Also serving Point Lookout & East Atlantic Beach
Marching in remembrance
The City of Long Beach banded together on West Beech Street to celebrate Memorial Day, with numerous groups and organizations marching. Story, more photos, Page 3.
City Council advances plan for budget, hears residents’ opinions
By ANGElINA ZINGARIEllo azingariello@liherald.com
The City of Long Beach is moving forward with its financial planning for fiscal year 2025-26 through public hearings and City Council deliberations focused on the $108 million proposed budget and capital improvement program. At the council meeting and public hearing on May 20, officials outlined plans for a modest tax levy increase of 2.5 percent, below the state-mandated cap. The adjustment comes with a $2.4 million funding loss, but the city intends to use reserve funds to help mitigate the impact on taxpayers.
“We are not going to have the residents balance the budget again,” Councilman Mike Reinhart said. “They have paid and paid and paid. We are not going to take away services or start taking people away.”
An increase in property values is projected to generate an additional $1.4 million in revenue without raising the overall tax rate, as well.
Significant capital projects planned over the next five years include a $6 million to $7 million West End parking garage with 72 to 132 intended to alleviate parking shortages, and a replacement of the artificial-turf field at the recreation center, at a cost estimated between $1.2 million
Continued on page 16
Their friendship began with a school bus ride
By BRENDAN CARPENTER bcarpenter@liherald.com
Nearly 20 years ago, 5-yearold Sydney Caven was getting ready to hop on the school bus and head to her first day of kindergarten at East Elementary School in Long Beach. But Sydney wasn’t happy, hysterically crying as she boarded.
Her mother, Tina Posterli, was obviously heartbroken. Even today, she remembers that day as if it were yesterday.
“On her first day of kindergarten, she was just so little, and I was choking up at the bus stop as she went up the stairs of that big yellow bus, because she looked so tiny compared to the bus and everyone around her,” Posterli recalled. “She was really scared. I assured her, ‘You are going to love it. It’s going to be great,’ telling that to myself too.”
She told her she had just put her daughter on the bus, and that she was hysterical. Weiss assured her that she’d be there the second the young girl stepped off the bus to meet her and comfort her, and she’d call her back once Sydney was settled.
I wanted to be for these children what Sharon was to me.
SYDNEY CAVEN
Long Beach
“True to my word, I went and I took her off the bus, brought her to class, and I waited a little while to call Mom back, because I wanted to see that she was OK in the classroom,” Weiss said. “I called Tina back, and I said to her, ‘Everything’s OK. She’s doing great in class, I took her off the bus.’ She started laughing and goes, ‘I know. I followed the bus to school, so I watched you take her off the bus.’”
Worried for Sydney, she called her daughter’s soon-to-be kindergarten teacher, Sharon Weiss, to explain the situation.
Posterli lived around the corner from the bus stop, so she made a split decision to follow the bus that morning to make sure her daughter would be fine. She got to the school and parked around the corner so she could see Sydney get off the
Continued on page 9
Bob Arkow/Herald
L.B., Oceanside address underage drinking safety
By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com
With Memorial Day marking the unofficial start of summer — and the beginning of what safety experts call the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers — community leaders gathered at the Oceanside Library on Friday morning to address underage drinking, impaired driving and the critical role families play in prevention.
The news conference, hosted by the Oceanside SAFE Coalition, a community-based organization formed in 2015 in response to alarming youth suicide and substance-related deaths, hosted the conference, bringing together government officials, law enforcement, and prevention experts to tackle the pressing challenges.
“Our collective mission is to prevent and reduce underage drinking and substance misuse among Oceanside youth,” said Allison Eriksen, project coordinator for Oceanside SAFE. “With the summer months approaching and celebratory yet high-risk times ahead of us, it’s crucial to highlight the impact that social access and community norms have on our youth.”
Speakers included Congresswoman Laura Gillen, Assemblyman Ari Brown. Legislator Patrick Mullaney, Assemblywoman Judy Griffin, Nassau County Deputy Chief of detectives William Leahy Executive Director of Long Beach AWARE Judi Vining and Executive Director of Long Beach AWARE and Deputy Chief of detectives William Leahy.
Eriksen cited results from the Coalition data found the top four ways students in grades 7–12 obtain alcohol are: at parties, from underage friends, through retail establishments, or from a parent or guardian with permission.
“If we understand the culture and the subcultures within our community, we can better address the issues at hand,” she said.
The social host law emerged as a crit-
ical tool in prevention, with local officials emphasizing the legal and moral responsibilities of adults. Penalties can include significant fines and jail for those who knowingly allow underage drinking on their property.
“Long Beach was the first community in New York State to have a social host law,” Vining said. “There are now 18 counties, and I think 37 communities that have laws based on the Long Beach law.”
Gillen, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, unveiled a “comprehensive roadway safety strategy” last month. Her plan includes increased resources for law enforcement, infrastructure investments, and keeping impaired drivers off the road.
She emphasized that traffic safety is just as urgent as substance prevention, especially in the summer months when fatal crashes spike. She called attention to Long Island’s troubling distinction: “One in five deaths from a car crash in New York happens here.”
Practical advice was abundant, including recommendations to lock up alcohol, communicate with other parents, and create open lines of communication with teenagers.
“The first step is to stop being your child’s friend,” said Assemblyman Ari Brown. “Stop saying, ‘As long as they’re doing it under my roof.’ That message has to stop. If you suspect anything, don’t hand them the keys,” Brown said. “Sometimes tough love is what they need.”
An upcoming June 9th program will provide further details on the social host law, offering parents additional tools and insights into protecting their children. As summer approaches, the message was clear: prevention, communication, and community involvement are key to keeping teens safe during these high-risk months.
“We need every part of our community working together—legislation, enforcement, parenting, schools—to protect our kids,” Vining said.
Kepherd Daniel/Herald
Local elected officals gathered to take questions on how the community can help kids stay safe this summer.
Long Beach becomes red, white and blue
The streets of Long Beach came alive with patriotic spirit as the community gathered on Monday for the annual Memorial Day Parade, hosted by The Joint Veterans Organization and the City of Long Beach.
The event began stepping off from Ohio Avenue and West Beech Street, and proceeding along New York Avenue to Park Avenue, with the celebration ending at City Hall.
This year’s Grand Marshal was Thomas Mattson. The parade featured many participants, including veterans, service workers, community organizations and school groups.
The parade route was lined with red, white and blue. Marchers and viewers both took the opportunity to honor and remember the sacrifices of service members, both locally and nationally.
–Brendan Carpenter
Bob Arkow/Herald photos
Students and faculty from Long Beach’s West Elementary School marched proudly in the parade.
Families joined together for Memorial Day.
Long Beach High School’s marching band led off the parade.
Boy Scouts Troop 215 marched in unison through the street.
Spectators packed the street to show support.
Funds to prevent DWI’s in L.B., Freeport
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly joined Freeport Deputy Chief of Police Donnie Ethier and Long Beach Police Commissioner Richard DePalma to announce $60,000 in grant funding to increase DWI enforcement in Freeport and Long Beach from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The initiative, funded entirely through criminal asset forfeiture, will provide additional patrol hours during the summer months— widely considered the most dangerous time on local roadways for alcohol- and drug-related crashes.
T“This past weekend, Americans began flocking to airports and hitting the roads for the unofficial start of summer. Long Island remains a summer haven for New Yorkers looking to escape the city for a weekend and a great staycation spot for residents looking to take advantage of sun, surf, and waterfront dining and nightlife. But more cars on the road can spell more risk, especially when combined with alcohol or drug activity,” said DA Donnelly. “Every year, my office renews our commitment to keeping Nassau County roads safe, especially in our beach and
waterfront communities in Long Beach and Freeport. These grants will support our dedicated police departments in their DWI enforcement efforts, providing them with the funds to put additional patrols on the streets and save lives.”
hese grants will support our dedicated police departments in their DWI enforcement efforts.
Anne Donnelly
Nassau County District Attorney
In Freeport, the funding follows last summer’s patrol boost, which led to 60 DWI arrests between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2024. Of those arrests, six were upgraded to felonies due to prior convictions. One arrest took place directly in front of Freeport Police headquarters.
“We encourage everyone to enjoy the summer and take advantage of all that our waterfront communities have to offer. This is an excellent time of year. We urge you to enjoy this time responsibly. Don’t drink and drive,” said Freeport Police Department Deputy Chief of Police Donnie Ethier.
“Our summer patrols have increased, and there is zero tolerance for driving under the influence. The Freeport Police and Mayor Robert Kennedy of the Village of Freeport would like to thank DA Donnelly for her continued support.”
Long Beach police have made over
Editor’s note: Please join Michael Ettinger’s live Zoom webinar “Four Advantages of Using Trusts” on Wednesday, June 4 at 7 pm or Wednesday, July 9 at 7 pm. Kindly register on our website, trustlaw.com
Clients often ask whether the home should be deeded to the client’s adult children, while retaining a life estate in the parent or whether the Medicaid Asset Protection Trust should be used to protect the asset.
While the deed with a life estate will be less costly to the client, in most cases it offers significant disadvantages when compared to the trust. First, if the home is sold prior to the death of the Medicaid recipient, the life estate value of the home will be required to be paid towards their care. If the house is rented, the net rents are payable to the nursing facility since they belong to the life tenant. Finally, the client loses a significant portion of their capital gains tax exclusion for the sale of their primary residence as they will only be entitled to a pro rata share based on the value of the life estate to the home as a whole. Nevertheless, a life estate deed makes sense for a vacation home that is intended to stay in the family.
All of the foregoing may lead to a situation where the family finds they must maintain a vacant home for many years. Conversely, a properly drafted MAPT preserves the full capital gains tax exclusion on the sale of the primary residence and the home may be sold by the trust without obligation to make payment of any of the principal towards the client’s care, assuming we have passed the look-back period for facility care of five years.
It should be noted here that both the life estate and the MAPT will preserve the stepped-up basis in the property provided it is sold after the death of the parent who was the owner or grantor. Upon the death of the parent, the basis for calculating the capital gains tax is stepped up from what the parent paid, plus any improvements, to what it was worth on the parent’s date of death. This effectively eliminates payment of capital gains taxes on the sale of appreciated property, such as the home, after the parent dies.
ETTINGER LAW FIRM
Courtesy Office of
Freeport Deputy Chief of Police Donnie Ethier, left, District Attorney Anne Donnelly, and Long Beach Police Commissioner Richard DePalma stood shoulder to shoulder as Donnelly announced new funding to increase DWI enforcement from now until Labor Day in Freeport and Long Beach.
1,000 DWI arrests since 2014, including 273 drug-related cases.
“While we are excited about the start of summer and all the good that comes with it, we also know it’s when DWIrelated crashes and deaths spike,” said Long Beach Police Commissioner Richard DePalma. “This support from District Attorney Donnelly saves lives. We want everyone who comes to Long Beach to get home safely from Long Beach and the DA’s assistance helps us achieve that.”
Officers participating in the patrols
are trained in sobriety testing, breath analysis, and drug recognition. Enforcement will target peak times and highrisk locations including bars, restaurants, and beachside areas.
The initiative comes after a deadly stretch in August 2023, when three separate incidents involving impaired drivers killed seven people within nine days. All three drivers pleaded guilty to top charges in 2024 and received sentences totaling between 20 and 54 years.
–Mohammad Rafiq
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Nassau County District Attorney
Long Beach’s rally falls short in semifinal
By NIKO SCARLATOS
The Long Beach girls’ lacrosse season came to an end May 22 after No. 2 Manhasset held off a late push from the third-seeded Marines to secure a 10-7 victory in the Nassau Class B semifinals at Adelphi University.
Long Beach coach Rachel Ray’s team entered play on a five-game winning streak after capturing its last four regular-season games, followed by a 16-4 disposal of MacArthur in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs May 16.
“We didn’t get the ball rolling offensively right away,” Ray said after the season-ending loss. “Once we figured it out, it was a little too late.”
The semifinal opened with Harper Lambert striking first for Manhasset. Long Beach quickly responded when junior attacker Sienna Warren tied it at one with 6:03 left in the first quarter. However, Manhasset closed the period strong with two goals in the final minute and just 48 seconds apart. Mia Gavin finished a setup from Elim Yang to make it 2-1 and then with less than two seconds to go in the period, Taylor Gordon gave Manhasset a two goal advantage.
Manhasset carried its momentum into the second quarter. Gordon converted a power-play goal from Yang, followed by Lambert’s second of the game off a feed from Gordon to make it 5-1. Yang then dished out her third assist, connecting with Lily Acerra to extend
Long Beach’s Palacio is now a hall of famer
By BRENDAN CARPENTER bcarpenter@liherald.com
Wrestling is one of the biggest sports in Long Beach, and you can’t talk about it without thinking of Leo Palacio. Due to his lifetime of service to the sport and the community, he was recently inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Palacio and his family moved to Long Beach from Medellín, Colombia, in the 1970s. He started his wrestling career at Long Beach Middle School and High School, being named county champion in 1981, to allcounty four times and was a part of them winning the state title in 1982. He wrestled alongside his brothers, Luis and Al, as well.
Upon graduating, he took his talents to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he made his mark as a two-sport athlete.
“I got recruited to wrestle and to play soccer at North Carolina,” Palacio said. “I had a dual scholarship where it was half soccer and half wrestling. So I ended up doing both.”
He then came back to Long Beach and began coaching alongside his former coaches, Paul Gillespie and Reggie Jones. He acted as the middle school wrestling coach and assistant varsity coach from 1985 to 1996. During that time, Long Beach won 17 Nassau County titles and the 1987 state championship.
“I had the pleasure of coaching some great individuals, to this day,” Palacio said. “Where these kids started and where they ended up, that’s the most important thing.”
Now, since 1998, Palacio has been assisting Ray Adams in coaching the Long Beach Marines. During this span, Long Beach’s wrestling program hasn’t slowed down. The program won two state dual meet
titles in 2016 and 2017, and was awarded the Pascal Perri Cup twice by the Friends of Long Island Wrestling, being the top-ranked team in the state.
“It has been an honor to work with him,” Adams said of Palacio. “He is, without a doubt, one of the greatest coaches out there and one of the greatest human beings, period. I learn from him every day, he’s just unbelievable. The impact that he has had is immeasurable.”
During this current span, he has helped Long Beach win five more county titles and coach 10 state champions. He has coached Eduardo Delgado, P.J. Gillespie, Elijah Rodriguez and Dunia Sibomana to be champions, and Jacori Teemer to becoming Long Island’s
first-ever five-time state champion. Palacio’s son, Dylan, also won the state title in 2012.
Throughout his career, Palacio has won several awards. He was awarded the Nassau County Coaches Assistant Coach of the Year award and was the recipient of the NWCA New York State Assistant Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2017. Now, Palacio can add being elected to the Hall of Fame for his lifetime service to that list.
“It just symbolizes the hard work has paid off,” Palacio said. “It’s an honor to be part of this hall of fame because of who’s there and what they’ve done. These are people that you used to look up to. It was a great honor on my part, for what my family has done for wrestling, my brothers and I.”
Courtesy Leo Palacio
Leo Palacio was inducted into the National Wresting Hall of Fame earlier this month.
Danger of Southern State is constant concern
‘Blood Alley’ stretch lives up to its name on roadway with grim total of over 3,000 crashes per year
By BRIAN NORMAN bnorman@liherald.com
Third in a series on the Southern State Parkway.
The 23.5 miles of the Southern State Parkway, which stretches from the Queens-Nassau border to Heckscher State Park in East Islip, has daily traffic congestion and frequent accidents, so numerous that one portion is called “Blood Alley.”
There have been over 3,000 accidents a year on the parkway since 2021, a majority of which occurred in Nassau County, according to New York State Police. Last year, 15 of those crashes were fatal, the highest number in recent years.
The section of parkway between exits 17 and 32 is widely referred to as Blood Alley due to its high accident rates, which include several fatalities. The road’s narrow lanes, sharp turns and poor lighting have all contributed to its dubious distinction as one of the most dangerous roadways in the country.
Elmont resident Winston Waters said that he has lived in the area for 40 years, and has often found himself having to plan his day around the congestion of the parkway.
“I work around it as much as I can,” Waters said. “There are times when I have to leave early to get to work — you know, I’ve got to deal with that — but I try to work around it. I try and leave very early, after rush hour, before rush hour, those kinds of things.”
Waters said his backyard once resembled a national park, with thick trees that helped muffle the sound of the nearby parkway. But since the trees were removed because of their age, the noise has become a growing issue, and the constant congestion is beginning to spill into the community, disrupting daily life.
see the roadway.
And despite the noise, she is not a fan of the huge sound walls erected on other roadways, such as the Long Island Expressway. “The walls are kind of ugly, Kordulak said.
“I personally didn’t want to see that much traffic in the area,” he added, “because it (creates) a lot of congestion, particularly if there’s an accident or there’s in the morning, rush hour — you have a lot of people that come through, come off the exit and then they want to maneuver through the side streets, which decreases the quality of life.”
Blood Alley lived up to its name in January, when a car overturned near Exit 29 in North Massapequa, killing two people and seriously injuring two others. The driver was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic before losing control and crashing into a tree, police reported.
South Park Drive, in North Massapequa, sits within sight of the parkway and Sharyn Kordulak can see vehicles whizzing by from the front of her house.
“You get used to all the noise, the drone of the traffic,” Kordulak said, noting that some neighbors have blocked out portions of the cyclone fence on the opposite side of the street so they don’t
Valley Stream resident Patrick Goin, who has been an advocate for safer conditions along the highway, specifically near Exit 13 in Valley Stream, said that he is hopeful that the myriad complaints about the parkway complaints will be addressed.
“I’m the one who spoke with Carrié for something to be done about that intersection, because my uncle had a severe car accident where he almost died and his car was totaled,” Goin said, referring to Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages. “There’s been a few accidents. My uncle wasn’t the first, so that’s being addressed.”
Goin added that he lives right near Exit 13, and that speeding by motorists coming on and off of the parkway has become a recent issue for him and his neighbors when they try to leave their homes.
Exit 13, which serves both Central Avenue south and Linden Boulevard north in Valley Stream, is one of the more widely reviled entry and exit points along the highway, with residents calling for fixes for several years.
In 2018, Valley Stream resident Nayyer Zubair created a petition that documented residents’ concerns about safety. The petition, which currently has 672 signatures, calls for the addition of leftturn lanes and signals on Central Avenue to facilitate safer turns onto Stuart Avenue; lighting upgrades to enhance
Osmar Vasquez was killed in 2023 when the driver of the car in which he was a passenger apparently lost control and crashed between exits 36 and 37.
pedestrian visibility and safety; and the addition of traffic cameras to deter redlight violations and other dangerous driving behaviors.
The state Department of Transportation unveiled a plan on May 8 to reconstruct eastbound Exit 13, with construction set to begin in the spring of 2027. The project aims to create safer conditions for drivers entering and exiting the parkway.
However, some residents questioned the need to reconstruct the entire exit.
Valley Stream resident Dayle Cohen said she recognized the issues that occur at the exit, but questioned how a massive project like this could affect the community even more.
“I drive this route often,” Cohen said. “I know a lot of people run the stop sign when you’re getting up (the ramp to) the highway. People coming from the Linden (Boulevard) side always struggle to make their right lane on Stuart. But I really haven’t noticed any (bigger)
issues. I’m not an expert — I don’t know the traffic patterns. I don’t know the statistics, and my only concern was people run the stop sign, but then you wait a minute and it’s no big deal. I’m not sure about the price tag and how it will affect people who actually live right here, but I personally didn’t see a need for it.”
In Islip Terrace, not far from the Southern State’s eastern terminus, Jo Borda has lived off Spur Drive South, on Juniper Street, for 33 years, and though the parkway is wider there than in its western portion, accidents still occur.
“All times of the day, people are turning too fast off the exit and crashing on the turn,” Borda said. “Once right into the corner house.”
The former Franklin Square resident had advice for motorists. “People just need to slow down,” Borda said.
Additional reporting by Jeffrey Bessen. Next installment: Engineering challenges, infrastructure needs.
Jeffrey Bessen/Herald photos
One of many makeshift memorials that dot the Southern State Parkway landscape memorializes Ciara Hare, who was one of three people killed in a 2022 crash near Exit 32, at the end of what is called “Blood Alley.”
Weiss has witnessed Caven’s lifelong journey
bus. She saw her get off, crying, and was ready to run over to her. But before she could take a step, Weiss was there, guided her off the bus and comforted her until she calmed down.
Posterli then knew her daughter was in good hands.
Posterli never told Sydney, who’s now 24, about that day until four years ago, when Posterli was on the Long Beach Board of Education and gave a presentation about Weiss, who was receiving tenure as an assistant principal. Weiss worked in the district for 33 years as a teacher, teacher in charge and assistant principal. She spent 28 years at East School, the last five at Lido Elementary School, before retiring in June 2021.
Shortly after retiring, in August, Weiss started working as a field supervisor at Molloy University, acting as a mentor for student teachers. She stopped into Frippery, a boutique in Long Beach, where Caven was working one Saturday over the summer, and they got to reminisce. Weiss knew that Caven was going into teaching, but she didn’t know they were fated to meet again.
“We got to talking, catching up a little bit, because it’d been a while,” Caven said. “I told her that I recently got into the graduate program at Molloy for teaching, and she happened to be one of the field supervisors there for student teachers. It was really, really amazing, because she was actually going to retire that year, but then when she found out that I was going, she stayed another year for me.”
Over the past few months, since August 2024, Caven and Weiss had been working very closely with each other once again, back in East School together, just like old times, loving every minute of it. Caven just graduated with her master’s on May 19.
Caven said she officially decided as a junior in high school that she wanted to be a teacher. She would work
as a camp counselor and it showed her what it was like working with children, solidifying what she wanted her career to be. Deep down, she thinks Weiss sparked her love for teachers and teaching back on her first day of school.
“I loved working with the children, I loved how rewarding it was just being with them and being around them,” Caven said. “I had so much fun, and I wanted to be that figure in their lives, I wanted to be like Sharon. I wanted to be for these children what Sharon was to me. I wanted to be the person that they would remember for years and years.”
Caven doesn’t remember everything from that day back on her first day of kindergarten, but after hearing the story from both her mother and Weiss, she said she knows how important that day was to not just her, but all of them.
“My relationship with Sharon obviously started when I was very, very young, my very first day of kindergarten,” she said. “She has been my everything throughout this process. I can go to her with advice, I can go to her with absolutely anything. She’s been absolutely amazing. She’s been such an amazing mentor figure in my life, and I pretty much owe everything I know to her.”
Weiss has been a vital part of the lives of students of every age: elementary, middle school, high school and college. She’s helped so many young learners, but with Caven, she did something that not many people can say. She’s seen her through the very beginning and the end of her learning journey.
“She’s become a superstar,” Weiss said of Caven. “She’s wonderful and amazing. You don’t get the chance to see kids at 5 years old and then go become 24 year olds and from the start of their (learning) career to the end.”
Courtesy Tina Posterli
Sydney Caven, center, with her mentor, Sharon Weiss, left, and her mother, tina posterli.
Students win for their photography prowess
Long Beach High School announced that three talented photography students have earned top honors in the prestigious Photographic Society of America’s Youth Showcase. This national competition highlights outstanding student photography from across the country.
This year, five award-winning photographs from the following students were selected, showcasing their creativity, skill and dedication to the art of photography: Joseline Flores-Jimenez, Vincent Napolitano and Lia Ramirez.
These impressive achievements are a testament to their hard work and artistic vision. The district also shines a light on Lorraine Levchenko, whose guidance and mentorship have been instrumental in helping these students thrive artistically.
Award-winning photographs
■ “Campfire” by Joseline FloresJimenez – winner in the Color Choice category.
■ “Golden Hour” by Lia Ramirez –winner in the Color Choice category.
■ “Class of 2024” by Lia Ramirez –winner in the Photojournalism category.
■ “Self-Reflecting” by Lia Ramirez –winner in the Monochrome Photographer’s Choice category.
■ “Midnight Walk” by Vincent Napolitano – winner in the Architecture category.
The Long Beach School District is shining a light on these young artists for their national recognition. Their achievements not only celebrate their individual talent but highlight the strength of the visual arts program at Long Beach High School.
‘Midnight Walk’ by Vincent Napolitano was a winner in the Architecture category.
‘Class of 2024’ by Lia Ramirez was a winner in the Photojournalism category.
Photos courtesy Long Beach Public Schools
‘Golden Hour’ by Lia Ramirez was a winner in the Color Choice category.
‘Campfire’ by Joseline Flores-Jimenez was another winner in the Color Choice category.
Dems push to reduce ‘unfair’ licensing fees
By MOHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
At All American Cleaners in Bellmore on May 22, Nassau County Legislator Seth Koslow, accompanied by Democratic colleagues Delia DeRiggi-Whitton and Olena Nicks, unveiled legislation aimed at reducing business licensing fees across Nassau County.
“The fees that people are paying in Nassau County are multiple times higher than Suffolk County, and it’s just not fair,” Koslow, the Democratic candidate for county executive, said at a news conference. “These small businesses drive our economy, and they have to pay $650 a year just to get their license, when in Suffolk County they’re paying $110.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Nassau is home to over 200,000 small businesses, which employ the majority of the county’s workforce. The proposed legislation targets more than 30 categories of business licenses, including dry cleaners, locksmiths, doggroomers, second-hand gem dealers, appliance replacement services and more.
Asked why there was a difference between the license fees in Suffolk and Nassau counties, Koslow laid responsibility at the feet of County Executive Bruce Blakeman, saying, “Blakeman just keeps raising fees to pay for all his celebrations and his photo ops, and he’s not really worried about taking care of the people here that drive our business.”
“I, unfortunately, don’t anticipate it’ll get much traction because of Bruce Blakeman and the Republican majority,” Koslow added of the legislative proposal. “But this is one of those things that is important to our community, and we should do on a bipartisan level.”
DeRiggi-Whitton echoed Koslow’s sentiments.
“Many of these fees came in under the Mangano administration,” she said, referring to former County Executive Edward Mangano. “And many of them, at that point, we thought, were completely ridiculous, and our caucus voted against them. However, the Republican majority passed them.
“They are arduous,” DeRiggi-Whitton added. “They are something that would make someone decide whether or not they want to come to Nassau County, and that’s the last thing we need.”
Marc Tolchinsky, owner of All American Cleaners, was asked about the impact that licensing fees have on businesses’ ability to stay afloat, and the difference
Nassau County Democrats decried high business licensing fees and announced legislation to cut fees for small businesses on May 22. In Bellmore, from far left, were County Legislators Olena Nicks and Seth Koslow; Marc Tolchinsky, owner of All American Cleaners; and Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton.
that the proposed cuts would make.
“We’ve already been hurt so badly by Covid and the working from home, so all these things that they’re coming up now with, it impacts us,” Tolchinsky said. “You know, we’re running on less revenue, less volume, and anything will help.”
In statement to the Herald, Blakeman rejected the claim that he was responsible for the fees. “These fees were sustained and supported by a Democrat administration with acquiescence from Democrat legislators,” the statement read. “I am happy to cut the fees provided Democrats come up with matching cuts to spending.”
Mohammad Rafiq/Herald
Stamp Out Hunger initiative hits the road
Powered by volunteers, Island Harvest’s largest one-day food drive collects 335,000 pounds of food
By RENEE DeLORENZO rdelorenzo@liherald.com
Island Harvest hosted Long Island’s largest one-day food drive of the year, Stamp Out Hunger, on May 10, collecting more than 335,000 pounds of food — and counting.
The donations will stock over 300 food pantries across Long Island, ensuring they have enough supplies to feed children who face food insecurity and lose access to meals once school is out for the summer.
The event, now in its 33rd year, is organized nationwide by the National Association of Letter Carriers, the union representing the U.S. Postal Service’s letter carriers. Since its inception in 1993, the drive has collected more than 1.9 billion pounds of food across the country.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as a householdlevel economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.
According to Island Harvest, more than 240,000 Long Island residents — over 8 percent of the population — faced food insecurity in 2023, a 10 percent increase over the previous year.
Tom Siesto, executive vice president of NALC Branch 6000, said he has helped coordinate the local drive since it began in 1993. Based in New Hyde Park, Siesto organizes the delivery of more than 865,000 postcards each spring, notifying residents about the collection date, the second Saturday in May. On that day, letter carriers collect nonperishable food donations left on doorsteps.
“We take pride in this,” Siesto said. “Our letter carriers take pride in picking up the food because they know it’s helping their neighbors and communities.”
He emphasized that many people in need on Long Island go unnoticed. “It’s people living paycheck to paycheck,” Siesto said. “It comes down to whether they’re going to put food on the table, buy medication or buy clothing for their children.”
Amanda Chirco, Island Harvest’s director of development, said that donations are initially dropped off at the nonprofit’s Islandia warehouse. Staff and volunteers then sort the food into large mixed bins. The food is later repacked into boxes that are placed on pallets for shipping.
Chirco said that Island Harvest relies heavily on volunteers, including drivers from companies like Amazon and College Hunks, to help transport the food. Three days are dedicated to sorting — Saturday, Monday and Tuesday — and this year, more than 500 pallets were filled and prepared for delivery.
Each pallet holds 550 to 700 pounds of food. Once packed, they are moved with forklifts to a weighing station, where volunteers record the weight in black marker before loading the bins onto trucks. Any remaining food is stored at Island Harvest’s Melville warehouse for
later distribution.
Food pantries across the region are reporting an uptick in first-time visitors, Chirco said, which aligns with Feeding America’s data showing a continued rise in food insecurity.
“These are people who are just one car accident, one flat tire or one medical emergency away from depleting their savings and needing support,” she said. “They’re doing OK until one major thing happens, and then they’re not.”
Federal funding cuts have also affected Island Harvest’s operations. Millions of dollars in government aid were eliminated this year, Chirco said, resulting in over a million fewer meals for local fam-
ilies. Potential cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits could worsen the situation, she said. Many Long Islanders in need don’t qualify for those benefits, she said, because their income exceeds eligibility thresholds — even if it isn’t nearly enough to cover Long Island’s high cost of living.
The Economic Policy Institute estimates that a single adult must earn over $68,000 annually to maintain a modest but adequate standard of living on Long Island. A family of four, with two incomes, needs to earn around $161,000. In contrast, the minimum wage on Long Island is $16.50 an hour — just over
$34,000 annually for full-time work.
“Someone might not be considered in poverty because of their total income,” Chirco said. “But they still can’t afford to live on Long Island.”
Despite the challenges, Island Harvest is on track to distribute more than 20 million pounds of food this year — nearly double its pre-pandemic output.
For Martin Feinstein, a longtime donor who now volunteers for the organization, the scale of need became clear when he visited a local food pantry.
“I couldn’t even find parking,” Feinstein recounted. “I just kind of scratched my head and said, ‘I’ve never really seen that.’”
Now retired, Feinstein volunteers weekly with his wife, helping load food for seniors and pantries across Long Island.
“I want to help,” Feinstein said. “I want to be part of it. I wasn’t part of it for all these years even though I wanted to be, and this is the way to do it.”
Rob Schepis, senior vice president at Flushing Bank, also volunteered at the event alongside three of his employees Rob Albino, Raymond Ok and Michelle Posada. It was the bank’s second year of supporting Stamp Out Hunger through both service and donations.
“When I found out how many people were food insecure, I was shocked,” Schepis said. “It wakes you up to recognizing how fortunate we are.”
Chirco said that Island Harvest’s most pressing need is funding, which supports its food programs, nutrition education and logistics. She encouraged more community partners — businesses, schools and local leaders — to get involved.
Volunteers can register for events at IslandHarvest.org, where they can find dates, instructions and contact information for each one. “Everybody can play a role in some way,” Chirco said.
Renee DeLorenzo/Herald photos
Flushing Bank staff members Raymond Ok, far left, Rob Albino, Michelle Posada and Rob Schepis volunteered for a three-hour shift to sort food during the Stamp Out Hunger event, hosted by Island Harvest in its Islandia warehouse.
Hundreds of pounds of donated nonperishables sat in large bins at Island Harvest’s warehouse, waiting to be sorted and shipped to local food pantries.
Amanda Chirco, Island Harvest’s director of development, took a final tally of the food collected at the completion of sorting on May 13.
STEPPING OUT
‘Now she’s
By Danielle Schwab
What you want is right in front of you — on the Madison Theatre stage at Molloy University. The iconic, popinfused musical “Legally Blonde” serves up a jump-roping, cheerleading, bend-and-snapping performance — that is as fun as it is inspiring.
“Legally Blonde is an empowerment piece for a young woman whom everyone sees as one thing, and she’s so much more,” says Angelo Fraboni, Madison Theatre’s artistic director, who’s also doing double duty as the show’s director. “She discovers her power and strength through friendships and knowledge.”
Billed as a Madison Theatre Production, it runs May 30 through June 8.
This is story that doesn’t get old — no matter how many times it’s told.
Elle Woods (Adelaine Mollo) enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend, Warner (Cade Eller). Her journey defies expectations as she becomes entangled in a high–profile murder trial, guided by new-found confidence and a passion for justice.
“She comes from a different world. People don’t understand her. They are doubting her all along, and she stamps out the stereotypes of who people perceive she is,” Fraboni adds.
Beginning as a novel by Amanda Brown, Elle Wood’s story became a hit sensation with the 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon. The sorority-girl-turned-law-student was later re-imagined with musical flair, earning the Broadway adaptation seven Tony nominations.
Audiences can feel the infectious energy of Woods and the Delta Nus as they bring their all to every high-energy sequence. Choreographer and Assistant Director Bethany Moore infuses the show with dynamic movement — from the cinematic college admission essay “What you Want” to the adrenaline-fueled exercise “Whipped into Shape.”
“One thing I love about the show is that most of the songs carry the plot forward. They’re not just songs to be songs. It’s a fast and furious time,” Fraboni says.
Scenes blend seamlessly into the next with the cast moving through the settings with the audience.
“I want to make it look magical. I want people to just all of a sudden be someplace different,” he explains.
Some special actors will be taking their paws to the
Legally Blonde’
Go to Harvard University with everyone’s favorite blonde law student
• Friday through Sunday, May 30-June 1 and June 6-8; times vary
• Tickets range from $45-$65; available at madisontheatreny.org or call the box office at (516) 323-4444
• Madison Theatre, Molloy University campus, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre
stage. Elle Wood’s iconic dog companion, Bruiser, is played by Gizmo, who is trained by Moore, his owner, while Sadie, Fraboni’s boxer, is takes on the role of Paulette’s Rufus.
And while there are many larger-than-life performances, there are also many “little gems” to find, according to Fraboni.
“Each character creates these little nuggets to play up and bring to the audience. They’re finding how their nuanced characters can be together, but different. Those are the things that are going to make people laugh and have fun.”
Baldwin Harbor’s Jaylin Thomas, who plays Carlos, and is part of the ensemble, is equally enthusiastic.
“This is such a big show, and I feel like every character has their own little piece, but it’s a big moment for everyone,” he says. “Carlos only appears in Act Two for one moment, but it’s such a big moment.”
“Legally Blonde” marks Thomas’s first production as a graduate of Molloy’s renowned CAP21 Musical Theatre Conservatory. For him, the show serves as a reminder of the importance of discovering your own identity.
“I think everyone has a moment in their life that they feel like they’re not beautiful, or they feel like they’re not worthy, or not talented,” he says. It just resonates with everyone — seeing yourself as a person.”
Another cast member, East Rockaway’s Grace McNally, also an ensemble member, relates that it’s an all-time favorite musical.
“This is a show that I will want to be in every single year of my life, if I could,” she says.
McNally’s time with Madison Theatre goes back to when she was 10-years-old, participating in the Madison’s Musical Theatre Summer Intensive camp. She’s continued to focus on her love for theater, now a recent graduate of LIU Post.
McNally, as do many fans, consider the Elle Woods character as a role model — in that you can “find your way” even through adversity. Throughout the show, very few characters have faith in Elle, with the exception of her aesthetician Paulette (Sharon Lita), but she manages to surprise them when she defies expectations while staying true to herself.
“It shows that you truly can have a sisterhood. You can find your people, no matter who they are. She finds her people in the Delta Nus and when she comes to Harvard, she does eventually end up finding people as well,” McNally says.
“I hope that any young girls watching feel inspired. They don’t have to go to law school, but if it even just inspires them to do something that they’ve been scared to do, that is the message and the theme of this show,” she adds.
‘Cool at Camp’
Gather your camp friends, put on your favorite camp swag, and revisit your summers at the Landmark’s staged reading of the new musical “Cool at Camp.” Creator-writercomposer Dani Tapper’s raunchy meshuga musical about kids, camp, and coming of age is based on her own summer experiences as a camper then counselor at Camp Green Lane in the Pocono mountains the foothills.“Cool at Camp” follows four teenagers in their final years as campers at Camp Huron Lake where they must navigate the pressures of trying to be cool. Who will be color war captain? Who will get kissed first? Most importantly, will they all learn what it means to be cool at camp? Set in the world of a typical Northeast Jewish summer camp, this is a heartwarming coming of age story that doesn’t skimp on the timeless humor the experience provides. Camp letters to and from neurotic mothers, rants from a disgruntled camp director, bunk talks about puberty all come together to create this nostalgic new musical.
Friday, May 30, 8 p.m. $46 and $36. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Tickets available at coolatcampmusical.com or email danibtapper@gmail.com.
Asi Wind’s ‘More Than Magic’
After his sold-out run Off-Broadway, “Inner Circle,” and his London’s West End six-month long run, “Incredibly Human,” Asi Wind returns to the U.S. with a new show, featuring his greatest magic hits. Those familiar with Wind’s performances know to expect jaw-dropping feats of magic, inexplicable mind-reading and an utterly captivating night out. He now presents his favorite magic from his dazzling lifelong repertoire. This visually stunning performance showcases Wind’s artistic talents while exploring the human spirit. He believes that true magic can only happen if you bring people together and make them feel like they are a part of the show.“More Than Magic” is a profound reminder that we all possess some magic within us.
Photos courtesy Madison Theatre
Choreographer Bethany Moore, left, puts Grace McNally and Jaylin Thomas through their paces during rehearsal.
Drop-in photo: Grace McNally and Jaylin Thomas review the script.
Sunday, June 1, 7 p.m. $69.50, $59.50, $49.50, $39.50, $29.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com.
RichnerLive, Herald donate
$2,000 to Hair We Share at women’s celebration
The Herald and RichnerLIVE hosted the Premier Business Women of Long Island Awards at the Heritage Club in Bethpage on March 19.
Hair We Share, a Jericho-based nonprofit that was created by Dean Riskin and Suzanne Chimera, provides free wigs to people experiencing hair loss brought on by medical treatments. It was the evening’s charity beneficiary, and received a $2,000 donation in support of its mission.
Tim Baker/Herald
Holding the facsimile check were, from left, Herald publisher and CEO Stuart Richner; RichnerLive Executive Director Amy Amato; Dean Riskin, CEO and co-founder of Hair We Share; and RichnerLive’s Lori Pedone.
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opinions
Remember those who gave their lives every day
This week America celebrated Memorial Day. I’ve always considered Memorial Day to be unique among American holidays. It is a celebration — and a commemoration — that extends beyond holiday bargain sales and backyard barbecues, as enjoyable and as much a part of Americana as they may be.
