HERALD LONG BEACH
By CHRIS CoLUCCI ccolucci@liherald.com
“The thing that always gets me about this race is, it’s a race ,” Kerri Kiefer, one of Michael Kiefer’s two younger sisters, said, “but our brother did this as just a workout on his lunch break. Just swim, paddle, run.”
The three-part challenge has become an annual memorial event, honoring the young man who protected the residents of Long Beach and beyond.
Long Beach is such a tight community, even locals from
the area,
they know his name.
KeRRI KIefeR Michael Kiefer’s sister
Skudin Surf offers lessons to deaf-blind young adults Swim, paddle, run honors Michael Kiefer
By CHRIS CoLUCCI ccolucci@liherald.com
Helen Keller wrote, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” That may not have been a specific invitation to deaf-blind people to learn to surf, but it might as well have been.
Earlier this month, six participants in the Summer Youth Vocational Program at the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults spent a week in Long Beach with adaptive surf instructors from Skudin Surf, getting comfortable with boards on land before venturing into the Atlantic for hands-on lessons each day.
The Helen Keller National Center, named
for the late author and disability rights advocate who was both deaf and blind, is a division of Helen Keller Services, which was established in the 1890s to provide support and training for deaf-blind people. The center, based in Sands Point, is the only training, resource and rehabilitation facility of its kind in the country. The Summer Youth Vocational Program teaches people ages 16 to 24 career training and life skills. Each summer, attendees undertake a four-week curriculum including hiking adventures, STEAM education and this year’s inaugural surf lessons.
The Skudin Surf instructors used interpreters from the center to communicate with
Continued on page 8
Kiefer was a Franklin Square native who grew up knowing, unquestionably, that he would be a firefighter. After working his way through the Franklin Square, Freeport and Hempstead fire departments, the 25-year-old eventually earned a spot in the New York City department, with Ladder 132. Kiefer had served for less than a year on Sept. 11. 2001, when he responded to the attack on the World Trade Center’s south tower, where he and four members of his ladder company died.
In his life of service, Kiefer spent time not only fighting fires, but protecting those in the water as Long Beach lifeguards. “I was his lieutenant down in the West End,” Chief of Lifeguards Rich Borawski recalled. “Great, great individual. He loved to work out. Loved the job. He was amazing.”
Since 2002, the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation has helped coordinate an annual memorial race, inviting individual athletes and two- to three-person teams to take part in an intense multi-leg event: a 150-yard run to the shoreline, a 400-yard swim, a half-mile paddle on a surfboard and a 1½- mile run on the beach. The race was set up at Riverside Boulevard last Sunday, with the run portion comprising laps on the sand between Monroe and Edwards boulevards.
Doreen Candon, 67, of Long Beach, has been competing in the event for decades. “I think
Continued on page 10
Courtesy Helen Keller Services
Will Skudin, in the water, guided angel Ye, 19, in one of her first experiences on a surfboard.
things to know about ocean beach park revenue
The numbers are in for the 2025-2026 beach season
By Chris ColuCCi
ccolucci@liherald.com
The beach is not only synonymous, and eponymous, with Long Beach — it’s one of the city’s most notable, yet not most profitable, revenue sources. At last week’s City Council meeting, City Manager Daniel Creighton shared a presentation regarding the financial performance of Ocean Beach Park from June 30, 2025 to June 30, 2026. The results show an upward trend, but the City Council is discussing how to continue moving the needle in the right direction.
Revenue increased over $800,000
For the first time, beach revenue collected from daily passes and seasonal passes surpassed $5 million. This reflects a 19 percent increase, nearly $807,000, from the previous year. Daily July admissions, specifically, increased 56% from the prior year and August daily admissions increasing a dramatic 84 percent. May and June admissions were tracked as being predominantly family passes, which remained on par with past years.
Creighton believes the new beach entrance layout, with fewer boardwalk access points and relocated ticket booths, were a key factor in the increased fees collected. “We’re still looking at how to continue to raise beach revenue without raising the costs,” Creighton said.
Expenses decrease nearly $300,000
Operational beach expenditures — including salaries, insurance and compensation, and maintenance costs — had held at a steady pace in recent years, with a gradually, notable decline over the past two years. In 2026, expenses increased slightly due primarily to staffing decisions — including adult employees at certain beach locations and more overall staff to ensure consistent beach pass collection.
Taking a relatively longer-term perspective, comparing the recent year to 2023, Creighton pointed out that expenses were down roughly $300,000, even taking into account higher current wages and the cost of inflation.
Net loss of more than $660,000
“I know everyone is concerned as to whether or not the beach makes money or loses money annually,” Creighton said at the meeting. “The short answer is, it is still losing money.” The beach tracked an overall loss of $663,000 in 2026. Net losses over the past several years have trended in a positive direction, with a loss of more than $2 million reported in 2023, with the gap lessening each year leading to its drastic reduction last year.
“We’re going to continue to work on it,” Creighton explained. “Maybe that $1.50 breaks us even next year. We’ll see,” he said, referring to a financial boost from the increase in nonresident pass fees which recently went into effect.
Sea City Vintage Market visits Kennedy Plaza
In 2022, Cassie Justice and her husband, Tom, a native of East Atlantic Beach, opened Sea City Vintage in Atlantic Beach to celebrate classic themes and retro styles in fashion, home goods, and artwork. By 2024, they expanded with a pop-up event, inviting local vintage vendors to Bright Eye Beer Co. on West Park Ave.
The following year, after a popular reception, the vintage market nearly doubled in size as it coordinated outdoor events at Kennedy Plaza and the boardwalk. Last Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the market returned to the plaza with more than 50 vendors.
“It’s like a group sport, right? When people go vintage shopping, they’re looking for multiple places to hit versus just one store to go to,” Cassie Justice explained. “So it gives a little more breadth and depth to what we’re able to offer beyond our shop.”
The market has operated inside the Allegria Hotel during each of this season’s boardwalk fairs — the Chamber of Commerce Vendor Fair in June, the Arts & Crafts Festival earlier this month, as well as the upcoming Long Beach Historical Society boardwalk fair on Aug. 29.
The individual vendors maintain the vintage theme, only offering products that coincide with the classic aesthetic, with businesses coming from all around Long Island. “It’s really hard for people to have shops,” Justice said. “Rent is very expensive, so we give people opportunities to pop up where they don’t need a physical store location. Most people here couldn’t have their own store, so it’s a great way for us to build up our community”
–Chris Colucci
Chris Colucci/Herald photos
Dozens of vendors offered vintage clothing, artwork, housewares, and more.
The sea city vintage market returned to Kennedy Plaza for its second year.
Music lovers had something to enjoy, flipping through vinyl for their collection.
The annual event enjoyed a perfectly hot, bright summer day.
Celebrating the life of Hedy Page
Making the World a Better Place
The late Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, wrote extensively on making the world a better place. In his book, “To Heal a Fractured World”, he writes, “I have spent much of my life thinking about life, observing people, reading books, searching for teachers and exemplars...I make no claim to wisdom, but this I have learned:”
“That what counts is not how much wealth we make but how much of what we have, we share.”
“That those who spend at least part of their lives in the service of others are the most fulfilled and happiest people I know.”
“That moral health is no less important to the quality of a life than physical health.”
“That the best do good without thought of reward, understanding that to help others is a privilege even more than it is an opportunity.”
“That self-interest is simply uninteresting.”
“That pain and loneliness are forms of energy that can be transformed if we turn them outward, using them to recognize and redeem someone else’s pain or loneliness.”
“That putting others down, we diminish ourselves; lifting others, we lift ourselves.”
“That nothing is gained by less-thanethical conduct. We may gain in the short term but we will lose in the long, and it is the long term that counts.”
“That the ability to give to others is itself a gift.”
“That the privilege of wealth lies not in what it allows us to do for ourselves, but what it enables us to do for others.”
“That the world is a book in which our life is a chapter, and the question is whether others, reading it, will be inspired.”
ETTINGER LAW FIRM
By CHRIS COLUCCI ccolucci@liherald.com
More than 100 family members, friends, artists and community leaders gathered at Long Beach City Hall last Wednesday to celebrate the life of internationally recognized artist and Holocaust survivor Hedy Pagremanski, known personally and professionally as Hedy Page, who died in February.
