCHFORD, ED.D. Malverne

Trump perpetuates unfair housing To the Editor: The Discriminatory Effects Standard (commonly known as Disparate Impact) of the federal Fair Housing Act prohibits unjustified policies or practices that have a disproportionate adverse effect (disparate impact) on protected class members, even if those policies or practices were not motivated by a discriminatory intent. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development states that the

receiving care that far exceeds anything we could have hoped for in the past. But these changes didn’t come about by accident. The strides forward in the treatment of our special children and adults came only after a lengthy, wellfought battle, beginning with a recognition of this population as human, deserving of basic considerations. That fight continues today. Organizations and individuals have taken on the challenging role of caring for and housing people with developmental disabilities who can no longer be cared for at home. It is the state’s responsibility to adequately fund those organizations and to ensure that these vulnerable people are cared for and protected, and have some quality of life. Over the past several years, it has seemed as if state funding for this priority has been anything but a priority. Caregivers who choose a career in nurturing and providing basic care to our special people are so underpaid that they are

new rule “. . . still recognizes disparate impact as a viable theory of discrimination.” But it carefully and thoroughly sets such a high bar for plaintiffs seeking to use a disparate impact claim that, in reality, with this new rule, the Discriminatory Effects Standard is effectively neutered. Thus, HUD has taken another disgraceful and mean-spirited step to dismantle fair housing protections. When this new rule was first proposed last year, ERASE Racism and other civil rights advocates warned that it would likely sanction discrimination and perpetuate racial segregation. The final rule is even more damaging than we thought. The new rule dramatically shifts the burden of proof to the plaintiff in housing discrimination cases and makes it much harder to bring cases to court. It aids defendants by neither requiring nor encouraging data collection. How convenient. No data, no proof. Perpetuating segregation has been removed from the text as a component of the Discriminatory Effects definition. Long Island is still one of the most racially segregated metropolitan regions in the country. That fact should not surprise anyone. Real estate agents and brokers recently testified at a joint hearing of three State Senate committees that they had not discriminated based on race against prospective homebuyers of color, despite undercover videotapes capturing discriminatory actions against people of color. ERASE Racism’s own lawsuits captured similar behaviors, in which white people were shown apartments and encouraged to apply, while black people were not, and were thus denied housing.

forced to work second jobs. What has happened to the progress we made and the empathy we gained? We are living in a time when fast-food workers are paid more than those who bathe, feed and dress those who can’t do it for themselves. If this trend continues unchanged, we will certainly slip back to a time that we must vow never to return to. Willowbrook closed in 1987 — not that long ago, and certainly well past the time when we all should have known better about what gives us our humanity and how it is inextricably tied to how we treat the most vulnerable among us. If you agree with this and understand this message, please let your voice be heard by making sure Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues to make our special people a priority in the state budget. We all know times are tough and spending is tight. But we simply can’t afford to return to one of our darkest hours. Cuomo can be contacted at https://www.governor. ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form, or by phone at (518) 474-8390. Harvey Weisenberg, a longtime resident of Long Beach, served in the State Assembly from 1989 to 2014.

FRamewoRk by Christina Daly

A titmouse packs away a sunflower seed for the season to come — Wantagh

Disparate Impact is one of the few tools available to combat systemic racism that is perpetuated by governments and businesses. HUD’s new rule on Disparate Impact is a major step backward in fighting housing discrimination. It removes an important standard that has been used in key cases on Long Island and across the nation to combat residential discrimination. In a famous housing discrimination case in Huntington, for instance, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld use

of the Disparate Impact standard. A recent federal District Court ruling in Garden City showed that the use of exclusionary zoning ordinances reinforced residential segregation. With this new rule, the Trump administration is substantially undermining fair housing. It is depriving opponents of housing discrimination of an important and vital tool. ELAINE GROSS President, ERASE Racism

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — October 1, 2020

Cuomo needs to fund the developmentally disabled

WE WERE HERE FOR YOU BEFORE COVID-19 AND WE’RE HERE FOR YOU NOW.

Don't put off seeking medical care, including elective surgery, in fear of COVID-19. Patients at Mount Sinai South Nassau who are being treated for COVID-19 are isolated from others, including within our Emergency Department. All units have undergone a deep cleaning to ensure your safety. All patients undergoing procedures are tested for COVID-19 within five days prior to admission. Our front-line staff of physicians, nurses and support personnel are equipped with full personal protective equipment to help halt the spread of infectious diseases. Your health shouldn't be defined by COVID-19.

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1101697

October 1, 2020 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD