Courtesy Hewlett-Woodmere School District Administrators from the Hewlett-Woodmere School District and Woodmere Middle School accepted a grant from the New York Islanders’ Power Play for Education program at UBS Arena. The money will fund improvements in the school’s Outdoor Environmental Center.
By AIDAN WARSHAVSKY awarshavsky@liherald.com
For students in the Hewlett-Woodmere school district, the Outdoor Environmental Center at Woodmere Middle School provides a positive learning environment regardless of the subject. John Andruzcewicz, the middle school principal, wants the center to continue to grow, so he helped secure a $10,000 grant from the New York Islanders’ Power Play for Education program.
The program awards $10,000 to each of 10 schools at the team’s home games at UBS Arena in Elmont. Schools submit proposals for projects, programs or equipment that would enhance learning opportunities for its students.
Andruzcewicz, who has been in the dis-
trict for two years, saw a social media post advertising the program and decided to apply. “The environmental center isn’t just a hub for our students,” he said. “It serves Hewlett Elementary and Ogden Elementary students as well.”
The center, which opened in the middle school’s inner courtyard in 2015, introduces students to science and interdisciplinary studies. It has two learning spaces where teachers can host groups of any size, a number of planting beds and a climate-controlled greenhouse for growing plants. There are also a fish and turtle pond and a bird and butterfly garden populated with native Long Island plant species.
Students in grades three through eight conduct experiments, learn about native spe-
By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
The village of Atlantic Beach’s tentative 2026-27 budget, totaling $5.1 million, includes a modest but notable shift for residents: a reduction in the property tax levy, along with a broader effort by village officials to stabilize finances after years of rising costs and legal challenges.
Under the proposed spending plan, the property tax levy would account for roughly 85 percent of village revenue, down from 87 percent in the current fiscal year.
The reduction, officials said, is part of an effort to ease the burden on taxpayers while improving the village’s financial footing.
to settle five of the items of litigation this year.”
Those included legal entanglements over the Libbey property, the Chabad of the Beaches building and the Sunny Atlantic and Shores Atlantic Beach clubs — all of which were settled before the budget was prepared.
BARRY FRoHLINgER Mayor, Atlantic Beach
“We had to look at our assets, our liabilities, our revenue and our appropriations,” Mayor Barry Frohlinger said. “The foundation of the decrease was the ability for us
“We’re able to clear the debt, and we’ve got great visibility on what the settlements are and the ability to manage down our legal costs,” Frohlinger added. “As we have less litigation, we have less legal costs, and that’s been a huge part of the budget.”
By settling the legal disputes rather than continuing prolonged court battles, the village has curbed escalating legal fees, which have been a major budgetary strain in recent years.
“We’ve been able to bump up revenue not coming from the residents but from commercial
CONTINUED ON PAgE 17
By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
The Village of Atlantic Beach Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a settlement in the long-running dispute over the Libbey property, bringing an end to years of litigation over the waterfront parcel.
Under the terms of the agreement, the village will pay a total of $300,000 in two installments: $250,000 within 60 days of signing the settlement, and an additional $50,000 at the start of the village’s 2027 fiscal year.
The March 26 vote marks a significant turning point in a contentious legal and political battle that has spanned several years and drawn sharp reactions from residents, village officials and the property’s owners.
“The board has settled the inherited and eminent domain litigation regarding 2035 Park Street,” Mayor Barry Frohlinger said. “The resolution ends costly legal uncertainty stemming from the prior administration. It allows us to focus on moving the community forward.”
The village has already paid $700,000 in 2023 and an extra $50,000 after the building was appraised for $750,000.
“This settlement allows us to avoid going to trial and not have any legal or appraisal fees,” Frohlinger added. “It also avoids us paying a nine percent statutory interest rate.”
The Libbey property, a vacant parcel at 2035 Park Street along the waterfront,
Above is a map of the two adjacent properties on Park Street. The Village of Atlantic Beach settled the long-running dispute of the Libbey property at 2035 Park Street.
has been at the center of disputes, when the village moved to acquire the land through eminent domain. Officials at the time argued that taking control of the property would serve a public purpose, including protecting the shoreline and preserving open space in a densely developed coastal community.
The proposal, however, was met with skepticism and opposition from some residents, who questioned both the necessity of the taking and the village’s motives.
Concerns were raised at public meetings about the potential cost to taxpayers and whether the property’s acquisition was the best use of village resources.
Those concerns were compounded when the matter moved into the courts.
The property owners challenged the village’s attempt to seize the land, setting off a protracted legal battle that delayed any resolution and added to the overall cost of the dispute.
“We are restricted by law based upon
the eminent domain rules on what we can do with the property,” he said. “We’ve gone through many scenarios on what we can do and it is designated as a park or recreational use.”
Longtime Atlantic Beach resident Richard Libbey’s family business, M.A. Salazar, had owned the property at 2035 Park Street since 1938, including a building that was demolished by the village in 2011.
“The settlement means nothing,” Libbey said. “They stole our property, it was a big plot and the former building inspector and board did nothing to kill the deal with the Chabad.”
Libbey’s family has been doing business in Atlantic Beach for over 100 years and his grandfather used to own the building. He believes they will be turning the property into a park.
“Hopefully they will fence it up so nobody from other locations can use it,” Libbey said. “It’s not a good area for a park.”
The settlement appears to reflect a decision by the village to close the chapter on the dispute rather than continue litigation. By agreeing to compensate the property owners, the village avoids further legal uncertainty and the potential for higher costs associated with continued court proceedings.
“We’re trying to avoid spending lots of more legal money,” Frohlinger said. “In the last four years, this village has spent $1.1 million on legal fees not including $740,000 in settlements.”
By AIDAN WARSHAVSKY awarshavsky@liherald.com
Frustrations continued to boil over at the Peninsula Public Library this past week, as members of the staff spoke out against the library’s board of trustees.
The public meeting on March 23 started with a last-minute time change — initially scheduled for 5 p.m., the board announced at 2:15 p.m. it would move the meeting to 3 p.m. The board said it lacked enough trustees to pass resolutions.
Under New York’s Open Meetings Law, meetings generally require advance public notice, typically at least 72 hours. If not, the library must make a good faith effort to provide notice.
“Thankfully I was able to get some of the people who wanted to be at this meeting,” Rhonda Todman, Peninsula’s assistant director, said. “There was little time to notify the public.”
Trustees then attempted to pass a resolution from a March 12 special board meeting allowing board President Akiva Lubin to fill the seat vacated by Reva Oliner. The term would expire June 30, 2029. Lubin would remain president through June 30, 2026. The resolution was later tabled.
Under New York State law, trust -
Aidan Warshavsky/Herald
At the Peninsula Public Library on March 23, library staff and residents voiced their frustrations over library conditions and pending bylaw changes proposed by the board of trustees.
ees in School District Public Libraries, like Peninsula, can only be elected by district residents during annual school district elections. Vacancies can be filled temporarily until the next election. Todman and Peri Caponi, Peninsula’s head of technical services, cited the law. Caponi called the action selfish and said it was made only to benefit Lubin.
“You can’t change laws and library laws only to help yourself,” Caponi said. “It is very underhanded.”
Other matters discussed at the meeting included the Peninsula’s inability to fill its director role, previously held for a decade by Carolynn Matulewicz, who gave five months’ notice before retiring. Staff
members also expressed concerns over the building’s elevator, which has been out of service since late October.
“I can testify that the overall impression from residents and the community is that they believe that you are acting against their best interests,” Maita Weinman, a librarian at Peninsula, said.
Peninsula staff have contacted both the Nassau Library System and the New York State Library in response to recent events.
The New York State Library is part of the Office of Cultural Education within the New York State Education Department. It is responsible for oversight, guidance and regulatory compliance in school district libraries.
“The New York State Library is aware of the situation and is prepared to provide any technical assistance the Peninsula Public Library may need,” JP O’Hare, a spokesperson for the New York State Education Department, wrote to the Herald.
As of press time, the Peninsula Public Library board of trustees declined to comment.
Have an opinion about the Peninsula Public Library? Send a letter to mberman@liherald.com
According to police, a Long Beach woman was arrested after she fatally struck a bicyclist and fled the scene in Atlantic Beach on March 24 at 7:46 a.m.
Police report that Erin M. Henry, 67, of West Broadway in Long Beach, was driving a 2019 Honda HR-V eastbound on Beech Street near Scott Drive when she struck Tony Thomas, 59, of Far Rockaway on his bike. Police said Henry continued eastbound without stopping.
The bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene by the Long Beach Fire Department.
Following an investigation, Nassau County police, in coordination with Long Beach police, located the vehicle and took Henry into custody without incident, police said.
Henry is charged with leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death. She was arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead, on March 25.
The investigation is ongoing.
— Melissa Berman
New York has signed midfielder Alan Martinez to a one-year deal for the 2026 National Premier Soccer League season.
Martinez, an Inwood native, played at Lawrence High School before continuing his career at Long Island University.
“I’m very excited to sign with ASC New York and grateful for the opportunity to be part of the club,” Martinez wrote in a news release. “It’s a great environment to continue developing and competing at a high level.”
He joins the Fighting Tomcats with experience in multiple leagues, including stints with Nona FC, the Long Island Rough Riders of USL League Two and New York Braveheart FC in the UPSL Premier Division.
“Alan is a creative and crafty player,” ASC New York head coach John Fitzgerald wrote. “He has a great sense of the game and is dangerous one-onone.
”
The season begins in May, with home games set to be played at Mitchel Athletic
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By ANDREW COEN sports@liherald.com
The Hofstra baseball team is looking to take flight in the heart of spring after it was largely grounded to open the season in the dead of winter.
After opening the 2026 season with a three-game series at then fourth-ranked Mississippi State from Feb. 13-15, the Pride were only able to play three games over the next three weeks as mother nature unleashed historic snow totals across the Long Island region.
“You count on those early games to be able to evaluate the team and see where we’re going into conference play,” said fifth-year Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto. “It’s tough to replicate that when you’re inside in the gym or in the bubble.”
Playing just six games in the first three weeks of the season didn’t give Hofstra much preparation before starting the critical Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) portion of its schedule on March 6 at College of Charleston. The Pride took one of three games in series at Charleston and Monmouth to open conference play before taking two of three against Northeastern last weekend to move to 4-5 entering April.
Hofstra is looking to reach the sixteam CAA tournament with 21 returners from last year’s disappointing 18-36 team that went 8-19 in the league to miss out on the postseason. The Pride can assure a CAA playoff spot by placing among the top two in the league’s north division featuring Monmouth, Northeastern, Stony Brook and Towson or by having one of the two highest NCAA RPI ratings at the end of the regular season for the remaining teams.
Leading Hofstra’s charge for some late May baseball is red-shirt senior center fielder Tyler Cox, who hit .276 last season after transferring from West Virginia. The local lefty product from Clarke High School is second on the team in hitting as of March 30 with a .304 average and four home runs.
“He’s probably my best hitter in the
lineup and his approach has gotten better as lately he’s been more aggressive in hitting counts,” said Catalanotto of Cox. “He’s a leader on the team.”
Junior shortstop Michael Brown who leads the Pride in hitting with a .361 average and two home runs. Brown drove in the winning run in Hofstra’s 5-4 11 inning win against Northeastern on March 27.
Sophomore catcher CJ Griggs entered the final week of March hitting .304 and recording the winning RBI in a dramatic 11-10 win against Northeastern Sunday in which the Pride rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth.
JJ DeVito, a graduate student transfer from St. Johns, who was a former standout at Wantagh High School, has added some offensive punch to the lineup with a .268 average including four hits in a 5-4 loss at Charleston on March 8.
The pitching staff got a boost to start the season with the return of 2024 First-
Team All-CAA honoree Carlos Martinez, who missed last season due to Tommy John surgery. Martinez missed some early non-league action as he worked his way back from injury and Catalano is hoping he can peak during the crucial CAA portion of the schedule in April and May.
“He was struggling a little bit early with some pain in his arm, but now he’s feeling close to 100 percent,” said Catalanotto of Matinez.
The starting rotation for weekend CAA games also features sophomore Chris Bedford and senior Sean Hamilton. Key hurlers out of the bullpen include Nick Reese, Deuce Musial, Maddon McArthur, Tanner Sanderoff and Brayden Gregg.
Sophomore Michael Heyman, a Hewlett High School graduate, is another relief pitching option who could be called upon in non-league midweek games this season.
The Pride will look to get the April part of their CAA schedule off on the right foot with a series at Towson this weekend before hosting Long Island rival Stony Brook for three games from April 10-12. Hofstra will host series against Towson from May 1-3 and Monmouth from May 8 -10 before closing the regular season at Stony Brook.