The tribute, held in the City Council chamber, was presented by Artists in Partnership in collaboration with the Page family and the City of Long Beach. The event honored Page’s contributions as an artist, humanitarian and advocate for diversity and inclusion.
Filmmaker John Terracuso traveled from California to introduce his 2024 documentary, “The World I Know,” which chronicles Page’s life, from surviving the Holocaust to becoming a celebrated street artist whose work promoted compassion and understanding.
Following the screening, her daughter, JoAnne Page, and son, Ken Page, reflected on their mother’s generosity, resilience and commitment to helping others. Former Nassau County Poet
Laureate Paula Curci read an original poem written in her honor.
Nassau County Deputy County Executive and former City Council President Anissa Moore and former State Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg also spoke, recalling Page’s influence on the Long Beach community and her message of dignity and acceptance.
The evening featured musical performances by Ben Metzger and vocalists Shira Lev, Ivy Landsman and Ben Zinnar. Brian Horne, of Christian Light Baptist Church, performed an a cappella rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
Attendees also viewed “Eric’s Full Circle Legacy” — Page’s final painting — which is on display above the entrance to the City Council chamber. Artists in Partnership thanked City Manager Daniel Creighton and the entire City Council for displaying the artwork.
Page’s legacy will continue through her artwork and the Artists in Partnership’s Good Works Fund, established to support artists and cultural programs in Long Beach and the surrounding areas, inspired by her lifelong commitment to helping others.
HERALD
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long beach
Courtesy Johanna Mathieson-Ellmer
John Terracuso, director of “The World I Know,” which documented Page’s life; Matt Donlon, the film’s associate producer; and Artists in Partnership Director Johanna Mathieson-Ellmer attended the ceremony at City Hall.
8.04.2026 • 8:30AM - 3:30PM •
EMCEE
KRISTIN THORNE Emmy-Award Winning Investigative Reporter
SUZETTE GORDON President & CEO SCO Family of Services
THERESA PORCARO Vice President, Growth & Marketing Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine
LINDA MASHKABOVA, FNP Owner The Beauty Cellar NY
NATASHA ZAYTSEVA Founder & Executive Consultant CEO Lab
BEACH BAG SPONSOR
SPONSOR
MAE CAIME Co-Founder Diamonds & Pearls Alliance
HELEN HSIEH, MD, FACOG Founder & Medical Director, Vibrance 360
JESSICA RONDASH, MBA Director, Business Operations & Performance Holt Construction
PALMINA WHELAN Capital Program Director The New Terminal One
ELLY ROZENGURTEL, DPT Founder & CEO Ideal Body Med Spa
CATHERINE CANADEO CEO Health and Wellness Corp
TAMMY J. COHEN Founder & Messaging Strategist TC Brand Consulting
SUSAN GATTI Founder Disruptive Spark Group
CARLA ILIESCU Founder potential.
CHRISTINA M. ROSAS Member Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC
MEREDITH VANDEGRIFT, MD, FACS Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Vandegrift Plastic Surgery
SHARON WYMAN, CDME President & CEO Discover Long Island
MICHELLE MOREIRA-JODICE Vice President Market Manager, Valley Bank
CARRIE SKOWRONSKI Founder & CEO Leadology
KERRI WINANS KALEY CSA The Bristal Assisted Living
ELISA DE JESUS Senior Vice President, Private Client Advisor Bank of America
LILLIAN PALEY Vice President, Business Development Silver Lining Homecare
CARINA TOM President NU World Connect Title, LLC
KRISTYN HODGDON
Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer Rescripted
Crossovers fuel Nassau County football
By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com
Kickoff for the Nassau high school football season is just over a month away.
On Aug. 17, all 51 public high school football programs in the county will begin preparations for the upcoming season, scheduled to open Thursday, Sept. 3 with a Conference IV battle between Island Trees and Oyster Bay. The vast majority of openers will take place the following Thursday.
The biggest news of the offseason came in the spring when East Rockaway and West Hempstead announced it would be joining forces. Longtime Rocks head coach Russ Pajer adds Dom Carre, who served as the head coach at West Hempstead since 2010, as defensive coordinator. Carre played for Pajer at East Rockaway in 1997 and ‘98.
“Our JV teams combined last year and it was a great experience,” said Pajer, who enters his 32nd season as head coach. “West Hempstead’s numbers are down to less than 20, so it was a no-brainer. It was a seamless process with both superintendents on board. It’s a good thing and we expect to have a strong team.”
East Rockaway/West Hempstead is seeded fifth in Conference IV and opens at Valley Stream North. Three of its home games will be played under the lights at East Rockaway beginning Sept. 18 against defending county champion Seaford. West Hempstead will be the site of the Week 3 crossover against Elmont, and the game will serve as Homecoming. A Homecoming will also take place in East Rockaway Oct. 9. In 2025, the Rocks went 2-6 while the Rams finished 4-4 and qualified for the playoffs.
“We expect to have between 30 and 35 kids on varsity,” Pajer said.
Crossover games add intrigue
Seaford, along with three-time defending Long Island champion Massapequa (Conference I), ninetime defending county champion Garden City (II) and South Side (III) are the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences.
Massapequa and Garden City will clash in a muchanticipated crossover game Sept. 26 on the Chiefs’ home field at 1:30 p.m. The Trojans enter the season riding an amazing 66-game winning streak. The showdown, along with all the other crossovers between Conferences I and II, and III and IV, will carry a lesser power-ranking weight than the other seven games, Carey head coach Mike Stanley said.
Some of the other Week 3 matchups feature Carey at Oceanside, Long Beach at Farmingdale, South Side at Seaford, Plainedge at Lynbrook, and Freeport at Roosevelt (Thurs., Sept. 24 at 5 p.m.)
Seven teams switch conferences
Plainedge and Carey lead a group of six teams switching conferences for this season based on enrollment and size breakdown of each conference. Plainedge finished first in the regular season in Conference IV a year ago, going undefeated in the process, and bumps down to III. Carey was in III last fall but jumps up to II, essentially changing places with Glen Cove. East Meadow is no stranger to the top conference and heads there after a brief stay in II. Floral Park, Valley Stream North and Valley Stream South moved to IV from III.
Few coaching changes
Legendary Plainedge head coach Rob Shaver retired
10 games to watch
Sept. 10 Long Beach at Carey
Sept. 10 Wantagh at Plainedge
Sept. 10 Lynbrook at Seaford
Sept. 19 Mepham at Calhoun
Sept. 26 Carey at Oceanside
Sept. 26 Garden City at Massapequa
Oct. 10 Oceanside at Massapequa
Oct. 17 Plainedge at South Side
Oct. 24 Massapequa at Farmingdale
Oct. 31 South Side at Wantagh
at the end of last season and the Red Devils are now led by former assistant Adam Hovorka. They’ll kick off at home versus defending Conference III champion Wantagh. And for the third time in four seasons, East Meadow has a new head coach with Matt Castaneda taking over. The Jets are seeded seventh in their return to Conference I and open at home against Hicksville. Former Elmont head coach Jay Hegi is the new head coach at Division.
Lucas DiDio and Oceanside take on Carey in what promises to be an exciting crossover game Sept. 26.
Michelle Ebel/Herald photos
Chaminade’s Luka Tomaszweski was on the move during 7 on 7 drills at Oceanside.
News briefs
Frozen yogurt shop hits the West End
Last Sunday, the West End saw the grand opening of Buddies Frozen Yogurt and the cold treats were warmly received. “The first couple of days were great,” Co-owner Michael Waldman, a resident of Hewlett, said. “Very thankful for the great people of Long Beach. They are great people and great customers. They’re coming from Jericho. People are coming from Brooklyn. It’s unbelievable.”
Nearly 15 years ago, Waldman owned and operated a frozen yogurt shop on Fulton Street in Manhattan until it was wiped out following Hurricane Sandy. “I’ve always wanted to do another store,” Waldman said. “I have a partner, Judah Spector, and he wanted to do it as well. So we partnered up and opened a store in Long Beach.”