Amid the bargain-hunting and festivities there should be time devoted to sober reflection on the true meaning of this holiday — remembering the men and women in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice, who lost their lives defending our great nation.
I realize, of course, that how we celebrate Memorial Day, and how we acknowledge the courage of those who lost their lives in military service, is truly personal to each us. Parades and marching bands are wonderful tributes to the spirit and solemnity of the day, giving us the opportunity to personally
thank the veterans who march in those parades as representatives of those who never made it home from war.
Memorial Day should remind all of us that freedom isn’t free. That without those who fought and died on violent battlefields, we would not be able to espouse and advocate for issues and causes that matter to us. Those heroes preserved our freedom to speak out for or against our elected officials and their policies without fear of government retaliation. Too many people, as they criticize government policies, don’t realize how similar behavior would threaten their liberty — and lives — in so many countries around the world.
ithem often among the loudest criticizing government policies.
There are also rights that we all assume as a matter of course, such as the freedom of movement and travel from town to town, city to city and state to state without having to get government approval or give any explanation.
n Congress I met people who had been denied rights Americans take for granted.
Among my outstanding experiences during my years in Congress was meeting and talking with people from so many countries where they had been denied rights we take for granted or don’t take full advantage of. There were people, for instance, who would risk everything to have the right to engage politically and enjoy free elections. Yet there are tens of millions of Americans who can’t be bothered to vote, many of
Perhaps the greatest tribute we can give to the memory of those who gave their lives is to do all we can to enhance the lives of veterans who survived the horrors of war, by ensuring that they receive the care and benefits they have earned and deserve. Veterans hospitals must be first-rate and readily accessible. Their heath care must include the full range of mental health care, especially the encouragement of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and programs for suicide prevention without fear of shame or embarrassment.
Similarly, no veteran should ever be homeless, and every effort must be made to provide specialized housing for disabled veterans, such as by supporting organizations like Tunnel to Towers.
Americans from all political persuasions should be proud of our nation and its history and heritage. We should be unabashedly patriotic. There is no country in the world that has done more for its own people, and the world’s, than the United States. And that is very much attributable to the men and women of our armed forces who have fought so bravely in our own Revolution and Civil War, in two world wars, in Cold War struggles like the Korean “police action” and Vietnam, in fierce Middle East struggles in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in numerous smaller but still deadly conflicts.
All veterans who have served in the military, as well as their families, have sacrificed; those who were in the caldron of combat, more so. But for those who never came home, who never lived to enjoy the fullness of life that their sacrifice made possible for the rest of us, theirs truly was the ultimate sacrifice. We must remember these brave Americans every day, but especially so during this week of Memorial Day. God bless America!
Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.
Buffer zone will offer much-needed protection to all
Here in Nassau County, a new law called the First Responder Zone Protection Act was recently passed unanimously by the County Legislature, creating Safe Responder Buffer Zones — 15-foot barriers between civilians and first responders who are actively working in their official capacity. While some may see this as an unnecessary restriction, I can tell you firsthand that this law isn’t just common sense; it’s essential. For over 20 years, I was a first responder. I’ve stood in the chaos of emergency scenes, where seconds matter and distractions can mean the difference between life and death. I’ve worked car crashes on busy highways, where every movement must be calculated. I’ve faced emergency calls where one wrong decision could cost a life. And I have operated in environments where peripheral threats — intended or not — added a dangerous
layer to already high-stress situations.
This law is not about limiting transparency or public access. It’s about protecting everyone involved — first responders, victims, and even bystanders who may knowingly or unknowingly put themselves in harm’s way simply by being too close.
When a police officer, EMT, firefighter or any emergency personnel are operating at an incident, their focus must be razorsharp. The slightest distraction in their periphery — a bystander filming on a phone, asking a question or hovering too close — can interrupt that focus. That distraction could delay administering CPR or other critical medical care. It could misdirect attention during a fire search. It could cause hesitation in a police encounter. The consequences are real — often catastrophically so.
trol; it’s about safety. This law reinforces a basic principle of emergency response work: Secure the scene so the responders can operate effectively.
i ntended for emergency responders, but victims and bystanders will be safer, too.
Unfortunately, there is a growing disconnect between the public and those who serve them in the field. While most people don’t regularly find themselves in traumatic, high-intensity situations, first responders live them, day in and day out. And yet, those same members of the public — many of whom have never worn a uniform or had to make a split-second decision under extreme pressure — are often quick to criticize the actions of emergency workers.
supposed to be involved.
To be clear, this law does not infringe on anyone’s rights. It does not criminalize observation; it simply sets a reasonable, defined boundary for everyone’s benefit. It gives professionals the space to perform their duties while still allowing accountability through lawful observation at a safe distance.
Some people might ask, why now? To me, the answer is simple. With the rise of confrontations at emergency scenes and increasingly hostile environments for first responders, this measure is not just timely, it’s overdue.
Safe Responder Buffer Zones allow our professionals to do what they’re trained to do, without unnecessary interference. In the crucial moments that matter, removing potential variables from the scene is not about con-
We have seen this play out time and again: footage clipped out of context, armchair commentary, judgment without understanding. This legislation seeks not only to safeguard first responders physically at the scene of an emergency, but also to potentially preserve the integrity of the scene itself, giving responders the space they need to work before the narrative is written by someone who wasn’t even
As someone who has worked both the fire floor and the legislative floor, I can assure you this is sound law rooted in good intentions. It is a proactive step toward protecting the people who protect us, while also preventing unintended consequences for those who may not realize that their proximity makes them part of the scene.
In Nassau County, we value our first responders, and this law reflects that. It’s not just about 15 feet. It’s about space to breathe, space to focus, space to work and space to save lives.
Patrick Mullaney represents Nassau County’s 4th Legislative District.