Hofstra dug itself an early hole to gain a playoff spot by dropping four of six CAA games to start the season, but taking two of three from Northeastern gives the Pride a winning foundation to build off with plenty more conference games left to finish strong.
“There are a lot of games left and we’ve got to go take care of business,” said Catalanotto, a former 14-year Major League Baseball player who led Hofstra to a CAA title in his season as head coach in 2022. “We’ve got the talent to do it.”
By JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO jdalessandro@liherald.com
Dozens of advocates and concerned residents gathered at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola last month to protest Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to revise New York state’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
The CLCPA is an environmental policy that requires greenhouse gas emissions in the state to be reduced by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2030 by replacing much of the state’s fossil fuel electricity with renewable energy. Hochul wrote about the policy in an opinion essay published by the Empire Report on March 20, titled “Climate Action and Affordability Must Go HandIn-Hand.”
Following the loss of federal support for solar, wind and other energy initiatives and the rapid increase of oil prices, Hochul suggested that the climate act could lead to severe utility cost increases if it is not revised.
“So much has radically changed since the climate act was enacted, necessitating common-sense adjustments that keep us on our path to a greener future in a way that is affordable for New Yorkers,” Hochul wrote. “We need more time, and so I am proposing we amend the law to require regulations to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions to
be issued at the end of 2030.”
Eric Weltman, senior organizer of the national nonprofit Food and Water Watch, led a group of protesters urging state legislators to defend the climate law later that day.
“We are here because Governor Hochul, unfortunately, is threatening to weaken New York’s landmark climate law,” Weltman said, “and we’re here to urge our legislators to stand up and
defend and protect the climate law. Hochul is embracing policies that would promote fracking and more costly fossil fuel pipelines and power plants.”
The CLCPA, Weltman said, reduces costs related to fossil fuels, decreases air pollution and supports a shift toward renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
Joe Sackman, executive director of the Long Island Progressive Coalition,
said the 2019 legislation “fully expressed New York’s willingness to take on climate change and move us toward a just and working-class-centered economy.”
“Governor Hochul, by demanding rollbacks to the CLCPA, you are playing politics with our future,” Sackman added. “It’s time to do what is right. No rollbacks on New York’s climate law.”
T.J. Shivers, representing New York Communities for Change, focused on the climate crisis’s direct effects on Long Islanders’ budgets.
“Energy burdens are crushing families from many low- and moderateincome communities,” Shivers said. “People are paying 6 to 10 percent or more of their income just on energy bills, far above what is considered affordable … When my bill goes up, it’s not just the number on paper, that’s food off the table.”
A number of community organizations joined the protest and spoke against revisions to the CLCPA, including the New York Public Interest Research Group, Transition Town Port Washington, the South Shore Audubon Society, the Green Party of Nassau County, All Our Energy, Grassroots Environmental Education, Renewable Heat Now and Bend the Arc Jewish Action: Long Island, calling for Nassau County residents to contact their local elected officials to advocate for preserving the climate act.
The politics of profits, taxes and surcharges have roiled the debate over public and private service
By Allyson Ferr Ari & Chris ColuCCi of the Herald
Fifth installment in a series about water.
Water is a business.
Advocates argue that water is a basic human right. It’s also a product, provided for a cost and purchased by consumers. Whether filling a 40-ounce water bottle, taking a long, relaxing shower or running the tap for two minutes of teeth-brushing, water consumption is an often overlooked part of our everyday lives.
Like other expenses considered essential for life such as food, electricity and a Wi-Fi signal, the water bill is a recurring payment. And just like other utilities, residents sometimes have limited options for their service provider.
Long Island residents are served by either public water districts or private water suppliers and, depending on location, some pay significantly more for the same basic necessity — often with little or no ability to choose their provider. While a majority receive water from public providers, a smaller portion of the population is served by private companies, often at higher cost.
The dollars and cents
When their water bill comes in, many ratepayers feel a sharp pain in the wallet. Costs can fluctuate based not only on how much they use, but what they use it for.
Several water districts estimate that the average use for a family of four is nearly 400 gallons per day. In some cases, especially in private service areas, water bills can range from $500 to $800 per month during peak summer periods, according to longtime advocate Agatha Nadel, a resident of Glen Head.
Pricing differs sharply between public and private water systems. According to Pamela Bellings, a communications specialist at Liberty Water, “Residential water rates are set through a regulatory process overseen by the New York Public Service Commission.”
“Rates are designed to recover the cost of operating, maintaining and upgrading water infrastructure while ensuring service remains safe and reliable,” Bellings said of how Liberty determines its residential rates.
“Rates do not fluctuate month to month, but they may change over time following regulatory review and approval,” she added. These proposed changes require detailed justification and include opportunities for public input before a decision is made, which helps balance customer affordability with the need to maintain and modernize critical water infrastructure, according to Liberty.
Critics argue that despite regulatory oversight, the structure of private water systems can lead to significantly higher costs due to general service charges, meter charges, regulatory charges and other fees.
Public water suppliers typically pro-
vide a standard water usage rate, a conservation rate — a type of sliding scale applying higher fees to higher use, intended to encourage judicious water use — and an irrigation fee for dedicated sprinkler systems, which are presumed to be relatively lower priority than consumption.
“We feel water is a basic need. You need it for drinking, cooking and bathing,” said Robert McEvoy, chairman of the Oyster Bay Water District.
“Once you get past that, whether you’re putting 15,000 gallons on your lawn in the course of a quarter or you’re drinking every last drop, it has to meet the same standards, health-wise. We have to treat all our water the same way.”
“Water districts are determined or created as part of town law,” McEvoy explained. “A lot of the boundaries preexist the Nassau Subdivisions Act and the Nassau County charter — when they were established. Some of them run sort of coterminous with school district lines.”
of about 9.75 percent per project by the New York Public Service Commission, and that can rise to as much as 12 to 15 percent.
While treatment standards remain consistent for public safety, pricing can vary significantly depending on the provider. In some towns, prices may even vary between houses on the same block due to water zoning boundaries or the homeowners’ use of private or public water supplies.
Nadel’s residence, for example, is in the Liberty Water service area, while homes just 100 feet away are served by the public Jericho Water District.
“My neighbor pays a fifth of what I pay in an entire year,” Nadel said. “No taxes, no surcharges, nothing.”
Pricing differences, advocates say, are driven largely by the structure of private systems, which include profit margins and surcharges and have limited access to the government funding that public providers rely on to offset costs.
Residents in a private system can pay three to five times more than those served by public water providers, according to Nadel. Private water companies are guaranteed a baseline profit
According to Nadel, a four-year rate cycle in the mid-2010s brought an increase of about 120 percent, significantly driving up household water costs. A major issue voiced by private water customers is the amount they pay in fees added to their water bills, which typically include base usage rates and additional charges such as taxes and surcharges. In some cases, nearly half of the bill is not for water usage. Surcharges can include the cost of infrastructure projects such as filtration systems, water towers and other capital improvements.
“It’s an absolute sin,” Nadel said of the surcharges. “Forty-one percent of a typical water bill goes to charges and taxes that have nothing to do with the actual water usage. It really is an absolute sin.”
While most Long Island homeowners rely on public water services from their local municipality, private water suppliers may be an option for certain service areas. Liberty Water is one of the area’s
Continued from PreViouS PAGe
largest private alternatives, currently supplying water to nearly 120,000 Nassau residents, primarily in the Town of Hempstead. A homeowner who wants an alternative to either public or private water suppliers would need to install and maintain a private well, subject to local and state requirements.
“For most customers, remaining connected to a regulated public water system provides reliability, water quality oversight and long-term infrastructure support,” Bellings said.
As a result, most Long Islanders continue to receive water service from the provider assigned to their area, even if they are dissatisfied with it. Because water is tied to geographic districts, homeowners typically cannot choose their provider.
As a matter of public safety, water suppliers — public and private — must adhere to state and federal guidelines to monitor and remove waterborne contaminants. “Private suppliers have the same health department and [Department of Environmental Conservation] requirements — federal, state and local requirements for pure water,” McEvoy said. “They have the same maximum contaminant levels for the same contaminants. Their testing requirements are the same as us, whether it’s a public or a private water supplier.”
McEvoy has decades of experience in the water industry, having previously served as chairman of the Long Island Water Conference and president of the Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners’ Association — both organizations dedicated to ensuring water quality, safety and affordability across the Island.
Nadel explained that the Water Authority of North Shore has two main options to deliver public water: build and operate its own system or contract with an existing public provider. In her own research with North Shore Concerned Citizens, she has concluded that contracting with nearby systems — such as Jericho, Glen Cove, or Roslyn — would be the fastest and most practical approach because those providers already have infrastructure in place.
Long Island’s water systems are interconnected, allowing supplies to be rerouted during emergencies such as contamination events or periods of high demand, demonstrating that a transition from private to public supply may be feasible. Nadel said the shift would not be overly complex, but rather a matter of political will.
Homeowners having scant options is an issue on both shores, but potential alternatives have been considered for several years. The South Nassau Water Authority was created in 2021 to potentially offer Town of Hempstead residents an alternative to Liberty Water. A plan to establish a new water authority and create a sustainable, efficient and effective alternative to Liberty has been in the works for years. Residents and legislators are eager to move forward, but negotiations to transition away from the current water supply are complex and have moved slowly.
“Right now, the options are very limited,” explained Assemblywoman Judy Griffin, who represents District 21, which encompasses Baldwin, East Rockaway, Lynbrook, Malverne, Rockville Centre, South Hempstead and parts of Freeport and Valley Stream. “Residents that live in the Village of Rockville Centre and the Village of Freeport have municipal water; however, those who live anywhere else in AD-21 are served by Liberty Water with no ability to opt out, unless the municipalization of South Nassau Water Authority becomes a reality. The primary goal being to transition these private customers to public control to lower costs.” Public funding for some, but not for others
“Strong communities start with a strong infrastructure,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a 2024 news release. “Clean water is a basic human right.”
Last month, Hochul announced a plan to direct $28 million in state and federal grants to Long Island to help facilitate water infrastructure upgrades. The
Customers who received water from Liberty utilities opposed a 2023 rate hike that potentially saw bills in nassau County increase by a cumulative 34.2 percent. the increase ultimately went into effect in August 2024.
If your water bill seems excessive, there are some relatively simple steps to pare it down.
20-minute shower with standard showerhead
Up to 50 gallons of water
15-minute shower with low-flow showerhead
Up to 30 gallons of water
5 loads of laundry, standard machine
Up to 200 gallons of water per week
4 loads of laundry, Energy Star-certified machine
Up to 115 gallons of water per week
Standard toilet with minor running leak
Up to 1.6 gallons per flush plus up to 180 gallons per week
EPA-verified WaterSense-label toilet
Up to 1.28 gallons per flush
funds are part of a $250 million statewide project to improve water infrastructure.
The plan follows similar financial support in January of this year, when Hochul sent $18 million to Long Island — one part of a $288 million project — with the similar aim of making water and sewer infrastructure improvements.
In a statement supporting the most recent funding, Village of Hempstead Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. wrote, “We know that access to clean water is not a luxury, but it is a necessity.” Hobbs continued, “Upgrading our aging water system, replacing outdated pipes and improving the overall system is critical to protecting public health.”
The influx of funds can play a significant role in maintaining and upgrading anything from deteriorating equipment at water treatment plants to damaged
underground supply lines. As government agencies, water districts can benefit from funding directly from the state, while private businesses cannot. The trickledown effect, so to speak, of extra governmental funding is that cost savings can be passed to residents. More important, water quality and safety can be more easily maintained. Private suppliers address potential safety issues at their own expense, without state or federal aid.
“Currently they’re not available for private water companies,” McEvoy said. “But the Long Island Water Conference has put it on their agenda to seek legislation that would give them access [to public funds] only for treatment of the contaminants. Not for any other purpose.”
Due to the unequal funding for environmental upgrades, public water providers are in a stronger financial position to improve infrastructure and remove contaminants using state and federal funds, while private systems are excluded from receiving them — meaning costs are passed on to residents.
The Environmental Protection Agency requires community water systems — public and private — to publish “community confidence reports,” most commonly in the form of yearly water-quality reports that reveal test results for contaminants, as well as facts and figures detailing overall water consumption.
The Jericho Water District Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2024, for example, highlighted nearly 4.9 billion gallons of water provided to 58,000 customers, averaging 13.4 million gallons per day. Jericho Water charges a minimum of $13 per calendar quarter, at a rate of $1.30 per 1,000 gallons up to 10,000 gallons. Fees increase on a sliding scale with usage — similar to the conservation rate used in other municipalities — reaching $3.90 per 1,000 gallons for usage above 200,000 gallons per quarter.
According to the 2025 Liberty Annual Water Quality Report for the Sea Cliff Operations District, the average customer used just under 95,800 gallons of water, at a cost of about $1,340, or $3.67 a day. Liberty also revealed that it served roughly 4,388 customers, at a total cost of $5.9 million.
The reports highlight how costs and scale can vary widely between systems, even as both draw from the same regional water supply.
For many residents, the issue is not just how much water they use, but who controls the system that delivers it.
‘Bye Bye Birdie, I’m gonna miss you so’
audience members were transported to the 1950s with Woodmere Middle School Drama Club’s production of the classic show “Bye Bye Birdie, on March 11, 13 and 14”
“Bye Bye Birdie” is a 1960 Tony-winning musical satire that follows rock ‘n’ roll star Conrad Birdie — inspired by Elvis Presley’s 1957 army drafting — as he gives one last televised kiss to a fan before joining the army. Written by Michael Stewart (book), Charles Strouse (music), and Lee Adams (lyrics), the show highlights 1950s youth culture, media, and generational gaps.
The show features famous songs such as: “Put on a Happy Face,” “The Telephone Hour,” “A Lot of Livin’ to Do,” “Kids,” “How Lovely to Be a Woman,” and “Honestly Sincere”.
The musical premiered on Broadway in 1960 and was adapted into a famous 1963 film starring Ann-Margret.
Melissa Berman
By AIDAN WARSHAVSKY awarshavsky@liherald.com
Hewlett Elementary School became a mini-New York City on March 25, as students and families experienced landmarks like Madison Square Garden and Central Park. Other rooms in the building mirrored the American Museum of Natural History, Hayden Planetarium and the New York Public Library.
The goal, as Principal Heather Sosnovsky said, was to provide students with background knowledge of places in Manhattan.
“People don’t always get to have these kinds of experiences,” she said. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for families to engage in something fun while creating a learning experience for our students.”
HES NYC originally began in 2024 as the HES State Fair. Like with all building-run events, Vice Principal Reina Hall said it’s about building community. “Their teachers are here,” Hall said. “Volunteering their time to come and build this community together.”
Building on the event’s evolution, it also added another city-inspired area — The Museum of Modern Art. In the auditorium, students displayed artwork inspired by Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. Parents could purchase frames for their child’s artwork, with proceeds supporting future events.
On the building’s opposite end, the gymnasium, designed to resemble the Garden,
featured banners of retired athletes, along with hockey penalty shots and basketball free throws.
Down on the lower level, the cafeteria tables were set with chess boards. Students could create images using sticky notes and craft balloon animals, inspired by the Central Park Zoo.
In the art room, students sifted through trays of sand in search of toy dinosaur fossils and made fossil imprints using flour. In the library, students used straws and popsicle sticks to construct bridges that mirrored the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge. They also colored in pictures including the Statue of Liberty, the Big
Apple and the Empire State Building.
Students made constellations using pretzel rods and marshmallows in the school’s innovation lab and created miniature night skies in water bottles using paint and glitter. The last stop, the music room, featured students drawing genie lamps and writing three wishes
Among the families in attendance was Henry King, who has two daughters in the district — third grader Kensly King and second grader Kaylee King. He grew up in the Five Boroughs and said the experience was important for his children’s growth.
“Having an event like this showcasing New York City helps them understand life outside of Long Island,” he said.
Hewlett-Woodmere Central Council PTA co-president Pam Darby, whose son — Jack Darby — is a fourth grader in the district, said the night was a great success. She noted her pleasure for getting the city experience without traveling.
“They did such a good job with all the activities to demonstrate each of the locations,” Darby said. “With the children’s artwork and the framing, they really displayed it as if we were in a museum.”
Sosnovsky said Hewlett Elementary aims to offer interactive learning experiences for students. “We always try to provide our students with these kinds of opportunities,” she said. “Having background knowledge of different places like Manhattan is valuable to a child’s learning, bringing the city experience directly into the school.”
By Rabbi Zalman Wolowik Chabad of the Five Towns
Passover is Alsocalled “man cheiruseinu” the time of our freedom. But what does that actually mean? Are we truly free?
The world we live in is anything but stable. There are global tensions, economic pressures, and personal challenges. Even in the best of times, life is complicated. If so, what exactly are we celebrating when we speak about freedom?
Many people assume that freedom would mean a life with no uncertainty, no pressure, no reason to feel anxious. But if that is the definition, then freedom is something that remains perpetually out of reach. Until Moshiach The righteous redeemer comes, there will always be complications in life.
was not. They did not deny reality, but they were not defined by it.
That is the freedom we received on Pesach.
Freedom is the ability to be joyful on Yom Tov—not because everything is perfect, but because we choose to anchor ourselves in something deeper.
Freedom is the ability to be proud of who we are, without being self-conscious or dependent on external validation.
Freedom is the ability to live with unwavering optimism rooted in the conviction that the world is moving toward the vision promised by our prophets.
Until the final redemption, life will continue to present its complications. There will always be reasons to worry if that’s what we want to do. But there will also always be the possibility to choose otherwise.
By Rabbi Nochem Tenenboim Chabad of Hewlett
As Jewish families across the world gather once again around the Passover Seder table and declare the timeless words, “In every generation they (the enemies of the Jewish people) rise against us and G-d saves us”, we are reminded that these words are not only a memory of the past, they speak directly to the present.
Just weeks ago, we were all shaken by the attack in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Sadly, we continue to see painful incidents and disturbing expressions of antisemitism coming from all sides. It is frightening and it hurts. But, at the same time, the message of Passover reminds us that the Jewish story is not defined by fear, it is defined by faith, resilience, and hope.
own connection to Judaism today. Around the Seder table, we remember who we are as a people. We tell our children our story, we reconnect to our traditions, and we remind ourselves that Jewish identity is something to be proud of, something to live proudly, and pass on to the next generation.
The answer, then, must be something deeper.
Freedom does not mean the absence of problems. It means the ability to live above them.
A person can be physically comfortable and still be completely enslaved—to fear, to worry, to the endless stream of information demanding attention. One can follow every development, track every headline, and become consumed by a sense that everything is unstable.
That is not freedom.
The Jewish people have lived through thousands of years of upheaval, instability, and change. And yet, they carried something within them that allowed them to remain steady even when the world
On assover , we remind ourselves that true freedom is not about what is happening around us. It is about who we choose to be within it.
And that means that even in a world that is not yet redeemed, we can live with something remarkable—no, not a life without problems, but a life that is free from worry.
In conclusion, I would like to wish All a happy Passover, free from all worries, and would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join chabad 31st annual Communal Seder at chabad of the Five Towns, To reserve your seat, please RSVP at Chabadfivetowns.com/Passover
And let hope and pray next year in Jerusalem! v
And this is exactly what has happened here in our Jewish community of Hewlett. The response to difficult times has been truly inspiring. Instead of stepping back, more people are stepping forward, coming together for Jewish holidays, participating in community events, and rediscovering the beauty of Jewish life. It has been incredibly uplifting to see families of every background finding meaningful ways to connect.
More Judaism. More unity. More joy.
Nearly 1,000 Jews celebrated Chanukah together and then again on Purim in our new building, historic moments of pride and strength for our community. Darkness tried to frighten us and we answered with light. It is incredible!
Passover is not only a celebration of the freedom that happened thousands of years ago, it is an opportunity for each of us to strengthen our
This Passover, as we raise the Four Cups of wine and celebrate our freedom, I encourage you to take one small step to strengthen your Jewish connection. Whether it is attending our Saturday Shabbat @ Chabad celebrations, joining a holiday event, bringing your children to The Jewish Kids Club of Hewlett, sending your teens to the Hewlett High @ Chabad, learning something new about our traditions, doing another mitzvah like putting up a mezuzah, lighting the Shabbat candles or putting on tefillin, encouraging your children and friends to become more connected, or joining us at the many events & programs that we offer - EVERY mitzvah strengthens our people.
I would be truly happy to help in any way that makes you feel more connected to Judaism. That is what our Chabad of Hewlett is here for. This is our answer to antisemitism and to hatred - more light, more Judaism, and more love.
The message of Passover is that darkness never has the final word. The Jewish people have faced challenges in every generation, yet we continue to grow stronger, more united, and more proud of who we are.
May this Passover bring peace, strength, and blessings to ALL.
Rabbi Tenenboim is the Chabad Rabbi & the spiritual leader of the Jewish community of Greater Hewlett.”
By Rabbi Aharon Bain Brandeis Hebrew Academy
Schools exist because parents entrust educators with the sacred mission of educating their children. Yet on Pesach, we are reminded of a responsibility that cannot be delegated. The Torah instructs, “And you shall tell your children.” The Pesach Seder is not merely a ritual—it is an obligation for parents and children to engage in meaningful conversation about the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt.
taught in a classroom; it is a living legacy entrusted to parents to pass on to the next generation.
The saddest day on the Jewish calendar, Tisha B’Av, always falls on the same day of the week as the night of the Seder. This connection is deeply meaningful. In the liturgy of Tisha B’Av, we recite Eish Tukad, which contrasts the inner fire ignited by the memory of the Exodus with the sorrow we feel when recalling the destruction of Jerusalem. That inner fire— the passion and faith cultivated at the Seder table—sustains us during times of hardship.
The Seder is uniquely structured around questions and answers, encouraging curiosity and dialogue. The medieval sage Nachmanides explains that throughout the generations, the Jewish people will experience both spiritual highs and challenging lows— moments that may give rise to questions of faith. For this reason, parents bear the responsibility to transmit not only the narrative of the Exodus, but also the enduring belief and faith that emerge from it. This is far more than information that can be
Yosef Freindson, former editor of The Jewish Observer, once shared that he and others in a labor camp managed to bake matzah in secret. When a Nazi guard mocked them, saying, “God has forsaken you— how can you still eat matzah?” one of them responded, “Not totally, and not forever.”
Pesach invites us to relive the formative moments of the Jewish people and reflect on the wonders God has performed for us. It reminds us that no matter the circumstances we face, we are never abandoned. Even when we do not fully feel His presence, we hold onto the certainty that such distance is only temporary.
In advance of Passover, children at Gan Chamesh at Chabad of the Five Towns took part in an interactive program that brought the story of the Exodus to life.
Students participated in a themed fair designed to recreate the experience of the Jewish people leaving Egypt, engaging in hands-on activities that illustrated key moments of the holiday. Organizers said the program aimed to provide an immersive way for children to connect with the traditions and meaning of Passover.
The event offered experiential learning oppor
tunities that helped students better understand the story and its significance.
— Melissa Berman
By Rabbi Elie Weinstock Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach
Toward the end of the Seder, we pour a cup of wine for Elijah the Prophet. Many have the custom to open the door, inviting him in to take a sip before moving on to the next home. According to tradition, Elijah visits every Seder.
He must vhave a very busy night.
But have you ever actually seen him? Does he really appear? Many of us haven’t. What are we to make of this perennial Passover “no-show”?
Perhaps the point is that we don’t need to see Elijah. We need to understand what he represents.
whirlwind and, in a sense, never left. Elijah remains connected—present across time, in touch with every generation.
That enduring presence is precisely what makes him the bridge between past and future.
The prophet Malachi envisions Elijah’s role this way: “He will reconcile parents with children and children with their parents.” Elijah represents Judaism’s ability to span the generational divide.
Elijah appears at the defining moments of Jewish continuity. Tradition teaches that he is present at every bris, makes a visit each Saturday night after Shabbat, and will ultimately resolve every unanswered question. The Talmud uses the term teiku - an acronym for Tishbi yetareitz kushyot v’abayot, meaning that Elijah will one day provide the answers.
Why Elijah?
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev explains that Elijah is unique among our heroes. Moses died; Elijah never did. He ascended to heaven in a
That divide is real. Parents and children often live in different worlds, shaped by different values, technologies, and assumptions. Traditions can weaken as the gap widens. Elijah reminds us that it doesn’t have to be that way.
Parents must strive to understand the world their children inhabit. Children must recognize that they are the next chapter in a story thousands of years in the making—and embrace the responsibility to carry it forward.
When we open the door for Elijah, we may not see him walk in. But if we are paying attention, we can catch a glimpse of something deeper: a vision of connection, continuity, and redemption - linking our past to our future, one generation to the next.
By Rabbi Steven Graber Temple Hillel
When we prepare our Passover Seder tables, we always put out a cup of wine for Elijah the Prophet, who lived in the 9th century BCE. It is a beautiful symbol with deep meaning. We invoke the presence of Elijah at numerous times in Jewish life. It seems he appears at times of tension that are inherent in Jewish life. He appears at those times of tension to help us through the crisis and establishing harmony. We look for Eliahu at the Brit Milah, that tense time when the boy makes the transition from being outside the covenant to becoming a member of both the covenant and the community. We also include Eliahu haNavi at the Havdalah service at the end of Shabbat, when we move from the holiness of the sabbath to the secular days of the week. A third instance when we look for Elijah is of course, the Passover Seder when we reenact our passage from slavery to freedom, from subjugation under and earthly ruler to devotion to the one
and only King, the creator of heaven and earth.
At all of these junctures in life, we conjure the image of Eliahu, because it is Eliahu who will harmonize those things which we cannot harmonize, who will bring parents and children together and will bring warring nations to peace. This is what our tradition means when it says that Eliahu will herald the coming of the Messiah. Encapsulated in terms like “Mashiach” and “Tzion”, our people have been praying for harmony and peace for as many years as there have been Jews on this earth. Whenever there has been oppression, our people in their religious lives have resorted to expressing their needs and their hopes by asking God to send his Messiah and to restore Jerusalem -- two central Jewish ideas that symbolize our hope for peace, harmony, unity, security and freedom. These ideas have remained
alive, both because of the pious heart of the Jew as well as because of our neighbors, who throughout the centuries made us long for a leader who will avenge our pain and lead us back in unity to our holy land.
Our Haggadah is a compilation of the sentiments of Jews throughout history. The Haggadah’s reaction to times like these is for us to call upon Eliahu. We open our doors to invite him into our Seder. We don’t say “Welcome Eliahu, come and bless our home.” Rather, we say: Shfoch chamatcha al hagoyim asher lo y’daucha -- that God should pour his wrath on the nations which do not know the Lord. This is the Hagaddah’s answer: that the cause of antiJewish sentiment is lack of knowledge and godlessness. Evil must be eradicated either through the destruction of the evildoers or through their enlightenment, so that those who err will change their ways and so that those who have not yet
learned to hate will learn instead to love.
We are at another one of those times in history when our children wonder whether they should wear a kippah proudly or hide it under a baseball cap for safety’s sake. Our tradition’s answer to them is as it always has been. We must teach them to recognize evil and to confront it. We must teach them that evil begins with ignorance and that, though we cannot be assured that we will eradicate evil, we can keep it in check if we are vigilant. We must never be silent, but rather speak out against evil, teaching our neighbors at as early an age as we can, that the Jew’s mission on earth includes their redemption too.
The tensions of our era are of no less messianic proportions than those of any other era in Jewish history. It is precisely at such times of tension and transition that we look for Eliahu to visit our homes and to assure us that God is still with us, and that all will be well. May this Passover herald peace and security for our children, in Israel, in America and the world over.
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Happy Easter to you and your families!
This Easter Sunday, Easter Octave, Divine Mercy Sunday and Easter Season we continue to pray and contemplate our Lord’s Resurrection appearances, and we give thanks for Pope Leo XIV and his worldwide spirit of Catholic mission.
In his Cycle of Catechesis on the Resurrection of Christ, Pope Leo writes: “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is an event that one never finishes contemplating and meditating on, and the more one explores it, the more one is filled with wonder, drawn in as if by an overwhelming yet fascinating light. It was an explosion of life and joy that changed the meaning of reality itself, from negative to positive; yet it did not happen in a striking way, much less a violent one, but gently, hidden, one might say humbly.”
Pope Leo recognizes that there is much sadness in the world - “a feeling of precariousness, at times profound desperation.” We think especially of the daily crosses and trials of those from war-torn and violenceridden areas of the world.
The Holy Father then reflects on the despair of the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus. Their hearts burn and their joy is restored as the Risen Lord explains the Scriptures to them and they recognize Him in the breaking of the bread. In this way, the Paschal Mystery gives us hope and strength in every trial and circumstance.
Pope Leo concludes:
“May the unexpected joy of the disciples of Emmaus be a gentle reminder to us when the going gets tough. It is the Risen One who radically changes our perspective, instilling the hope that fills the void of sadness. On the paths of the heart, the Risen One walks with us and for us. He bears witness to the defeat of death and affirms the victory of life, despite the darkness of Calvary... He alone makes the impossible possible!”
May the Light of the Risen Christ illumine with God in Heaven our path to holiness on earth and our path to eternal life and happiness
Sincerely yours in the Risen Lord, Most Reverend John O. Barres Bishop of Rockville Centre
The Most Reverend John O. Barres is the Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
By Rabbi Galina Makaveyev Temple Israel of Lawrence
To be Jewish in the world today is to hold pride in who we are and a profound sense of belonging. The rise of hatred, violence, and antisemitism has reminded us that Jewish life is not only a culture and practice, but also the shared identity and sacred inheritance that binds us together.
In moments when the future may feel uncertain, Jewish wisdom offers guidance to lead us forward. One word in the Hebrew language that speaks to this moment is — Hitromemut. The root of this word is (rum), which means to rise or lift up. In Jewish thought, this call to rise inspires us to lift our spirits, recommit to our values, and direct our actions toward our vision.
As Am Yisrael, the Jewish People, we are shaped by legacy and memory — generations of hope and perseverance, of renewal and growth. Our memories live within us, reminding us that even in difficult moments we are capable of rising — not only for our own sake, but for one another and for the values we bring into our world. Hitromemut calls us to respond with courage rather than despair, with dignity rather than anger,
and with connection rather than isolation.
With the arrival of spring and gatherings for our Passover sedarim, the story of liberation and resilience is retold once again, resonating through the ages. May we renew the spirit of hitromemut and move forward together — rising above the difficulties of our time with faith, courage, and unity, supporting one another as we stand proudly as Jews and walk forward toward freedom and peace for all.
The Hebrew Academy of Five Towns and Rockaway
the classic fairytale stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood were brought to life in the The Hebrew Academy of Five Towns and Rockaway Drama Club performance of “Into the Woods,” on March 12 and 15.
“Into the Woods” is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.
The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. The main characters are taken from “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Rapunzel”, “Cinderella”, and several others. The musical is tied together by a story involving a childless baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family, their interaction with a witch who has placed a curse on them and encounters with other storybook characters during their journey. Key songs include the sprawling “Prologue: Into the Woods,” “No One Is Alone,” “Last Midnight,” and “Children Will Listen”. Other iconic numbers include “Giants in the Sky,” “Agony,” “I Know Things Now,” and “It Takes Two”.
Melissa Berman
performed
Avigdor as
establishments, lower the legal costs, and that’s giving us the great ability to come up with a 2 percent property tax decrease,” Frohlinger said.
According to the mayor, there are roughly 1,000 single-family homes in the village, and the average residential property tax is around $3,400.
“Prior to the increase last year, it was down slightly, to under $2,000,” he said. “There are some that are significantly less or more, but that is the average.”
The village has also focused on paying down debt, and conducted a comprehensive review of its financial position. That review included a full analysis of its assets, revenue streams and liabilities aimed at providing a clearer picture of its fiscal health.
As part of that effort, the village plans to hire a part-time financial consultant, James Olivo, to offer ongoing oversight and ensure that budgeting practices remain sustainable. Officials said that Olivo will help monitor expenditures, evaluate long-term obligations and guide future financial planning.
“Everyone that we reached out to recommended him extremely highly,” Trustee Laura Heller said. “He’s extremely competent and teaches classes about municipal finance. We have complete faith in him, and we felt quite lucky he was willing to come on a part-
tine basis to help us.”
Olivo will be paid $2,500 a month for up to 20 hours of consulting work. He will officially join the village in late April or early May. His fee increases the treasurer’s budget by $25,000 over the current year.
“As far as getting our money’s worth for the consultant, we got a lot of good feedback from attorneys that work with him,” Trustee Douglas Garczynski said of Olivo. “We’re in really great hands.”
While the budget reflects restraint in some areas, it also includes a significant investment in infrastructure — particularly roadwork. The proposed
paving allocation, $605,000, is the largest in the village’s history, according to officials, signaling a renewed focus on long-deferred capital improvements.
“We’re putting money back into the infrastructure,” Frohlinger said.
Over the next four years, the plan is to devote $3 million to capital improvements, including extensive road milling and repaving, redoing the Public Works yard on the Plaza and repairing five bulkheads on Reynolds Channel.
“Not only are we budgeting this decrease in property tax, but we’re budgeting a huge investment into the village,” Frohlinger said, “with a plan to finish the boardwalk next year and
then redo the Putnam [Boulevard] playground over the next three months.”
The combination of reduced legal costs, debt management and targeted infrastructure spending comprises what trustees described as a more balanced and forward-looking approach to budgeting.
The tentative spending plan will be discussed at the board’s April 13 meeting, at which residents will have the opportunity to weigh in before it is finalized.
“I’m very excited for the village,” Frohlinger said, “because we’re able to show, with hard work, we can get some results for the residents.”
By Abbey Salvemini
Fresh talent is in full bloom this spring at Heckscher Museum of Art. For three decades, the Heckscher Museum of Art has served as a prestigious launchpad for the next generation of visual storytellers. “Long Island’s Best” is back, marking its 30th anniversary as it spotlights emerging high school artists throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, now through May 3.
As the only juried exhibition of its kind on Long Island, this program offers high schoolers the rare distinction of seeing their work hanging in a professional museum and memorialized in a full-color commemorative catalog. The selection process is famously rigorous: For the 2026 season, 84 finalists were curated from over 400 submissions representing 63 schools across Nassau and Suffolk. Tasked with this challenge were jurors Meredith Brown, Ph.D., the museum’s consulting curator of contemporary art, and guest juror Aaron Feltman — an accomplished artist and a proud Long Island’s Best alumnus.
“It is never an easy process,” says Brown, who explained that the strongest pieces combine technical skill with originality and meaningful themes.
This year’s exhibition included an unusually high number of sculptures — more than in any previous “Long Island’s Best” exhibitions — that reflect both the students’ ambition and influenced by the recent exhibition “Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History.”
“I was surprised by the number of sculptural submissions,” Brown adds. “Sculpture is tricky, and many schools don’t have the resources, but these students took the challenge on and produced really compelling work.”
Among standout pieces is Luminous Harvest, a ceramic sculpture by Lyla Pinto, a senior at Long Beach High School, which earned fourth place and the Stan Brodsky Award. Inspired by painter Darragh Park’s “To Here/From Here,” Pinto created a tree-like form composed of branches holding symbolic fruit and candles.
“I was drawn to Park’s artwork because it seemed alive, as though the forms are changing and expanding rather than remaining still,” she explains. “The handcrafted fruits represent abundance, sustenance and the various attributes each branch offers. I made seven branches because the number seven represents completeness and balance, suggesting a full cycle of growth rather than a single moment. Like Park, I wanted to convey a sense of natural rhythm through organic shapes as demonstrated in the abundance and repetitious organic greenery.”
For Director of Education Joy Weiner — whose program leadership is being honored at a “30th Birthday Bash” on April 18 — the most rewarding aspect of her involvement is observing students experience the thrill of having their work displayed in a museum.
“Just watching their faces as they show their parents how special this opportunity is, that’s one of the happiest memories every year,” she relates.
“Long Island’s Best” has evolved considerably since its early years.
“Years ago, there were landscapes, still lifes and portraits. That was pretty much what you got,” Weiner
Lyla Pinto: Lyla Pinto’s ceramic sculpture “Luminous Harvest, was awarded Fourth Place and honored with the Stan Brodsky Scholarship Award.
• Now through May 3
• Open Thursday through Sunday, noon-5 p.m.
• Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington
• Visit Heckscher.org or call (631) 380-3230 for information on related programming
adds. “Over the years, the different kinds of materials became something that students were interested in exploring. And they’re also much more aware of the world around them, tackling social issues, personal experiences and big-picture ideas through their art.”
While the program certainly sharpens their technical craft, its true value lies in instilling the professional rigor required of a working artist. It also underscores the lasting influence of arts education, with many alumni pursuing careers in art, design, filmmaking, and teaching.
“The whole process from beginning to end involves meeting deadlines, working with teachers, creating the work and writing about it,” Weiner says. “That’s very important as they continue in their careers, to not only create a work of art but to be able to speak about it and share it with others.”
Looking ahead, both Brown and Weiner encourage students to embrace the process, even if their work isn’t selected.
“Sharing your work is a powerful experience. It helps students grow as artists and lets others engage with their vision.” Weiner adds.“Even if your piece isn’t chosen, you learn something about yourself and your art. And when people connect with your work, it’s a truly rewarding experience.”
Teachers, Long Island’s Best alumni and the community are all invited to the stylish “Birthday Bash” celebrating this momentous milestone. Alumni and local artists will contribute works for a fundraiser, underscoring the lasting influence of “Long Island’s Best” throughout the region. The gathering includes an opportunity to meet students and hear firsthand how the program shaped their creative journeys.
“I’ve been privileged to watch the growth of Long Island’s Best,” Weiner says. “I have seen elementary school students eventually become LI Best finalists, have watched students’ progress to becoming Long Island Biennial artists as professionals; and have been lucky to work with students who now teach art in our community, inspiring the next generation.”
This milestone exhibit not only celebrates the talent of today’s students but also emphasizes the enduring value of arts education in shaping Long Island’s creative future. It’s an opportunity to explore a wide variety of media and themes while experiencing the fresh perspectives and voices of the next generation of artists, gaining insight into how young people interpret the world around them through art.
Dan Soder
Come chill with stand-up comedian Dan Soder! Get ready for a night of sharp, laugh-out-loud comedy when he takes the stage on The Golden Retriever of Comedy tour. Known for his quick wit and effortlessly relatable storytelling, Soder has built a devoted following. His credits include ”Not Special” on Comedy Central, a standout turn on Netflix’s The Standups” and his acclaimed HBO special “Son of a Gary.”Fans have also embraced his hit YouTube special, “Dan Soder: On The Road,” a laugh-packed set filled with smart, surprising takes on relationships, growing up and everything in between. Offstage, Soder hosts the popular podcast Soder and was a longtime co-host of SiriusXM’s The Bonfire from 2015 to 2023. Many will also recognize him from his role as Dudley “Mafee” on Billions. With his easygoing charm and razor-sharp observations, Soder delivers comedy that feels both down-to-earth and unexpectedly insightful.
Saturday, April 4, 7 and 9 p.m. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com.
‘…how I wish you were here’
Wish You Were Here celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time and cited by Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright and guitarist David Gilmour as their favorite album. The band continues its 30-year tradition of combining sight and sound to capture the mood, emotions, and intensity of the Floydian theatrical concert experience — in a spectacular tribute of music, performers, lighting, video, lasers and inflatables — all performed without backing or click tracks. The veteran 10-piece musical ensemble features seven vocalists and a Floydian stage production — sound effects and vintage videos, flying inflatables, theatrical vignettes with props, and a sensational light show with moving lasers, rolling fog and state-of-the-art intelligent lighting — all produced with a fan’s obsession for detail.
Thursday, April 9, 7:30 p.m. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or tillescenter.org or (516) 299-3100.
Nassau County Museum of Art joins in the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Its landmark exhibition explores how Long Island has reflected and shaped the story of American art. From Revolutionary-era portraiture and folk art to nineteenth-century landscapes, Impressionism, and the bold innovations of Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art, the exhibition highlights how every major art movement found expression here. From Brooklyn to Montauk, Long Island’s natural beauty, coastal light, and close connection to New York City inspired generations of artists and gave rise to thriving art colonies and postwar creative communities. Featuring paintings, decorative arts, and historical objects displayed together in immersive settings, the exhibit celebrates the region’s enduring influence and its rich artistic legacy. On view through July 12.
• Where: 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor
• Time: Ongoing
• Contact: nassaumuseum.org or (516) 484-9337
Enjoy the holiday of freedom at an upbeat inspirational Seder at Chabad of Hewlett, complete with a gourmet Passover dinner, original hand-made Shmurah Matzah and four cups of exquisite Kosher wine. Journey through the Haggadah, with traditional songs, stories, and spiritual insights.
• Where: 44 Everit Ave., Hewlett
• Time: 7:15 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 295-3433
Long Island Children’s Museum stages “Pete the Cat,” the charming musical based on the book series by Kimberly and James Dean. Life is certainly an adventure for Pete, no matter where he winds up. So the minute the groovy blue cat meets The Biddles, he gets the whole family rocking. That is, except for young Jimmy Biddle, the most organized second grader on planet Earth. But when Jimmy draws a blank in art class during the last week of school, it turns out Pete is the perfect pal to help him out. Together, they set out on a mission to help Jimmy conquer second grade art, and along the way, they both learn a little something new about inspiration. $11 with museum admission ($9 members), $15 theater only.
• Where: 11 Davis Ave.,
Local favorite Mike DelGuidice returns to the Paramount stage with his popular residency, delivering the high-energy, feel-good performances that have made him a hometown standout. Backed by his powerhouse band, DelGuidice brings the music of his idol, Billy Joel, to life with passion and precision, celebrating decades of iconic hits in a rousing, crowd-pleasing show. A multi-instrumentalist who grew up immersed in music, DelGuidice’s deep knowledge of Joel’s catalog ultimately led to sharing the stage with the Piano Man himself, touring around the world. Alongside beloved classics, he weaves in his own original songs, showcasing the songwriting that has earned him a devoted following. His releases include My Street, Miller Place and Mask Production, and his track “Ordinary Guy” was featured as the theme for Kevin Can Wait starring Kevin James. Whether performing on stage or connecting with fans through his “Live on the Porch” series, which brought audiences together during the pandemic, DelGuidice continues to share his love of music in ways that resonate far beyond the Long Island community.
Garden City
• Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; also April 6-9
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
Seasonal Sprouts: Artful Explorers
Bring the kids to Old Westbury Gardens, now open for the 2026 season, to xplore creativity in nature during this one-hour guided program through the gardens and at the barn at Orchard Hill. Children will observe colors, textures, and patterns in the landscape, play art-inspired games, and create a simple hands-on art project using natural inspiration. Meet at the Beech Tree. Registration required. $22 adult, $20 seniors 62+ (member discounts available).
• Where: 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury
• Time: 11 a.m.-noon
• Contact: oldwestburygardens. org or call (516) 333-0048
APR
Great Big Easter Egg Hunt
Old Westbury Gardens welcomes families for some Easter fun. Take part in a reading of the classic Peter Rabbit tale, “The
Great Big Easter Egg Hunt.” Afterward join in an exciting egg hunt in the Cottage Garden! Perfect for children ages 3-6. Up to 12 eggs per child may be redeemed for prizes; eggs are empty. Registration required. $22 adult, $20 seniors 62+ (member discounts available).
• Where: 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury
• Time: 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m.
• Contact: oldwestburygardens. org or call (516) 333-0048
Game Time Visit Peninsula Public Library for Canasta, Mah Jongg, Scrabble and more. Seating is limited and is first come, first seated.
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• Where: 280 Central Ave., Lawrence
• Time: Ongoing weekly, 2 p.m.
• Contact: peninsulapublic.org or (516) 967-5777
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Open Mic Poetry
Calling all poets! Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library hosts its second Open Mic Poetry night. Join in an open
• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800
‘Dog Sees God’ Hofstra University’s Department of Drama and Dance presents Bert V. Royal’s edgy comedy. The unauthorized continuation of the Peanuts comic strip, reimagines its characters as teenagers dealing with various contemporary issues including, identity, substance abuse, and relationships. When CB’s dog dies from rabies, CB begins to question the existence of an afterlife. His best friend is too burnt out to provide any coherent speculation; his sister has gone goth; his ex-girlfriend has recently been institutionalized; and his other friends are too inebriated to give him any sort of solace. Drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion and sexual identity collide and careen toward an ending that’s both haunting and hopeful. $15 general admission, $10 for seniors and Hofstra alumni.
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.
• Time: 8 p.m., also Apr 11
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
poetry reading during National Poetry Month. Bring your poems up to the mic. All voices are welcome. Scatter your words, weathered by waves, at our free and open mic! Registration required.
• Where: 1125 Broadway, Hewlett
• Time: 6-8:30 p.m.
• Contact: hwpl.org or (516) 374-1967
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Families are invited to Long Island Children’s Museum to illuminate their imagination and inspire creativity In this educator-led, hands-on workshop, participants are introduced to the history and process of lantern making while creating their own unique drawing. In collaboration with LuminoCity, participants’ 2-D artwork will be submitted for a chance to have it brought to life as a 3-D light sculpture featured on display at the 2026 LuminoCity Festival. Free limited ticket with museum admission, available at the Box Office on the day of the workshop.
• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
• Time: 11-noon and 3-4 p.m.
• Where: Hofstra’s Joan and Donald Schaeffer Black Box Theater, Joseph G. Shapiro Family Hall, Hempstead
• Time: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; also April 12, 2 p.m.; April 16-April 19
• Contact: hofstra. universitytickets.com
Game Time Visit Peninsula Public Library the next game session.Play Canasta, Mah Jongg, Scrabble and more. Seating is limited and is first come, first seated.
• Where: 280 Central Ave., Lawrence
• Time: Ongoing weekly, 2 p.m.
• Contact: peninsulapublic.org or (516) 967-5777
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.
April 2, 2026
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING, BUDGET VOTE AND ELECTION OF THE HEWLETTWOODMERE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a Public Hearing of the qualified voters of the HewlettWoodmere Union Free School District, Town of Hempstead, New York, will be held in the Woodmere Education Center, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, New York, in said district on May 6, 2026, at 6:30 PM, prevailing time, for the transaction of business as authorized by the Education Law, including the following items:
1. To present to the voters a detailed statement of the amount of money which will be required for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
2. To discuss all the items hereinafter set forth to be voted upon by voting machine at the Budget Vote and Election to be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
3. To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting pursuant to Education Law of the State of New York and acts amendatory thereto.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a copy of the statement of the amount of money which will be required to fund the School District’s budget for 2026-2027, exclusive of public moneys, may be obtained by any resident of the District beginning May 5, 2026, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, prevailing time, except Saturday, Sunday or holidays at the Office of the District Clerk, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, New York, at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, 1125 Broadway, Hewlett, and on the District’s internet website.
AND FURTHER NOTICE
IS HEREBY GIVEN, that said Budget Vote and Election will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in the Woodmere Education Center, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, New York, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM prevailing time, at which time the polls will be opened to vote by voting machine upon the following items:
1. To adopt the annual budget of the School District for the fiscal year 2026-2027 and to
authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the District.
2. Resolved that the 2026-2027 fiscal year Library budget proposed by the Board of Trustees of the HewlettWoodmere Union Free School District Public Library, and the levy of a tax appropriation therefore, in accordance with the provisions of Section 259 of the Education Law, shall be approved.
3. To elect two (2) members of the Board of Education for a three (3) year term commencing July 1, 2026, and expiring on June 30, 2029.
4. To elect one (1) Trustee of the HewlettWoodmere Public Library for a five (5) year term of office commencing July 1, 2026, and expiring on June 30, 2031.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law, the School District is required to attach to its proposed budget an exemption report. Said exemption report, which will also become part of the final budget, will show how the total assessed value of the final assessment roll used in the budgetary process is exempt from taxation, list every type of exemption granted by the statutory authority, and show the cumulative impact of each type of exemption, the cumulative amount expected to be received as payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) and the cumulative impact of all exemptions granted. In addition, said exemption report shall be posted on any bulletin board maintained by the District for public notices and on any website maintained by the District. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education shall be filed with the Clerk of said School District at her office in her office in Woodmere Education Center, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, New York, not later than April 20, 2026, between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM prevailing time. Each petition shall be directed to the Clerk of the District; must be signed by at least 38 qualified voters of the District. Vacancies on the Board of Education are not considered
separate, specific offices; candidates run at large. Nominating petitions shall not describe any specific vacancy upon the Board for which the candidate is nominated. To nominate a candidate for the office of Trustee of the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library Board, each petition must be signed by at least thirtyeight (38) voters of the District. Vacancies on the Board of Trustees are not considered separate specific offices; candidates run at large. Nominating petitions shall not describe any specific vacancy upon the Board for which the candidate is nominated. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that personal registration of voters is required either pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law, or pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law. If a voter has heretofore registered pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law and has voted at an annual or special district meeting within the last four (4) calendar years, he or she is eligible to vote at this election. If a voter is registered and eligible to vote under Article 5 of the Election Law, he or she is also eligible to vote at this election. All other persons who wish to vote must register. The Board of Registration will meet for the purpose of registering all qualified voters of the District pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, prevailing time, to add any additional names to the Register to be used at the aforesaid election, at which time any person will be entitled to have his or her name placed on such Register provided that at such meeting of said Board of Registration he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of such Board of Registration to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such election for which the Register is prepared. The Register so prepared pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law will be filed in the Office of the District Clerk, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, New York, and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District beginning on Thursday, May 14, 2026, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, prevailing time, on
each day prior to the day set for the election, except Sunday, and on Saturday, May 16, 2026, by prearranged appointment between 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM, and at the polling place(s) n the day of the vote. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, the voters may register with the Clerk of said School District at her office in the District Administration Office, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, New York, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, when school is in session at any day on or before May 14, 2026 to add any additional names to the Register to be used at the aforesaid election, at which time any person will be entitled to have his or her name placed on such Register provided that at such meeting with the Clerk of said School District he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of the Clerk of said School District to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such election for which the Register is prepared. The Register so prepared pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law will be filed in the Office of the District Clerk, at her office in the District Administration Office, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, New York, and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District beginning Thursday, May 14, 2026, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, prevailing time, on each day prior to the day set for the election, except Sunday, and on Saturday, May 16, 2026, by prearranged appointment between 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM, and at the polling place(s) on the day of the vote.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the school district. An application for registration as a military voter can be requested from the District Clerk in the Woodmere Education Center, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, New York, and must be returned to said office no later than 5:00 PM, April 23, 2026. In the request for an application for registration, the military voter is permitted to designate his/her preference for receiving the application for
registration by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military voters who are qualified voters of the District may submit an application for a military ballot or before April 23, 2026, from the Office of the District Clerk, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, New York. The original military ballot application must be returned by mail or in person to the District Clerk, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, New York, during school business hours, no later than 5:00 PM on April 23, 2026. In the request for an application for a military ballot, the military voter is permitted to designate his/her preference for receiving the application for a military ballot, and the military ballot, by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail. All qualified military voters’ ballot application and military ballot must be returned by mail or in person. Ballots for military voters shall be distributed to qualified military voters no later than April 24, 2026. Military ballots must be received by the District Clerk (1) before the close of the polls, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, and must show a cancellation mark of the United States postal service or a foreign country’s postal service, or must show a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States Government; or (2) not later than 5:00 pm on the day of the election and be signed and dated by the military voter and one witness, with a date ascertained to be not later than the day before the election.
A list of persons to whom military ballots are issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the Office of the District Clerk on and after Thursday, May 14, 2026, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, prevailing time, on each day prior to the day set for the annual election, except Sunday, and on Saturday, May 16, 2026, by prearranged appointment between 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM, and on May 19, 2026, the day set for the election. Any qualified voter then present in the polling place may object to the voting of the ballot upon appropriate
grounds by making his or her challenge and the reasons therefore known to the Inspector of Election before the close of the polls AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that applications for early mail ballots and absentee ballots will be obtainable during school business hours from the District Clerk beginning Monday, April 20, 2026; completed applications must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than April 20, 2026 and at least seven (7) days before the election, May 12, 2026, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election, May 18, 2026, if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. Early mail ballots and absentee ballots must be received by the District Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m., prevailing time, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Applications for absentee ballots or early mail ballots may also be printed from the District website www.hewlettwoodmere.net and delivered to the District Clerk beginning April 20, 2026, in the manner described above. A list of persons to whom early mail ballots and absentee ballots are issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the Office of the District Clerk on and after Thursday, May 14, 2026, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, prevailing time, on each day prior to the day set for the annual election, except Sunday, and on May 19, 2026, the day set for the election. Any qualified voter then present in the polling place may object to the voting of the ballot upon appropriate grounds by making his or her challenge and the reasons therefore known to the Inspector of Election before the close of the polls. A challenge to an absentee ballot may not be made on the basis that the voter should have applied for an early mail ballot.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to a rule adopted by the Board of Education in accordance with Section 2035 of the Education Law, any referenda or propositions to amend the budget, or otherwise to be submitted for voting at said election, must be filed with the Clerk of the Board of Education at the District
Office, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, New York, in sufficient time to permit notice of the proposition to be included with the Notice of the Public Hearing, Budget Vote and Election required by Section 2004 of the Education Law or on or before Friday, April 17, 2026, at 5:00 PM, prevailing time; must be typed or printed in the English language; must be directed to the Clerk of the School District; must be signed by at least 94 qualified voters of the District (representing 5% of the number of voters who voted in the previous annual election); and must legibly state the name of each signer. However, the School Board will not entertain any petition to place before the voters any proposition the purpose of which is not within the powers of the voters to determine, which is unlawful, or any proposition which fails to include a specific appropriation where the expenditure of monies is required by the proposition, or where other valid reason exists for excluding the proposition from the ballot.
Dated: Woodmere, New York, March 18, 2026 By Order of the BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE HEWLETT-WOODMERE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York District Clerk 159343
LEGAL NOTICE AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA, VOTACIÓN PRESUPUESTA Y ELECCIÓN DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR LIBRE UNIÓN DE HEWLETT-WOODMERE El distrito escolar Woodmere Union Free School District, en la ciudad de Hempstead, Nueva York, se llevará a cabo en el 3. Elegir a dos (2) miembros de la Junta de Educación por un período de tres (3) años que comenzará el 1 de julio de 2026 y finalizará el 30 de junio de 2029. La votación sobre el presupuesto y las elecciones se celebrarán el martes 19 de mayo de 2026.
2. Se resuelve que el presupuesto de la biblioteca para el año fiscal 2026-2027 propuesto por la Junta Directiva de la Biblioteca Pública
del Distrito Escolar Unificado Gratuito de Hewlett-Woodmere, y la imposición de una asignación de impuestos para tal fin, de conformidad con las disposiciones de la Sección 259 de la Ley de Educación, serán aprobados.
1. Presentar a los votantes un estado detallado de la cantidad de dinero que se requerirá para el año fiscal 2026-2027.
1. Aprobar el presupuesto anual del Distrito Escolar para el año fiscal 2026-2027 y autorizar que la parte necesaria del mismo se recaude mediante impuestos sobre la propiedad gravable del Distrito. Y POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA QUE una copia del estado de la cantidad de dinero que se requerirá para financiar el presupuesto del Distrito Escolar para 2026-2027, excluyendo los fondos públicos, puede ser obtenida por cualquier residente del Distrito a partir del 5 de mayo de 2026, entre las 8:00 a. m. y las 4:00 p. m., hora local, excepto sábados, domingos o días festivos en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, Nueva York, en la Biblioteca Pública Hewlett-Woodmere, 1125 Broadway, Hewlett, y en el sitio web del Distrito. Centro Educativo Woodmere, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, Nueva York, en dicho distrito el 6 de mayo de 2026, a las 6:30 p. m., hora vigente, para la realización de negocios según lo autorizado por el CONDADO DE NASSAU, NUEVA YORK
4. Elegir un (1) Fideicomisario de la Biblioteca Pública Hewlett-Woodmere por un período de cinco (5) años que comenzará el 1 de julio de 2026 y finalizará el 30 de junio de 2031. Ley de Educación, incluyendo los siguientes puntos: POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA que se celebrará una Audiencia Pública de los votantes calificados de Hewlett2. Discutir todos los puntos que se exponen a continuación para ser votados mediante máquina de votación en el 3. Tratar cualquier otro asunto que pueda presentarse debidamente ante la
reunión de conformidad con Ley de Educación del Estado de Nueva York y sus modificaciones.
Y POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA QUE la mencionada votación del presupuesto y las elecciones se celebrarán el martes 19 de mayo de 2026 en el Centro Educativo Woodmere, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, Nueva York, entre las 7:00 a. m. y las 10:00 p. m., hora local, momento en el que se abrirán las urnas para votar mediante máquina de votación sobre los siguientes temas: La Junta de Registro se reunirá con el propósito de registrar a todos los votantes calificados del Distrito de conformidad con la Sección 2014 de la Ley de Educación el miércoles 13 de mayo de 2026, de 8:00 a. m. a 8:00 p. m., hora local, para agregar cualquier nombre adicional al Registro que se utilizará en la elección antes mencionada, en cuyo momento cualquier persona tendrá derecho a que su nombre se coloque en dicho Registro siempre que en dicha reunión de dicha Junta de Registro se sepa o se demuestre a satisfacción de dicha Junta de Registro que tiene derecho a votar en esa elección o posteriormente en la misma para la cual se prepara el Registro. El Registro preparado de conformidad con la Sección 2014 de la Ley de Educación se archivará en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, Nueva York, y estará abierto para su inspección por cualquier votante calificado del Distrito a partir del jueves 14 de mayo de 2026, entre las 8:00 a. m. y las 4:00 p. m., hora local, todos los días anteriores al día fijado para la elección, excepto el domingo, y el sábado 16 de mayo de 2026, con cita previa entre las 10:00 a. m. y la 1:30 p. m., y en el/los lugar(es) de votación el día de la votación. Asimismo, se notifica que el registro personal de votantes es obligatorio conforme al Artículo 2014 de la Ley de Educación o al Artículo 5 de la Ley Electoral. Si un votante se ha registrado previamente
conforme al Artículo 2014 de la Ley de Educación y ha votado en una asamblea distrital anual o extraordinaria en los últimos cuatro (4) años calendario, podrá votar en esta elección. Si un votante está registrado y puede votar conforme al Artículo 5 de la Ley Electoral, también podrá votar en esta elección. Todas las demás personas que deseen votar deberán registrarse. Y POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA que, de conformidad con la Sección 495 de la Ley de Impuestos sobre Bienes Inmuebles, el Distrito Escolar debe adjuntar a su presupuesto propuesto un informe de exenciones. Dicho informe de exenciones, que también formará parte del presupuesto final, mostrará cómo el valor catastral total del padrón catastral final utilizado en el proceso presupuestario está exento de impuestos, enumerará cada tipo de exención otorgada por la autoridad legal y mostrará el impacto acumulativo de cada tipo de exención, el monto acumulativo que se espera recibir como pagos en lugar de impuestos (PILOT) y el impacto acumulativo de todas las exenciones otorgadas. Además, dicho informe de exenciones deberá publicarse en cualquier tablón de anuncios que el Distrito mantenga para avisos públicos y en cualquier sitio web que mantenga el Distrito. Y SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que las peticiones para nominar candidatos para el cargo de miembro de la Junta de Educación deberán presentarse ante la Secretaria del Distrito Escolar en su oficina en Woodmere Education Center, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, Nueva York, a más tardar el 20 de abril de 2026, entre las 9:00 a. m. y las 5:00 p. m. hora local. Cada petición deberá dirigirse a la Secretaria del Distrito; deberá estar firmada por al menos 38 votantes calificados del Distrito. Las vacantes en la Junta de Educación no se consideran cargos específicos separados; los candidatos se postulan a nivel general. Las peticiones de nominación no deberán describir ninguna
vacante específica en la Junta para la cual se nomina al candidato. Para nominar a un candidato para el cargo de Fideicomisario de la Junta de la Biblioteca Pública HewlettWoodmere, cada petición deberá estar firmada por al menos treinta y ocho (38) votantes del Distrito. Las vacantes en la Junta de Fideicomisarios no se consideran cargos específicos separados; los candidatos se postulan a nivel general. Las solicitudes de nominación no deberán describir ninguna vacante específica en la Junta para la cual se nomina al candidato. Una lista de las personas a quienes se les entregan boletas militares estará disponible para su inspección por los votantes calificados del Distrito en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito a partir del jueves 14 de mayo de 2026, entre las 8:00 a. m. y las 4:00 p. m., hora local, todos los días previos al día fijado para la elección anual, excepto el domingo, y el sábado 16 de mayo de 2026, con cita previa entre las 10:00 a. m. y la 1:30 p. m., y el 19 de mayo de 2026, el día fijado para la elección. Asimismo, se notifica que los votantes militares que no estén registrados actualmente pueden solicitar su inscripción como votantes calificados del distrito escolar. La solicitud de inscripción como votante militar puede solicitarse en la oficina del secretario del distrito, ubicada en el Centro Educativo Woodmere, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, Nueva York, y debe devolverse a dicha oficina a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. del 23 de abril de 2026. En la solicitud de inscripción, el votante militar puede indicar si prefiere recibirla por correo postal, fax o correo electrónico.