Each week, Waldman says the shop will introduce new flavors alongside staples such as classic vanilla, decadent chocolate, and cookies and cream.
Waldman expects to remain open all year, finding ways to draw customers through winter. “We’re thinking about adding coffee and cappuccinos,” he said. “We make brownies, we make ‘Cinnabons.’ We’re thinking about making it more like a ‘yogurt cafe’ just for the winter so people can still enjoy the store, the music and the people.”
Buddies has open doors at 1048 West Beech Street, until 10 p.m. nightly, and
Nassau County Poet
Laureate Paula Curci, one of The Shore Poets, will be one of the afternoon’s hosts alongside Peter V. Dugan and Theresa Rosario-Berzner. The event will feature original poetry, live music, and an open mic session.
250 Years of Poetry at Historical Society
plans to post flavor updates and fro-yo news on their Instagram page, @buddies.froyo. “We really appreciate the people in Long Beach,” Waldman said. “That’s the biggest surprise since opening. They’re nice people and they travel, it’s not just the locals. It’s really a miracle.”
–Wesley Schnell
To commemorate the country’s 250th birthday, the Long Beach Historical and Preservation Society will present a poetry performance celebrating American history. Jeff Rimland, author of five books and more than 500 poems, will be the featured speaker presenting poetry about historical figures and key events in American history.
An open mic opportunity will follow the presentation. Songwriter and musician Phil Kennelty will also perform. The event will take place at the Long Beach Historical Society Museum, 226 West Penn Street, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30
p.m. on Aug. 1. The hosts for the afternoon will be The Shore Poets — Peter V. Dugan, Paula Curci and Theresa Rosario-Berzner.
The day is sponsored by the Long Beach Historical Society, The Acoustic Poet’s Network LLC, Poets & Writers and Artists in Partnership. Admission to the event is free, but donations are appreciated by the volunteer-run nonprofit. The Historical Society will also be hosting its annual arts and crafts fair on the Boardwalk on Aug. 29 and 30.
–Chris Colucci
Courtesy Buddies Frozen Yogurt Buddies opened last week with plans to dish out frozen yogurt and more, all year long.
Herald file photo
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6
7:00PM
EISENHOWER PARK
Champ Buster, 16, spent the week learning how to stand up and handle the waves. participants in the Summer Youth Vocational program challenged themselves to overcome obstacles by getting in the ocean to try something new.
Six who can’t see or hear learn how to ride waves
Continued from page 1
the participants. Erin Columbus, a Long Beach native and the center’s coordinator of vocational services, was on the beach and in the water throughout the week, watching as students and instructors learned to work together.
“Towards the end of the week, they didn’t even need the interpreter,” Columbus said. “They were just like, ‘We got this,’ and they figured it out.”
Skudin Surf has operated its Surf for All program since 2002, offering surfing lessons to children and teens with physical and intellectual disabilities. Its certified adaptive surf instructors use their expertise to help everyone enjoy the water, regardless of ability.
While a day spent surfing in Long Beach can be its own reward, the youth program was intended to send a deeper message to its participants. It had more to do with challenging preconceived notions, reminding them that they can be capable, and develop confidence by overcoming potentially intimidating scenarios. “I wanted to create an experience that empowers them, and give
them an experience that others thought maybe wasn’t possible,” Columbus said. “So when they go to college one day, or when they’re meeting coworkers, they’ve got really cool stories to talk about.”
John Filek, executive director of the Helen Keller National Center, saw the same potential benefit and lessons when Columbus proposed the surf sessions. “I couldn’t think of a better opportunity to really figure out how to confront that fear and anxiety,” Filek said. “Especially when you consider riding a surfboard in the wide-open expanse of an ocean. That’s truly confronting those fears head on and realizing that you have that courage. More opportunities doing that builds confidence to help a person make their way in the world.”
This was the first collaboration between Helen Keller Services and Skudin Surf, but it may not be the last. “I’m very interested in seeing how we can continue this type of activity,” Filek said. “Finding other activities like this that can really support the building of confidence and courage.”
Photos courtesy Helen Keller Services
the Helen Keller national Center brought six deaf-blind young adults to Long Beach to enjoy a week of surfing lessons.
AUGUST 13 • 10AM-12:30PM
CONGREGATION OHAV SHOLOM
145 S MERRICK AVE, MERRICK
FREE community event focused on health, wellness, and lifestyle
Meet trusted local exhibitors and service providers
Take advantage of on-site health screenings
Enjoy lively entertainment, fitness demonstrations and interactive experiences
Win raffles, prizes, and giveaways
Snack station for all
Hear from experts during a panel discussion with Q&A
*Boxed lunches for first 150 attendees
All designed to help you stay active, informed, and engaged at every stage of life.
Swim, paddle, run honors a hero of Sept. 11
from the beginning, I’ve done it,” she said.
In 2024, Candon finished second in the women’s individual race. This year, as she has done in previous races, she entered both the individual race and the team relay. “I do the team with my kids,” she said. Candon recalled that her sons Joe, John and Brendan used to play on the beach where Kiefer was a lifeguard.
That lifeguard connection is central to the community that comes together to remember Kiefer each year. “It was a great turnout,” Cliff Skudin, one of the event organizers, said as the day wound down. “A lot of lifeguards, some retired lifeguards. People that knew Mike. Some of the new school, up and coming [lifeguards]. It’s just great to keep the race alive.”
Kerri Kiefer noted the coordinated efforts of the city, which provided a podium and other equipment, as well as former City Councilman John McLoughlin and John Skudin, who spearheaded the event — Skudin Surf donated the boards for the paddle portion. The synchronized work to stage the annual race is a reflection of Kiefer’s impact on the city.
“Long Beach is such a tight community, even locals from the area, they know his name,” Kerri Kiefer said. “They knew him as a lifeguard, but they also knew him as a surfer and a swimmer. He swam at the Long Beach Rec Center.”
Lauren Kiefer, Michael’s other younger sister, has watched the race grow since it was created over two decades ago. “It’s nice to see lifeguards who Michael worked with,” she said. “They originally did the race on their own. Now they’re doing it with their kids, who they’ve taught about Michael.”
While the day’s primary purpose is to memorialize a local first responder lost in the Sept. 11 attacks, the first-rate competition is also a motivator for many participants. Awards were given to the top three male and female finishers, the top three male and female firefighters, the top three male and female lifeguards, and the top three relay teams.
“Every year, it’s beautiful,” Lauren Kiefer said. “The lifeguards do such a great job in remembering our brother, year after year. And it being 25 years out, and the fact that they’re still doing this, it truly means a lot to our family.”
Continued from page 1
Chris Colucci/Herald photos
the team relay segment began with a 400-yard ocean swim. after the swim, a half-mile paddleboard leg led to the final mile-and-a-half-long run along the beach.
participants were required to have secure footholds in the sand before tagging their teammates for the next segment.
racers grabbed boards from the shore and rushed into the water for the half-mile paddle.
doreen Candon made the relay a family event with her son Joe, her granddaughter Lilli and her sons John and Brendan.
Honor Flight reunion to honor veterans
Two South Shore veterans will be among 46 Long Island servicemen and women honored when the American Airpower Museum and Honor Flight Long Island host a patriotic reunion on Aug. 1 in Farmingdale.
Among those recognized will be John Wachter of Oceanside, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War as a sergeant (E-5), and Alfonzo Ruocco of Island Park, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War as a seaman. They will reunite with fellow veterans who participated in Honor Flight Long Island’s free trip to Washington, D.C., on May 2.
The reunion will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the American Airpower Museum’s Hangar 3. Veterans, their guardians and families will receive free admission, and the public may attend free from 10:30 a.m. until noon.
Honor Flight Long Island provides veterans with free one-day trips to the nation’s capital to visit the memorials dedicated to their military service. During the May 2 flight, the veterans toured the World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Air Force Memorial, Navy Memorial and other historic sites. They returned to Long Island later that evening to a hero’s welcome from hundreds of family members, friends and supporters, accompanied by the Nassau County Firefighters Pipes and Drums Band.
Honor Flight Long Island President Bill Jones said the trip included 41 Vietnam War veterans, many of whom never received a proper welcome home after returning from service, along with one World War II veteran and four Korean War veterans.
“What this flight really represented was a ‘big hug’ to all our veterans from Honor Flight, their families and supporters, who make such flights possible,”
Jones said in a statement.
During the reunion, veterans will receive tribute journals featuring photographs from their Washington trip. The ceremony will also include remarks from Jones and American Airpower Museum President Jeff Clyman, a performance of the “Armed Forces Salute” by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Band, and a performance of “Welcome Home, My Brother” by longtime Honor Flight guardian Eric Wieboldt of Merrick. Wieboldt wrote the song as a tribute to Vietnam veter-
ans who did not receive the recognition they deserved when they returned home.
Free refreshments will be provided during the event. Honor Flight Long Island’s mission is to recognize veterans for their service and sacrifice by giving them the opportunity to visit the memorials built in their honor while sharing the experience with fellow veterans and loved ones.
–Abigail Grieco
Courtesy Mark Chamberlain
John Wachter of Oceanside and Alfonzo Ruocco of Island Park are two of the South Shore veterans who will be honored when the American Airpower Museum and Honor Flight Long Island host a patriotic reunion in Farmingdale.
BRUCE A. BLAKEMAN
presents FREE SUMMER CONCERTS
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
7:00PM
EISENHOWER PARK
Courtesy Cynthia Seibold
From left, Maureen Early of Reworld, Nyrekia White of the Long Island Children’s Museum, Cynthia Seibold, founder of Merrick-based Balloon Mission, and Long Island Children’s Museum President Erika Floreska celebrate the launch of the Keep Long Island Beautiful initiative at the Long Island Children’s Museum on July 1.
Balloon Mission launches L.I. cleanup campaign
By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com
Merrick resident Cynthia Seibold is helping lead a new environmental campaign aimed at making community cleanups widely accessible while encouraging residents to take a more active role in keeping local neighborhoods, parks and waterways clean.
The initiative, “Keep Long Island Beautiful,” was launched on July 1 during the Long Island Children’s Museum’s America’s 250th Birthday Ball Drop celebration. Organized by a coalition that includes Balloon Mission, Reworld, Save the Great South Bay and the Long Island South Shore Waterkeeper, the campaign supports Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup while commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Seibold is founder of Balloon Mission, a nonprofit that protects wildlife and oceans by advocating for responsible balloon practices and recycling.
She created the organization in 2023 after repeatedly finding discarded balloons littering beaches, parks and nature preserves on Long Island. Since then, it has grown into the nation’s first nonprofit dedicated to balloon collection and recycling, partnering with more than 70 organizations and expanding its programs to eight states.
Balloon Mission also maintains collection bins at the Long Beach Public Library and schools around Long Island, giving residents a way to recycle deflated balloons instead of sending them to landfills or waterways. Over the past three years, the bins have collected nearly 70,000 balloons.
“There’s so much good work happening on Long Island, and this campaign brings it all together,” Seibold said in a news release. “By giving people simple
tools and opportunities to participate, whether through organized cleanups and restoration projects, or DIY in their own neighborhoods, we’re empowering each person to appreciate and preserve our Long Island.”
A key component of the initiative is a new library lending program developed in partnership with the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. Beginning July 1, Suffolk County residents can borrow one of 30 free cleanup kits available through the county’s 56 public libraries. Each kit includes a litter grabber, safety vest, gloves, trash bags, cleanup instructions and a tracking card, allowing residents to conduct neighborhood cleanups on their own schedule without registering for an organized event.
“We wanted to make environmental stewardship feel genuinely accessible and something any resident, family, or student could do on a Tuesday afternoon without needing to sign up for anything,” Maureen Early, Reworld’s lead community relations specialist, said in the release.
Organizers said the initiative brings together a network of environmental organizations and municipal partners already working to improve Long Island’s natural resources, including Save the Great South Bay, Operation SPLASH, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Keep Islip Clean and the Town of Babylon’s Litter Crew program.
“Every piece of litter we remove from our streets, parks and creeks is one less piece making its way into our waters,” Robyn Silvestri, executive director of Save the Great South Bay, said. “When people understand that connection, they become part of the solution.”
STEPPING OUT
For Michelle Taplin, seen here at a spring showcase, theater is about more than performance. Through Tap Into Your Passion, she is helping young actors develop the confidence, resilience and skills to succeed both onstage and off.
Opening doors to the stage
By Iris Wiener
Michelle Taplin has spent much of her life immersed in the performing arts, but her greatest role may be helping the next generation discover their own voices. What began as a longtime dream has grown into Tap Into Your Passion, a thriving coaching and arts education company that, more than a year after its official launch, is already making a lasting impact on aspiring performers across the region.
As Tap Into Your Passion marks its first year and a half, Taplin celebrates the milestone with a special fundraising gala on Aug. 10 in The Green Room 42 in New York City that reflects the heart of her mission: making quality theater education accessible to everyone.
For Taplin, the journey started long before she opened her Rockville Centre-based business. Growing up in Oceanside, she balanced voice lessons, dance classes, gymnastics, and community theater while nurturing two lifelong ambitions: becoming a theater educator and one day opening her own company. Inspired by Oceanside High School theater teacher Laura Gallo, she pursued degrees in theater and business at Muhlenberg College before earning an MA in theater education from Adelphi University. Along the way, she gained experience as a performer, director, choreographer, stage manager, and arts administrator while also spending six years with the Sunrise Association, where she developed an inclusive teaching philosophy serving children with cancer and their siblings. Those experiences continue to shape every lesson she teaches today.
Taplin continues to wear many hats. She teaches theater at both the middle and high school in Oceanside, and directs productions with the school district and community theaters, including Plaza Theatricals. She also advises student organizations and mentors countless young performers. Tap Into Your Passion has become a natural extension of everything she loves most about teaching.
“Tap Into Your Passion’s mission is to provide theater education without costing an arm and a leg,” Taplin says, explaining that she wanted to remove financial barriers for students pursuing careers in the performing arts. She offers three primary services: private coaching for performers ages nine and up; a comprehensive college audition program that guides students through every step of the competitive application process; and a monthly master class series featuring accomplished Broadway performers, choreographers, casting directors, and other industry professionals.
The response has been exceptional. Taplin credits much of Tap Into Your Passion’s early success to the generosity of the artists who have shared their time and expertise. Taplin explains that each workshop has
Theater coach celebrates a milestone
reinforced the lessons she teaches her students while helping to build a supportive network where young performers can learn directly from professionals working in the industry.
Rather than molding students into “cookie-cutter performers,” Taplin encourages them to embrace their individuality. She believes there is no single path to success in theater and exposing students to a wide variety of artistic voices helps them discover the techniques and perspectives that resonate most authentically.
That philosophy has attracted students from throughout Long Island and Manhattan. Students from Floral Park, Oceanside, Lynbrook, Sewanhaka, Elmont, Rockville Centre, East Rockaway, Garden City, and New York City, among other places, create a diverse community connected by a shared love of theater.
“Michelle always makes sure to put care and respect into all of her students’ work sessions,” says Kevin Kirley, a student from Rockville Centre who now attends New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. “She has also been so integral to my journey throughout the college audition process. Her teaching has been extremely influential to me as a working actor, and I will take what I have learned throughout my training into my artistry.”
For Taplin, arts education extends well beyond singing, dancing or acting. She advocates that theater teaches empathy, collaboration, resilience, confidence, communication, and determination — life skills that benefit students regardless of whether they ultimately pursue careers on stage.
“It’s what the process teaches you,” she says, emphasizing that the personal growth students experience is often more valuable than the performances themselves.
Those values will be front and center shortly when Tap Into Your Passion hosts its Broadway Gives Back gala. The evening will feature performances by many of the Broadway artists and teaching professionals who have led Taplin’s master classes, each sharing a song that inspired their own theatrical journey. Beyond celebrating the company’s growth, the fundraiser will support Taplin’s goal of keeping coaching and master classes affordable for aspiring performers while demonstrating to students the passion that fuels successful careers in the arts.
As Tap Into Your Passion enters its second year, Taplin aims to continue expanding its reach while maintaining the close-knit community that has become its hallmark. She envisions welcoming more students, introducing them to even more accomplished professionals, and reminding every young artist that there is room for their unique voice in the theater world. Looking back on Tap’s remarkable beginning and the theater community’s willingness to help, Taplin relates that the experience has reinforced one lesson above all others: “The answer will always be ‘no’ if you don’t ask.”
It is a philosophy that has helped transform a childhood dream into a flourishing business, and one that continues to inspire the students following in her footsteps.
Visit TheGreenRoom42.VenueTix.com for tickets or more information about Where It All Began: Broadway Gives Back.
Double Vision: The Foreigner Experience
Comprising a group of exceptionally talented musicians and die-hard Foreigner fans, Double Vision has perfected the art of bringing to life the unforgettable hits that have defined generations. From “I Want to Know What Love Is” to “Cold as Ice,” Their renditions are a harmonious blend of passion, precision, and nostalgic energy. Drawing inspiration from Foreigner’s unmistakable sound and stage presence, Double Vision delivers a performance that pays homage to the band’s legacy while infusing their own charisma and enthusiasm. Their commitment to authenticity is matched only by their unwavering dedication to creating an electrifying experience for their audiences.
Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.
Vishal & Sheykhar
Brace yourself for a high-octane night with Bollywood’s most electrifying music duo – Vishal and Shekhar! VishalDadlani and Shekhar (formerly Shekhar) Ravjiani return to the states, following a completely sold-out U.S. run in 2025. Experience the energy and excitement of The Superhit Tour as acclaimed music duo Vishal and Sheykhar take the stage. Known for creating some of Bollywood’s biggest hits, the duo brings a powerhouse performance filled with fan-favorite songs, dynamic production and a concert atmosphere that will have the entire audience singing along. Expect a night packed with unforgettable music, stunning visuals, and the signature sound that has made them global sensations.
Sunday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or tillescenter. org or (516) 299-3100. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville.
Photos courtesy Michelle Taplin
Student Bella Romero performs at the spring showcase at The Green Room 42.
Broadway’s Krystina Alabado, right, leads a master class.
Your Neighborhood CALENDAR
jul
Summertime grooves
TOH brings its summer concert series to Oceanside Park. Touch the 80s plays hits from a decade like no other.
• Where: 3800 Mahlon Brower Drive, Oceanside
• Time: 8 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 292-9000 ext. 7255
‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’
The Madison Theatre’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” brings the beloved Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to the stage, retelling the biblical story of Joseph, his colorful coat and his rise from slavery to Pharaoh’s trusted advisor. Told entirely through song, the family-friendly production features memorable numbers including “Any Dream Will Do,” “Close Every Door” and “One More Angel in Heaven,” blending musical styles from calypso to country-western. Suitable for audiences of all ages, the show continues to be one of the world’s most frequently performed musicals.
• Where: Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre
• Time: Various dates and times, through Aug. 2
• Contact: madisontheatreny.org or (516) 323-4444
Summer grooves
Eisenhower Park’s Summer Concert Series welcomes Grateful Dead tribute band Half Step. The Long Island-based band are dedicated fans and “students” of the Grateful Dead, capturing the spirit, improvisation, sound and complexity of Grateful Dead music. Half Step has been mastering their craft since 2004 while winning over crowds of veteran Deadheads, newcomers and non-Dead fans alike. Like the Grateful Dead themselves, the band is constantly pushing the envelope, growing together as musicians and performers.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: nassaucountyny.gov or (516) 572-0200
Franz Ferdinand
Farmers Market
The Kennedy Plaza Farmers Market presents an incredible lineup of local farmers, makers and food vendors you know and love. Stop by the popular outdoor market, where community spirit and fresh local flavor come together. Explore the selection of seasonal produce, artisanal goods, homemade treats and handcrafted items from dozens talented local businesses.
• Where: Kennedy Plaza
• Time: Every Saturday and Wednesday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 670-5046
Ask the tech guy
Do you have questions about your computer or laptop?
Want to learn more about Zoom, streaming movies, or downloading ebooks to your device? Join Long Beach Library’s Tech Guy, every Wednesday, to get answers to your pressing tech questions.
• Where: 111 W. Park Ave.
• Time: 8 p.m.
The Scottish band brings their Greater Glasgow European Cultural Exchange Tour to the Paramount stage, in support of their latest album, “The Human Fear,” which dropped in January. Since emerging from Glasgow’s art-school scene — where the band famously staged illegal parties in abandoned buildings — Franz Ferdinand has built a reputation for bold sharp hooks, infectious riffs and a fearless approach to reinvention. The band’s sixth studio album explores the emotions that define the human experience, transforming fear from something to avoid into something that awakens us. From the vulnerability of new relationships to the courage required to embrace change, “The Human Fear” channels those moments of uncertainty into songs packed with energy, urgency and unmistakable Franz Ferdinand style. Following the retrospective collection “Hits To The Head,” their latest album marks a new chapter for the group — one that honors its signature sound while pushing forward. Expect a high-energy performance filled with the clever songwriting, driving rhythms and irresistible beats that have made Franz Ferdinand one of the most influential bands of its generation. At this point in their career, Franz Ferdinand definitely know who they are, and are relishing the vigor that comes with accepting that
presenting poems about historical figures and events in American history to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday at Long Beach Historical Society. An open mic opportunity follows, along with a wine and cheese reception. Songwriter and musician Phil Kennelty also performs.
• Where: 226 West Penn St.
• Time: 1:30-4:30 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 432-1192
‘Salute to Veterans’ Eisenhower Park’s Summer Concert Series continues with the annual Salute to Veterans show. Desert Highway performs an Eagles tribute. American Bombshell also appears.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: nassaucountyny.gov or (516) 572-0200
Long Beach Walking Tour
Discover the stories behind the unique barrier island, full of history, hidden gems and local favorites. Along the way, explore the historic Nassau Hotel, Red Brick district, Long AuG 2 Our Heritage: 250 Years of Poetry in America The Shore Poets
Beach Holocaust Memorial, Laurel diner, local shops and more. No registration needed — just show up and walk with the tour. All ages welcome, including families. Wear comfortable shoes; it’s suggested to bring sunscreen, a hat and water. Optional donations will support local organizations helping those in need in our community.
• Where: Begins at The Allegria Hotel
• Time: 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
• Contact: (516) 992-3711
Summer sounds
Eisenhower Park’s Summer Concert Series welcomes Lovesong, with an ‘80s New Wave tribute. The band offers a unique concert experience with electrifying performances of legendary music by Duran Duran, INXS, The Cure, Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode, Erasure, New Order and more.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: nassaucountyny.gov or (516) 572-0200
Summertime tunes
The annual outdoor music scene is back. Bands are scheduled AuG
3
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
to perform free concerts twice per week until Sept. 3. Bring your own seating, but prepare to be up and dancing. High Tide plays reggae and calypso music while Bites & Beats is on site with food trucks, vendors and offerings from Bright Eye Beer Co. A full list of upcoming dates, locations and acts can be found at longbeachny.gov/ concerts.
• Where: Kennedy Plaza
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 431-1000
• Time: Ongoing Wednesdays, 2-3 p.m.
• Contact: longbeachlibrary.org
Little Sprouts Story and Craft Time
For eight weeks throughout summer, Artists in Partnership offers a free storytelling and arts and craft program for children from ages 3 to 6, during the Wednesday morning farmers market at Kennedy Plaza. It involves reading stories that relate to nutrition, farming, and the market itself followed by a small crafting project connected to the story.
• Where: Kennedy Plaza
• Time: Every Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
• Contact: (516) 670-5046
City Council Meeting
Long Beach City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of every month. The public may make comments or ask questions pertaining to specific agenda items at the appropriate time. Those who wish to speak must sign in prior to the start of the meeting. Sign-ups will be accepted until the Council votes to close the meeting.
• Where: City Hall. 1 W. Chester St.
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 431-1000
Having an event?
Items on the Calendar page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to kbloom@ liherald.com.
Peter V. Dugan, Paula Curci and Theresa RosarioBerzner — host Jeff Rimland
News brief
Rabbi Jack Zanerhaft, of Temple Emanu-El of Long Beach, has invited the community to a musical Shabbat service on the beach.
Temple Emanu-El hosts Beach Shabbat
Community members and Temple Emanu-El congregants are invited to Neptune Boulevard Beach for an outdoor Friday evening Shabbat service on July 31 at 7 p.m. The evening will feature a singalong with rhythmic accompaniment from Long Beach resident Ben Metzger. Families are encouraged to wear white outfits and bring their own percussion instruments and beach
chairs. Admission is free.
“This service is centered on our young families and children,” Jack Zanerhaft, rabbi of Temple Emanu-El said. “With a drum circle and melodic song, it will be joyful and create a sense of belonging. We hope to see some newcomers of all ages join us.”
–Aidan Warshavsky
Herald file photo
July 30, 2026 —
LEGAL NOTICE
Public Notices
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU INDEX NO.:
605923/2025
DATE FILED: 03/18/2025 SUMMONS Plaintiff designates Nassau County as the Place of Trial. Designation of Venue is based upon the situs of the Subject Property. Subject Property: 6 November Walk, Long Beach, New York 11561.
DEUTSCHE BANK
NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR NOVASTAR MORTGAGE FUNDING TRUST, SERIES 2007-1 NOVASTAR HOME EQUITY LOAN ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-1, Plaintiff, -againstELISABETH HILDENBRANDT AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO ANTHONY MESSINA; ROBERT MESSINA AS POSSIBLE HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO ANTHONY MESSINA; GINA MESSINA A/K/A GINA BARBER AS POSSIBLE HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO ANTHONY MESSINA; JOHN DOE AND JANE DOE 1 THROUGH 50, INTENDING TO BE THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, DISTRIBUTEES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, TRUSTEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, AND ASSIGNEES OF THE ESTATE OF ANTHONY MESSINA, WHO WAS BORN IN 1958 AND DIED ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2024, A RESIDENT OF NASSAU COUNTY, WHOSE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS WAS 6 NOVEMBER WALK, LONG BEACH, NEW YORK 11561, THEIR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST IF ANY OF THE AFORESAID DEFENDANTS BE DECEASED, THEIR RESPECTIVE HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF THE AFORESAID CLASSES OF PERSON, IF THEY OR ANY OF THEM BE DEAD, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE HUSBANDS, WIVES OR WIDOWS, IF ANY, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES, ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA O/B/O INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; NEW YORK STATE
DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the Subject Property described in the Complaint, Defendants. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s Attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party defendant, the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until sixty (60) days after service of the Summons; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.
NOTICE: YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR NOVASTAR
MORTGAGE FUNDING TRUST, SERIES 2007-1 NOVASTAR HOME EQUITY LOAN ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-1) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. McCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC By: MELISSA S. DICERBO, ESQ. Attorneys for Plaintiff One Huntington Quadrangle, Suite 4N25 Melville, NY 11747 631-812-4084 8 55-845-2584 facsimile File # 14-305652 HELP FOR
HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE: NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT: YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE: The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and nonprofit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or visit the Department`s website at www.dfs.ny.gov. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS: YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. You have the right to stay in your home during the foreclosure process. You are not required to leave your home unless and until your property is sold at auction pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale.
Regardless of whether you choose to remain in your home, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY and pay property taxes in accordance with state and local law.
FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS: Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner`s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303 NOTICE 16-12-20* 161056
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU NewRez LLC dba Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing, Plaintiff AGAINST Robert J. Arnold; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 4, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 10, 2026, at 2:00PM, premises known as 225 West Broadway, Unit E1, Long Beach, NY 11561. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being a part of a condominium in the City of Long Beach, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 59 Block 63 Lot 166 Unit 114. Approximate amount of judgment $335,648.81 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 607033/2024. Kenneth Gartner, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff
175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792
Dated: June 24, 2026 For sale information, please visit www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2831 161107
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC D/B/A CHAMPION MORTGAGE COMPANY, Plaintiff, Against JUANITA SLADE, JOSEPH DAMBRA, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 12/22/2016, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 on 8/27/2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 28 East Hudson Street, Long Beach, New York 11561, a/k/a 28 Hudson Street, Long Beach, New York 11561, and described as follows: ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the City of Long Beach, County of Nassau and State of New York.
Section 59 Block 94 Lot 17, 18 and 19. The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $495,395.75 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 13-014225
If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction. This Auction will be
held rain or shine. Scott H Siller, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573
Dated: 7/8/2026 File Number: 548-0119 CA 161333
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC., Plaintiff AGAINST MATTHEW CASALE, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered January 3, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 781 W Park Ave 105, Long Beach, NY 11561. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the City of Long Beach, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 59 Block 250 Lot 143 Unit 105. Approximate amount of judgment $832,371.58 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #615411/2023. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Francis X. McQuade, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 23-000656 90528 161172
LEGAL NOTICE
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU INDEX NO.: 618177/2024 SUMMONS MORET LLC, Plaintiff, -againstTHE BETTY C.
TOGNINO RECOVABLE LIVING TRUST DATED THE 18TH DAY OF JULY, 2002 JOHN TOGNINO, ROBERT TOGNINO, DEANNA ANDOLINA, INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF LYNBROOK, JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., SUCCESSOR TO THE DIME SAVINGS BANK OF NEW YORK, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12”, the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants.
TO THE ABOVE NAMED
DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action, to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with the summons, to serve notice of appearance, on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the date of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York), and in case of failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint.
TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Carolyn M. Genovesi, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Nassau County, entered July 22, 2026 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Nassau County Clerk’s Office.
THE OBJECT OF THE ACTION is to foreclose a tax lien and to recover the amount of the tax lien and all of the interest, penalties,
additions and expenses thereon to premises k/a Section 59, Block 37, Lot 1-3.
Plaintiff designates Nassau County as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the subject property.
NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME
If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the tax lien holder who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the tax lien holder will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (TAX LIEN HOLDER) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.
Dated: October 15, 2024 LEVY & LEVY
Attorneys for Plaintiff 12 Tulip Drive Great Neck, NY 11021 (516)487-6655 BY: JOSHUA LEVY, ESQ
#103108
161445
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF
FORMATION of Seifert Wildlife Control LLC.
Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/16/26 Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to 169 Roosevelt street Oceanside ny 11572. Purpose: any lawful act.
161447
$20.60 per hour
• Substitute Teacher Aide: $20.60 per hour Address letter of interest and resume to: humanresources@vs30.org 516-434-3600 ext 5223 valleystream30.com
Schools
Hiring Directors, Assistants, Group Leaders and Substitutes. Up to a $500 Signing Bonuses, Scholarships and Employee Referrals Questions call: 631-360-0800 ext. 149 or send a resume to: cc@scopeonline.us SCOPE Education is an equal opportunity Employer
EDITOR/REPORTER
Part Time & Full Time. The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to jbessen@liherald.com
MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
MULTI MEDIA ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT
Inside Sales
Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. Compensation ranges from $35,360 + commissions and bonuses to over $100,000 including commission and bonuses. We also offer health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286
OUTSIDE SALES
Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $35,360 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses. Compensation is based on Full Time hours Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250
Beautiful Colonial
Apartments For Rent
Estate
WE BUY HOUSES for Cash AS IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-888-704-5670
Apartments For Rent
EAST ROCKAWAY: 2ND Floor, Heat/ Water Included, Suitable Two, No Smoking/ Pets, Parking, $3,000. 516-643-3227
Cemetery Plots
TWO BURIAL PLOTS FOR SALE. New Montifiore Cemetery. Desirable location. $5,500 per grave (below current pricing). Please email or call: Nechul333@gmail.com 516-316-0497
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Do we have to submit complete house plans just for a garage?
Q. We were recently told that our permit plans, to be approved, were going to have to include plans of the entire house, not just the garage area we are bumping out on the side. We were wondering if you have heard of this or whether we are being singled out. Our architect said that it may be because we have to go to the zoning board. Is this the reason, or did we say something wrong and are being punished? We asked, several times, for an update, because things are moving very slowly and we get the impression the building department just wants us to go away. They work for us and I think we deserve better service, frankly.