Y POR LA PRESENTE
SE NOTIFICA QUE los votantes pueden registrarse con la Secretaria de dicho Distrito Escolar en su oficina en la Oficina de Administración del Distrito, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, Nueva York, entre las horas de 8:00 a. m. y 4:00 p. m., cuando la escuela esté en sesión en cualquier día hasta el 14 de mayo de 2026 para agregar cualquier nombre adicional al Registro que se utilizará en la elección antes
mencionada, en cuyo momento cualquier persona tendrá derecho a que su nombre sea colocado en dicho Registro siempre que en dicha reunión con la Secretaria de dicho Distrito Escolar se sepa o se demuestre a satisfacción de la Secretaria de dicho Distrito Escolar que tiene derecho a votar en esa elección para la cual se prepara el Registro. El Registro preparado de conformidad con la Sección 2014 de la Ley de Educación se archivará en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito, en su oficina en la Oficina de Administración del Distrito, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, Nueva York, y estará abierto para su inspección por cualquier votante calificado del Distrito a partir del jueves 14 de mayo de 2026, entre las 8:00 a. m. y las 4:00 p. m., hora local, todos los días anteriores al día fijado para la elección, excepto el domingo, y el sábado 16 de mayo de 2026, con cita previa entre las 10:00 a. m. y la 1:30 p. m., y en el/los lugar(es) de votación el día de la votación. Asimismo, se notifica que los votantes militares que cumplan con los requisitos para votar en el Distrito pueden presentar una solicitud de boleta militar antes del 23 de abril de 2026 en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito, ubicada en One Johnson Place, Woodmere, Nueva York. La solicitud original de boleta militar debe enviarse por correo o entregarse en persona en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito, ubicada en One Johnson Place, Woodmere, Nueva York, durante el horario escolar, a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. del 23 de abril de 2026. En la solicitud de una boleta militar, el votante militar puede indicar su preferencia para recibir la solicitud y la boleta por correo postal, fax o correo electrónico. Todas las solicitudes y boletas militares de los votantes calificados deben devolverse por correo postal o en persona. Las boletas para los votantes militares se distribuirán a los votantes calificados a más tardar el 24 de abril de 2026. Las boletas militares deben ser recibidas por el Secretario del Distrito
(1) antes del cierre de las urnas, el martes 19 de mayo de 2026, y deben mostrar un sello de cancelación del servicio postal de los Estados Unidos o del servicio postal de un país extranjero, o deben mostrar un endoso de recepción fechado por otra agencia del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos; o (2) a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. del día de la elección y estar firmadas y fechadas por el votante militar y un testigo, con una fecha que se determine que no sea posterior al día anterior a la elección.
DISTRITO ESCOLAR LIBRE UNIÓN DE HEWLETT-WOODMERE
Las papeletas de voto en ausencia se podrán obtener durante el horario escolar en la oficina del secretario del distrito.
Inspector electoral antes del cierre de las urnas. El votante calificado presente en el lugar de votación puede objetar la votación de la papeleta por motivos apropiados haciendo su impugnación y dando a conocer las razones por las cuales Y POR LA PRESENTE
SE DA ADEMÁS AVISO que las solicitudes de boletas de voto anticipado por correo y Una lista de las personas a quienes se les emiten boletas de voto anticipado por correo y boletas de voto en ausencia estará disponible para su consulta por los votantes calificados del Distrito en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito a partir de El jueves 14 de mayo de 2026, entre las 8:00 y las 16:00 horas, hora local, todos los días previos a la fecha fijada para las elecciones anuales, excepto el domingo, y el 19 de mayo de 2026, fecha fijada para las elecciones. Cualquier votante cualificado presente en el centro de votación podrá impugnar la votación por motivos justificados, presentando su impugnación y las razones correspondientes al inspector electoral antes del cierre de las urnas. No se podrá impugnar una papeleta de voto en ausencia alegando que el votante debería haber solicitado una papeleta de voto anticipado por correo.
A partir del lunes 20
de abril de 2026, las solicitudes completas deben ser recibidas por el Secretario del Distrito no antes del 20 de abril de 2026 y al menos siete (7) días antes de las elecciones, el 12 de mayo de 2026, si la boleta se enviará por correo al votante, o el día anterior a las elecciones, el 18 de mayo de 2026, si la boleta se entregará personalmente al votante. Las boletas de voto anticipado por correo y las boletas de voto en ausencia deben ser recibidas por el Secretario del Distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m., hora local, del martes 19 de mayo de 2026. Las solicitudes de boletas de voto en ausencia o boletas de voto anticipado por correo también pueden imprimirse desde el sitio web del Distrito www.hewlettwoodmere.net y entregarse al Secretario del Distrito a partir del 20 de abril de 2026, de la manera descrita anteriormente. JUNTA DE EDUCACIÓN
DEL Por orden de Municipio de Hempstead, condado de Nassau, Nueva York Secretario del distrito Fecha: Woodmere, Nueva York, 18 de marzo de 2026
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING, ANNUAL DISTRICT BUDGET VOTE AND ELECTION OF THE LAWRENCE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 15, NEW YORK
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Education of the Lawrence Union Free School District No. 15 (the “District”) shall hold an informational Public Hearing on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 8:00 p.m., prevailing time, at Lawrence High School, 2 Reilly Road, Cedarhurst, New York for the purpose of conveying information regarding the expenditure of funds and the budgeting of such expenditures for the 2026-2027 school year. Public comments may be submitted to BOE@lawrence.k12. ny.us.
NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that the Annual District Budget Vote and Election shall occur on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., prevailing time, at the four (4) school election districts indicated below for the purpose of enabling the District’s properly registered and qualified voters to vote on the School District budget for the 2026-2027 school year, which shall appear on the ballot as Proposition No. 1, (ii) to vote on the Public Library budget for the 2026-2027 school year, which shall appear on the ballot as Proposition No, 2. for the purpose of voting upon the appropriation of necessary expenditures of the 2026-2027 school year. at the four (4) polling places below:
Y POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA QUE, de conformidad con una regla adoptada por la Junta de Educación de acuerdo con la Sección 2035 de la Ley de Educación, cualquier referéndum o proposición para enmendar el presupuesto, o de otro modo para ser sometido a votación en dicha elección, debe ser presentado ante el Secretario de la Junta de Educación en la Oficina del Distrito, One Johnson Place, Woodmere, Nueva York, con tiempo suficiente para permitir que el aviso de la proposición se incluya con el Aviso de la Audiencia Pública, Votación del Presupuesto y Elección requerido por la Sección 2004 de la Ley de Educación o a más tardar el viernes 17 de abril de 2026, a las 5:00 p. m., hora vigente; debe estar mecanografiado o impreso en idioma inglés; debe estar dirigido al Secretario del Distrito Escolar; debe estar firmado por al menos 94 votantes calificados del Distrito (que representen el 5% del número de votantes que votaron en la elección anual anterior); y debe indicar legiblemente el nombre de cada firmante. Sin embargo, la Junta Escolar no considerará ninguna petición para someter a votación ninguna propuesta cuyo propósito no esté dentro de las facultades de los votantes para determinar, que sea ilegal, o ninguna propuesta que no incluya una asignación específica cuando el gasto de fondos sea requerido por la propuesta, o cuando exista otra razón válida para excluir la propuesta de la boleta electoral. 159345
Polling Place 1: Atlantic Beach Village Hall, 65 The Plaza, Atlantic Beach Polling Place 2: Primary School at Number Two School, 1 Donahue Avenue, Inwood Polling Place 3: Lawrence High School, 2 Reilly Road, Cedarhurst Polling Place 4: Lawrence Middle School, 195 Broadway, Lawrence
NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that a copy of the statement of the amount of money which will be required for the 2026-2027 school year for school purposes may be obtained by any resident in the District during the fourteen (14) days immediately preceding the Annual District Budget Vote and Election, on the District’s Board of Education website at: https://www. Lawrence.org.
NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, in accordance with §495 of the NYS Board of Real Property Services Local Government Exemption Impact report, the District shall prepare a Real Property Tax “Exemption Impact Report” which will show how much of the assessed value on the final assessment roll (utilized for the school tax levy) is exempt from taxation by the school District. This exemption report will be in the 2026-2027 Budget Statement (Line by Line) and will become part of the final budget.
NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, that two (2) members of the Board of Education will be elected due to the expiration of the terms of Murray Forman and Dr. Asher Mansdorf for a three (3) year term commencing July 1, 2026 and expiring June 30, 2029. Nominating Petitions may be obtained from the District Clerk by appointment on school days between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and the Petitions must be filed with the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 20, 2026. Candidates must be qualified voters and must have one (1) year residency in the school district immediately preceding the date of the Annual District Budget Vote and Election. Each petition must be directed to the District Clerk, must be signed by at least fiftyone (51) qualified voters of the District, must state the residence of each
signer, and must state the name and residence of the candidate. Such petition shall state the residence of each signer and shall state the name and residence of the candidate and the specific vacancy on the Board for which the candidate is nominated, which description shall include at least the length of the term of office and the name of the last incumbent, if any. Each vacancy shall be considered a separate office, and a separate petition shall be required to nominate a candidate to each separate office. No person shall be nominated for more than one separate office on the Board of Education. However, a nomination may be rejected by the Board of Education if the candidate is ineligible for the office or declares his/her unwillingness to serve.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that the election shall be held in accordance with the Annual Meeting and Election Policy and Candidate and Campaigning Policy adopted by the Board of Education.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that any proposition or question to be placed upon the voting machines shall be submitted in writing by petition subscribed by at least 250 qualified voters of the district and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the District between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. not later than the 30th day preceding the election at which such question or proposition shall be voted upon, except that this rule shall not apply to those questions or propositions which are required to be stated in the published or posted notice of the meeting or to those propositions or questions which the Board of Education has authority by law to present at any annual or special meeting of the District.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the registration of voters, not previously registered and eligible to vote, will take place between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on May 6, 2026, at the Office of the District Clerk. Such persons must present themselves personally for registration during the time and place set
forth, in order to be entitled to vote.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that personal voter registration of voters is required pursuant to Education Law. If a qualified voter has heretofore registered pursuant to Education Law or has voted at a school election within the last four (4) calendar years, he or he is eligible to vote at the May 19, 2026 Annual District Budget Vote and Election without reregistering.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the final date to register for the 2026-2027 election is May 12, 2026.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that applications for absentee or early mail ballots may be applied for at the District Clerk’s Office. If the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, the completed application must be received by the Clerk no earlier than April 20, 2026 and no later than 4:00 p.m., on May 12, 2026. If the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter, the District Clerk must receive the completed application no later than 4:00 p.m., prevailing time, on May 18, 2026. A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots are issued will be available for public inspection at the Office of the District Clerk during regular office hours until the day of the election. Absentee ballots that do not reach the office of the District Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 will not be canvassed.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that this Board shall convene a special meeting in the Lawrence High School within twenty-four (24) hours after the filing with the District Clerk, of a written report of the results of the ballot for the purpose of examining and tabulating said reports of the results of the ballot and declaring the results of the ballot; that the Board hereby designates itself to be a set of poll clerks to cast and canvass ballots pursuant to Education Law, §2019a, subdivision 2b at said special meeting of the Board.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION LAWRENCE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT
NO. 15
Town of Hempstead, County of New York
MS. MOHINDER
BHARAJ, DISTRICT CLERK 159395
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, as Trustee for the benefit of the Seasoned Credit Risk Transfer Trust, Series 2019-1 Plaintiff, Against Unknown heirs at law of Michele Bondanelli, and if they be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors; administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; Billie Schliefer as Heir to the Estate of Charles A. Honigman; Beate Frankel as Heir to the Estate of Charles A. Honigman; Jeff Honigman as Heir to the Estate of Charles A. Honigman; The People of the State of New York; The United States of America
Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 01/06/2026, 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 4/14/2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 182 East Rockaway Road, Hewlett, New York 11557, 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 Hewlett, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.
Section 42 Block 249 Lot 2
The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $153,950.41 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 611544/2023
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.
Lisa Segal Poczik, Esq., Referee.
SHELDON MAY & ASSOCIATES Attorneys at Law, 255 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, NY 11570
Dated: 2/2/2026 File Number: 39117 CA 158838
LEGAL NOTICE
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON F/K/A THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR BEAR STEARNS ASSET BACKED SECURITIES I TRUST 2006-SD1, -againstREGINALD PERCY, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on January 8, 2026, wherein THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON F/K/A THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR BEAR STEARNS ASSET BACKED SECURITIES I TRUST 2006-SD1 is the Plaintiff and REGINALD PERCY, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee,
will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on April 14, 2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 29 LAFAYETTE PLACE, WOODMERE, NY 11598; and the following tax map identification: 003900225-00 - 00231. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE LYING AND BEING IN WOODMERE, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 011105/2015. Jane P. Shrenkel, Esq.Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 158836
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE POOLING AND SERVICING AGREEMENT DATED AS OF AUGUST 1, 2006 SECURITIZED ASSET BACKED RECEIVABLES LLC TRUST 2006-HE1 MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-HE1, Plaintiff, AGAINST AZEEM ALI, et al. Defendant(s) Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly entered on December 19, 2024. I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on April 23, 2026 at 3:30 PM premises known as 541 11th Street, Cedarhurst, NY 11516.
Please take notice that this foreclosure auction shall be conducted in compliance with the Foreclosure Auction Rules for Nassau County, and the COVID 19 Health Emergency Rules, including proper use of masks and social distancing. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Woodmere, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Section 0039, Block 00290-00 and Lot 00054. Approximate amount of judgment $1,966,318.02 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment. Index #001877/2013.