A. Trust but verify is now a common expression, and with good reason. What I have noticed over the years is that complete information is more often required, showing unrelated areas of the home, because many people have not been truthful about building changes or about how much work they have done, without permits, in other parts of the home. Because of this issue, many plans examiners ask for the big picture, not just the area you are interested in. It is obvious, when looking at file records in building departments and then comparing them to the actual dwelling during a walkthrough.
Your dilemma is due to the lack of trust between the authorities and the public. If the building inspector notices that the plans and the home don’t exactly compare, they can ask for “revised” plans to be submitted. It is frustrating, right at the end of a project, when people are ready to move on with their lives, to find out that the “simple, little changes” and side work they did require revised plans to be submitted to their building department. It is much worse to learn about changes or not following plans many years later.
Contractors and owners may get away with not communicating in the short term, but it does not pay, in the long run, to hide information. When someone realizes they bought a house with inherited, hidden issues which they are now responsible for, they feel taken advantage of. Worse than that are the costly corrections that have to be made because something that has existed for years may not be code-compliant. It happens all too often that unrelated portions of the building become a stumbling block to getting approvals for what you are really looking to do.
You are probably not being singled out, but you have been put in this position by previous workers and owners who did not take the record-updating seriously. People have told me, with a grin, that “By the time anyone notices, we’ll all be long gone.” I just came from a jobsite where work was done 16 years prior, the plans were not followed, and a structural failure is occurring that is going to be expensive to fix. The whole picture, not just part, is, therefore, important. Good luck!
© 2026 Monte Leeper
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The documentary on Steven McDonald is a must-see
Recently I saw a screening of the documentary about the late NYPD detective Steven McDonald, “Saint of the City.” McDonald was a true hero. In 1986, as a young police officer, he was shot and permanently paralyzed by 15-year-old Shavod Jones, whom he was questioning about a series of bicycle thefts in Central Park.
Jones shot McDonald three times, the third time while he was lying on the ground, shattering his spine and leaving him a quadriplegic, needing a ventilator to breathe. McDonald not only survived, but forgave Jones and went on to live more than 30 heroic years of dedicated service, without complaint or self-pity, until his death in 2017.
Steven and his wife, Patti Ann, lived in Malverne during that time with their son, Conor, who was born just months after his father was shot. Patti Ann went on to serve two terms as Malverne’s mayor. “Saint of the City” was written by veteran Emmy-award winning WPIX-TV reporter Mary Murphy
and produced by Erin Mulvey, a former DEA agent. Filled with facts, emotion and perspective, the film captures the essence of McDonald as an outstanding human being who inspired so many.
I met with him over the years at various police events, at his home in Malverne and in Congress. Those meetings made vividly clear to me just how devastating his injuries were. He was not only confined to a wheelchair, but incapable of moving any party of his body except his head, and he had no sense of feeling anywhere. Once when he gave me a book he had written, he inscribed it for me with a Sharpie he held between his teeth.
The NYPD detective forgave the teen who shot him, leaving him a quadriplegic.
His breathing was labored, and required a ventilator. At any time he could be struck with severe spasms lasting 30 seconds to a minute. These were difficult to observe, never mind having to endure them.
As the film depicts, McDonald persevered through all of this. He regularly spoke at high schools and to young cops.
He was also an articulate voice for peace and justice in Northern Ireland, not just attending events in New York, but traveling to Northern Ireland to
Iurge those on all sides — Catholics and Protestants, pro-British and pro-Irish — to resolve their differences and pursue the path to peace. McDonald’s efforts were particularly beneficial in the months following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, when radicals attempted to shatter the peace accord with a horrific bombing attack in Omagh, Northern Ireland, that killed 29 civilians and injured more than 200. His presence at such a critical time delivered a strong message about the necessity of maintaining peace and allowing the agreement to be implemented.
I remember when Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern addressed a joint session of Congress and singled out McDonald, who was seated in the House gallery. At a reception later that day, Sen. Ted Kennedy asked me to introduce Ahern to McDonald.
The film also highlights how McDonald was sustained by his Catholic faith, and particularly by the advice and consolation he received from Father Mychal Judge, the chaplain of the FDNY who died at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, and Cardinal John O’Connor, who McDonald told me would visit him at his Malverne home
to help him through tough moments. McDonald also organized prayer groups that met regularly.
The “Saint of the City” screening took place at the Marymount School, in Manhattan. Among those in attendance were former NYPD Commissioners Ray Kelly and Keechant Sewell, former Detective Bo Dietl and many high-ranking police officials and officers who worked with McDonald or got to know him over the years. Magee Hickey of WPIX, WINS reporter Juliet Papa and Daily News columnist Michael Daly were also there.
From the sports world there was Mets all-time great relief pitcher Jesse Orosco, who, after pitching the final innings of the Mets’ final 1986 World Series game against the Red Sox, had thrown his glove high in the air. Days later, Orosco gave the glove to McDonald, a longtime Mets fan.
Most notable among the attendees, of course, were Steven’s widow, Patti Ann, and their son, Conor, who is now a captain in the NYPD. Both personify and carry on the inspirational legacy of Steven McDonald, who was truly a saint among us. Once it is distributed, be sure to see “Saint of the City.”
Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.
Why is the U.S. picking a fight with its best friend?
don’t know much about the tariff system, but I know enough about economics and politics to say that President Trump’s new proposed 50 percent tariffs on Canada would be the most foolish things ever done by a president in recent American history. I know these proposals are always subject to negotiation, but why pick on our second-largest trading partner at the worst possible time?
The Canadians have been our best friends for as long as I can remember. They were there for us during World War II, when they lost over 40,000 men in battle. They have contributed soldiers to many of our wars, and have stood up for us at the United Nations and around the world. One of the reasons behind the latest insanity is the president’s statement that he is mad at Canada because of the smoke that has drifted south to the United States.
The best way to describe the latest tariff proposal is that it would be a self-
inflicted wound that would hurt American consumers the most. There is a basic fact that we fail to understand. The average reader may think that new tariffs would punish Canadians, but when new duties are imposed on Canadian autos, wine, hockey sticks, dairy products and cement, American distributors have to pay them, and then they pass the cost on to American consumers. The family in Levittown that buys Bobby a hockey stick pays extra because of the tariff hike.
Tariffs on Canada in retaliation for wildfire smoke that drifted south? Really?
Lots of other bad things happen when new tariffs are imposed. Canada, in retaliation, has imposed its own 25 percent counter-tariffs on U.S. vehicles, steel and aluminum. These tariffs hurt American builders and potential homebuyers who can’t afford higher costs when they’re seeking to purchase their first home. Tariffs on auto parts disrupt production lines and costs manufacturing jobs on both sides of the border.
Tariffs have another impact on countries like Canada. China is eager to establish new relationships with nations that will buy its goods. In 2025,
Canada announced a new comprehensive trade agreement with China that, among other things, will allow the sale of Chinese autos in Canada. Industry specialists say that Chinese cars are high quality and much lower in price, and will be a potential threat to American auto manufacturers.
One of the worst results of our feud with Canada is its impact on American businesses. Tourism in many of our northern border states has been badly damaged by this unnecessary battle. And one of the biggest losers has been Las Vegas. Hotel operators have seen a 70 percent drop in Canadian visitors, which has caused large layoffs of hospitality employees.
When arbitrary tariffs are imposed on a friendly nation, there are other consequences. Other countries watch American actions and conclude that we can’t be trusted if we economically attack a longtime friend. To add to our unreliability, the U.S. has a trade agreement, negotiated by Trump six years ago with Canada and Mexico, which was scheduled to be renewed this month.
The president has stated that he won’t honor the terms of that agreement.
The crowning touch to the U.S.-Canada breach has been Trump’s threats to make Canada our 51st state, and his frequent statements deriding Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Trump supporters will say this is just the president doing his thing, and that he isn’t really serious, but words have consequences, and many Trump watchers around the world don’t have such an expansive sense of humor.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that the president didn’t have the unilateral authority to impose sweeping, open-ended tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and that only Congress has that power. Trump is now using a 1930 law to justify his actions, which will likely be challenged in court.
At a time when the nation is juggling a war with Iran, higher gasoline prices and the continuing issue of affordability, fighting with Canada is just plain dumb.
Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He currently chairs the Capitol Insight Group, a government relations firm.
There’s always someone downwind
there’s a particular quality to the light when the smoke arrives. It goes flat and white, the sun turns into a coin you can look at directly, and the air smells faintly like someone three houses down is burning leaves. It has happened enough times now that Long Islanders recognize it.
The fires are in Canada. Ontario mostly, sometimes the prairie provinces — a thousand miles and more from here, far enough that the smoke spends days in transit before it reaches us. And it reaches us anyway. It settles over Rockville Centre and Garden City and Long Beach. It gets into the lungs of kids at day camp in Merrick who have never heard the phrase “boreal forest.”
There is something clarifying about that, if you let it be.
We are accustomed to thinking of our lives as local, and with good reason. This newspaper exists because the things that shape a day here — the school calendar, the traffic on Sunrise Highway, whether the field will be playable Saturday morning — are decided close to home by people you might run into at the deli. That proximity is the texture of life in a place like ours. The distance between a thing and its cause is usually short enough to walk.
letters
Town supervisor candidate Scianablo deserves a serious look
To the Editor:
Barely a day goes by that I don’t receive at least one mailing from John Ferretti expounding on all of his successes as Town of Hempstead supervisor. He claims that he is hard at work for the people of the town. He claims to have lowered town taxes, that he is working to ensure that our water is safe to drink, and is working with Nassau County to protect religious institutions. Just because he makes these claims doesn’t mean they aren’t just alternative facts.
The truth is that since he became supervisor — with the questionable means by which he was made the incumbent for his election — town taxes have increased 12 percent, our
Smoke from a forest a thousand miles away is a different phenomenon. It did not come from anything anyone here did or failed to do. And at the end of that very long chain sits your daughter’s soccer practice.
Why more of it, and why now? Because the climate is warming and the northern forest is drying out as a result. Spring snowpack melts earlier than it used to. Summers run longer and hotter, and the peat and duff beneath the trees turn into something that holds fire the way a sponge holds water — slowly, deep down and for a very long time.
Fires that once burned themselves out now smolder underground through the winter and surface again in spring. More fire, more smoke. And the same atmospheric machinery that has always carried Canadian cold fronts down to the Northeast now carries the smoke with them.
The smoke isn’t doing anything unusual. It is riding the same currents that have brought us our weather since before there was a Long Island to bring it to — the northwest flow behind a front, the same air that gives us a crisp October morning and the frigid air of January. We have always been downwind of Canada. We simply had no occa-
sion to notice.
That’s what makes this worth sitting with. Not the fires themselves, but what they reveal about connection. Something we didn’t do, in a place most of us have never been, is now a feature of summer on Long Island.
And what we do continues downwind. The exhaust from the Meadowbrook, the fertilizer that leaves a lawn in Wantagh and ends up in the bay, the plume from a stack in Island Park — none of that stays put, either. Our runoff is someone else’s smoke.
There is a version of this line of thinking that curdles into helplessness, and we would steer away from it. Being connected to a place you cannot influence isn’t the same as being powerless. It is mostly an invitation to pay attention — to the bay, to the air, to the small local things that are, somewhere downwind, someone else’s inherited condition.
The sky has cleared — but it will haze over again. If not this summer, then next. And each time it does, it is worth taking a moment to notice the strangeness: that we are downwind of a forest we will likely never see, and that somewhere, someone we will never meet is downwind of us.
Donnie Kreiss, ‘I
carry your heart
with
me’
My husband, Donnie Kreiss, died on July 12, at home, just days after our 58th anniversary. He was 80, and had been living with pancreatic cancer since it was diagnosed in 2023.
Donnie did not go gently. As Dylan Thomas wrote, he raged against the dying of the light, from the moment he knew he had this relentless cancer until two Sundays ago, when he drew a quiet breath and then no more. Our son and daughter were with him.
My sister, Meryl Greenbaum, was with us. The loving good wishes of everyone he knew were with us.
He had been drifting away for the previous 10 days, suffering the side effects of three years of treatment. Still, in early June he was walking laps in our building, and in April the family had gathered for his birthday dinner. He pushed his athlete’s body beyond anyone’s expectation, and the night he died, we rang the bell for him, because every single day he lived since 2023 was a tribute to his courage.
Letters
water rates are up 33 percent, and our energy rates continue to climb. Due to the lack of transparency, we have no idea where our hard-earned tax dollars are going or to whom.
I met Ferretti’s opponent, Joe Scianablo, for the first time when he attended a parlor meeting at my home. I was impressed not only with his background, but also his sincerity and his desire to continue serving the public. Scianablo has spent his entire adult life as a public servant. He served multiple deployments in the Marines in East Timor, Eritrea, and Iraq, then was a New York City police officer, focusing on domestic violence cases, in which helped victims find safety and justice. He is a former prosecutor in the Queens district attorney’s office, where he advocated for survivors of domestic violence.
I believed Scianablo when he said his focus would be to ensure that our tax dollars and resources benefit all the people in the Town of Hempstead, not just the favored ones. He isn’t a career politician, but will be a politician who has made a career of service. I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to meet him to do so. I think you will come away as impressed as I was.
CHERIE FEINBERG Lawrence
triumph over adversity.
HDonnie never felt sorry for himself. In his last days on earth he was reaching out to friends who had heartache, relationship woes, business setbacks or medical problems. He preached a gospel of positivity, insisting on finding threads of hope. He left a legacy of goodness and generosity, changing the lives of so many people along the way.
e always found the best in others because, truly, that was all he saw.
Donnie was a native Lawrencian. He was born in 1946 at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital to Lillian and Jack Kreiss, who lived at 16 Muriel Ave. in Lawrence. When he was 2, he contracted bacterial meningitis, which was usually fatal in those days. He was in isolation at St Joseph’s Hospital, in Far Rockaway, for two months. That was the first of his medical miracle recoveries, which included a fractured skull when he was 10, heart attacks at 40 and 50, bypass surgery, congestive heart failure and cervical spine surgery. He recited his near-misses enthusiastically, as if they were a resume, not of suffering but of
Donnie was a gifted athlete who ran track and played varsity football, basketball and golf. He was a beautiful man, and we fell hard in love as teenagers. We graduated together in 1964 from Lawrence High. When we married and settled in Woodmere, his second home was the Lawrence Golf Club, where his father was president and then, 50 years later, he was president. In recent years his home course was on Longboat Key, Fla., where last year he was named Most Inspirational Golfer of the Year, an award they created for him.
Don started his own business in 1969, selling slippers and bras and panties. He loved selling, and he was the best salesman because he could out-wait, out-talk and outlast any buyer he encountered.
He always found the best in others because, truly, that was all he saw. He drew on a deep well of generosity and kindness.
Our children, Jason, Rochelle, Jocelyn and Josh, were, as Auden said, his north, south, east and west. His grandchildren, Sabrina, Jacob, Elijah and
Emi, brought light and delight into his life. “Did you talk to the kids today?” was his mantra.
Despite his lifelong medical issues, Don was a rough and ready traveler, up for any adventure. We spent five summers exploring Montana when the kids were teenagers, and then for decades we traveled the world, from Komodo Island, in Indonesia, to the Alaska wilderness, from Bali to Singapore to Tasmania and New Zealand. Nothing stopped him.
Obituaries are the last public words written about someone. I never expected to write Donnie’s obituary, which I hope is more like telling the story of his life. Which is also the story of my life. As Cummings wrote, I carry his heart in my heart.
He trusted me to shepherd him through these last years, to get to the right doctors, to hold hands as we heard the diagnoses that limited his days. He wanted time, he said over and over again. I did my best, but time was not in my hands. I believe he would have wanted me to write this, the last words about him, from a place of love and longing, happy remembrance, and sadness that he did not have more days to grace our lives.
Copyright 2026 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.
FraMework
by Tim Baker
My Morning Jacket performed at the Great South Bay Music Festival, in Patchogue’s Shorefront Park, last Sunday.