Paul L. Meli, Esq., Referee, Aldridge Pite, LLPAttorneys for Plaintiff40 Marcus Drive, Suite 200, Melville, NY 11747 159082
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING OF BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE INWOOD FIRE DISTRICT, INWOOD, NEW YORK, 11096. There will be a General Meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Inwood Fire District as follows: Time: 7:00 P.M. Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026 Place:DISTRICT OFFICE
Melissa Rivelli, District Secretary 159327
LEGAL NOTICE INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR LEGAL NOTICE MONTHLY MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hewlett Harbor will meet in both public and via Zoom on April 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, for the purpose of holding the Village’s regular monthly meeting. All residents wishing to attend via Zoom can visit www.hewlettharbor.go v for instructions.
Dated: March 24, 2026 Hewlett Harbor BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGTE OF HEWLETT HARBOR LISA JAMES VILLAGE CLERK 159326
LEGAL NOTICE INC. VILLAGE OF CEDARHURST LEGAL NOTICE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Planning Board of the Village of Cedarhurst will hold a public hearing on 04/13/2026 at 8:00PM in the Village Hall, 200 Cedarhurst Avenue Cedarhurst, New York for the following: Petition of Weiss Builders Group LLC Premises: 272 Oakwood Avenue Cedarhurst, NY 11516
Sec/Blk/Lot 39/253/101 Case # P2026-001
Subdivision Modification
The modification is an amendment to the conditions of the approved subdivision P2025-001. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all interested persons will have an opportunity to be heard at said meeting.
Dated: 4/1/26
Benjamin Weinstock Mayor Jacob Plaut Village ClerkTreasurer By order of the Planning Board 159328
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING, ANNUAL DISTRICT BUDGET VOTE AND ELECTION OF THE LAWRENCE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 15, NEW YORK
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Education of the Lawrence Union Free School District No. 15 (the “District”) shall hold an informational Public Hearing on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 8:00 p.m., prevailing time, at Lawrence High School, 2 Reilly Road, Cedarhurst, New York for the purpose of conveying information regarding the expenditure of funds and the budgeting of such expenditures for the 2026-2027 school year. Public comments may be submitted to BOE@lawrence.k12.ny. us.
NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that the Annual District Budget Vote and Election shall occur on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., prevailing time, at the four (4) school election districts indicated below for the purpose of enabling the District’s properly registered and qualified
voters to vote on the School District budget for the 2026-2027 school year, which shall appear on the ballot as Proposition No. 1, (ii) to vote on the Public Library budget for the 2026-2027 school year, which shall appear on the ballot as Proposition No, 2. for the purpose of voting upon the appropriation of necessary expenditures of the 2026-2027 school year. at the four (4) polling places below: Polling Place 1: Atlantic Beach Village Hall, 65 The Plaza, Atlantic Beach Polling Place 2: Primary School at Number Two School, 1 Donahue Avenue, Inwood Polling Place 3: Lawrence High School, 2 Reilly Road, Cedarhurst Polling Place 4: Lawrence Middle School, 195 Broadway, Lawrence
NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that a copy of the statement of the amount of money which will be required for the 2026-2027 school year for school purposes may be obtained by any resident in the District during the fourteen (14) days immediately preceding the Annual District Budget Vote and Election, on the District’s Board of Education website at: https://www.Lawrence. org.
NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, in accordance with §495 of the NYS Board of Real Property Services Local Government Exemption Impact report, the District shall prepare a Real Property Tax “Exemption Impact Report” which will show how much of the assessed value on the final assessment roll (utilized for the school tax levy) is exempt from taxation by the school District. This exemption report will be in the 2026-2027 Budget Statement (Line by Line) and will become part of the final budget.
NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, that two (2) members of the Board of Education will be elected due to the expiration of the terms of Murray Forman and Dr. Asher Mansdorf for a three (3) year term commencing July 1, 2026 and expiring June
30, 2029. Nominating Petitions may be obtained from the District Clerk by appointment on school days between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and the Petitions must be filed with the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 20, 2026. Candidates must be qualified voters and must have one (1) year residency in the school district immediately preceding the date of the Annual District Budget Vote and Election. Each petition must be directed to the District Clerk, must be signed by at least fifty-one (51) qualified voters of the District, must state the residence of each signer, and must state the name and residence of the candidate. Such petition shall state the residence of each signer and shall state the name and residence of the candidate and the specific vacancy on the Board for which the candidate is nominated, which description shall include at least the length of the term of office and the name of the last incumbent, if any. Each vacancy shall be considered a separate office, and a separate petition shall be required to nominate a candidate to each separate office. No person shall be nominated for more than one separate office on the Board of Education. However, a nomination may be rejected by the Board of Education if the candidate is ineligible for the office or declares his/her unwillingness to serve.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that the election shall be held in accordance with the Annual Meeting and Election Policy and Candidate and Campaigning Policy adopted by the Board of Education.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that any proposition or question to be placed upon the voting machines shall be submitted in writing by petition subscribed by at least 250 qualified voters of the district and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the District between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. not later than the 30th day preceding the election at which such question
or proposition shall be voted upon, except that this rule shall not apply to those questions or propositions which are required to be stated in the published or posted notice of the meeting or to those propositions or questions which the Board of Education has authority by law to present at any annual or special meeting of the District.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the registration of voters, not previously registered and eligible to vote, will take place between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on May 6, 2026, at the Office of the District Clerk. Such persons must present themselves personally for registration during the time and place set forth, in order to be entitled to vote.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that personal voter registration of voters is required pursuant to Education Law. If a qualified voter has heretofore registered pursuant to Education Law or has voted at a school election within the last four (4) calendar years, he or he is eligible to vote at the May 19, 2026 Annual District Budget Vote and Election without reregistering.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the final date to register for the 2026-2027 election is May 12, 2026.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that applications for absentee or early mail ballots may be applied for at the District Clerk’s Office. If the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, the completed application must be received by the Clerk no earlier than April 20, 2026 and no later than 4:00 p.m., on May 12, 2026. If the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter, the District Clerk must receive the completed application no later than 4:00 p.m., prevailing time, on May 18, 2026. A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots are issued will be available for public inspection at the Office of the District Clerk during regular office hours until the day of the election. Absentee ballots that do not reach the office of the District Clerk by 5:00
p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 will not be canvassed.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that this Board shall convene a special meeting in the Lawrence High School within twenty-four (24) hours after the filing with the District Clerk, of a written report of the results of the ballot for the purpose of examining and tabulating said reports of the results of the ballot and declaring the results of the ballot; that the Board hereby designates itself to be a set of poll clerks to cast and canvass ballots pursuant to Education Law, §2019-a, subdivision 2b at said special meeting of the Board.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
LAWRENCE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 15
Town of Hempstead, County of New York
MS. MOHINDER BHARAJ, DISTRICT CLERK 159395
LEGAL NOTICE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a public hearing will be held as to the following matter: Agency: Board of Zoning Appeals Incorporated Village of Atlantic Beach, New York 11509
Date: April 15, 2026 Time: 7:00 PM Place: Village Hall, 65 The Plaza, Atlantic Beach, New York 11509
Subject: Case #25-12-7001 Robert and Frances Glennon 142 Bermuda Street Atlantic Beach, New York 11509 , New York 11509
Applicant proposes to construct a new twostory single-family dwelling. The applicants are seeking relief from the following section of the Zoning Code: Section 250-21 Lot coverage. The lot coverage shall not exceed 30% of the lot area, proposed 39.9%. Section 250-24 Rear Yards. There shall be a rear yard, the depth of which shall be at least 25 feet, provided that, if at the time this chapter becomes effective any lot is held in single and separate ownership with a depth of less than 100 feet, the required depth of the rear yard may be diminished by three
inches for each foot of difference between 100 feet and the depth of the plot, but in no case shall the depth of the rear yard be less than 15 feet. Required rear yard setback 20 feet, proposed 13 feet to rear deck. Section 250-25 Permitted encroachments (A)(7) Stairs no greater than four feet in width and secondary landings no greater than four feet by four feet projecting into the front yard setback shall be permitted, shall not count towards lot coverage, proposed stair width 5.5 feet.
Premises are also known as Section 58, Block 10, Lots 52 & 150 on the Nassau County Land and Tax Map.
All the said time and place, all interested persons may be heard with respect to the foregoing matter.
All relevant documents may be inspected at the Building Department, 65 The Plaza during normal business hours.
Dated: March 26, 2026.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
Steven Cherson, Plans Examiner 159329
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Hewlett Harbor will hold a Public Hearing to consider the amendment of Section 145-18.2 to the Hewlett Harbor Village Code which will prohibit carports from being constructed in the village; and under SEQRA Regulations, to determine whether the proposed would constitute a significant negative impact on the environment; said Public Hearing will be held at 7:00 PM on April 9, 2026 at the Village Hall, 449 Pepperidge Road, Hewlett Harbor, New York.
All interested persons will be heard during the Public Hearing at the time and place aforementioned.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
LISA JAMES, VILLAGE CLERK
HEWLETT HARBOR, NEW YORK
DATED: March 24, 2026 159325
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD LOCAL LAW NO. 29-2026
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that, pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing was duly called and held on the 24th day of March 2026, by the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead, on the proposed adoption of Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 29-2026, and following the close of the hearing the Town Board duly adopted Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 29-2026, to amend Section 202-1 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, to include and repeal “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” at various locations. Dated: March 24, 2026 Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD JOHN FERRETTI Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 159251
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS
Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Town Hall Plaza, One Washington Street, Hempstead, New York on 04/15/2026 at 2:00 P.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:
THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 2:00 P.M.
196/26. INWOODTova Miriam Kalish & Yitzchak Stern, Variances, lot area occupied, rear yard, construct addition, 2nd story addition & roof over open porch all attached to dwelling., N/s Chesire Rd., 55’ E/o Sprague Rd., a/k/a 32 Cheshire Rd. ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE
AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550.
This notice is only for new cases in Inwood within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.go v/509/Board-of-Appeals
The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.go v/576/Live-StreamingVideo
Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it. 159249
LEGAL NOTICE CASE NO. 21527
RESOLUTION NO. 293-2026
Adopted: March 24, 2026
Councilmember Muscarella offered the following resolution and moved its adoption: RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING AND SETTING ASIDE CERTAIN PARKING SPACES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES FOR THE SOLE USE OF HOLDERS OF SPECIAL PARKING PERMITS ISSUED BY THE COUNTY OF NASSAU TO PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS.
WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 286-2026, adopted March 10, 2026, a public hearing was duly held on the 24th day of March 2026, at the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the proposed establishment and setting aside of a certain parking space for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons, in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, all as set forth in said resolution; and WHEREAS, after due
consideration, this Town Board finds it to be in the public interest to establish and set aside a certain parking space for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, the following parking spaces be and the same hereby is set aside for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons:
ELMONT
MARIE COURT - south side, starting at a point 139 feet east of the east curbline of Circle Drive West, east for a distance of 20 feet.
(TH-31/26) INWOOD JOHN STREET - south side, starting at a point 20 feet east of the east curbline of Wahl Avenue, east for a distance of 20 feet.
(TH-45/26) and on the repeal of the following locations previously set aside as parking spaces for physically handicapped persons: ELMONT
LEHRER AVENUE - east side, starting at a point of 205 feet south of the south curbline of Hempstead Turnpike, south for a distance of 20 feet.
(TH-353/21 - 10/05/21)
(TH-48/26) MERRICK
WOODBINE AVENUEsouth side, starting at a point 340 feet west of the west curbline of Express Way, west for a distance of 20 feet.
(TH-600/25 - 1/27/26) (TH-600(B)/25) ; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk shall enter this resolution in the minutes of the Town Board and shall publish a copy of this resolution once a newspaper having a general circulation in the Town of Hempstead, and shall post a copy hereof on the signboard maintained by her, and file in her office affidavits of such publication and posting. The foregoing resolution was seconded by Councilmember Miller and adopted upon roll call as follows:
AYES: SEVEN (7) NOES: NONE (0) 159256
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 14th day of April, 2026, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 202-1 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” at the following locations:
BELLMORE
MARTIN AVENUE (TH 61/26) South SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the east curbline of Martin Court, east for a distance of 25 feet.
MARTIN AVENUE (TH 61/26) South SideNO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting at the point 93 feet east of the east curbline of Martin Court, east for a distance of 37 feet.
MARTIN AVENUE (TH 61/26) South SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the west curbline of Oak Court, west for a distance of 57 feet.
ELMONT
CROMER ROAD WEST (TH 57/26) South SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from west curbline of Tudor Gate, west for a distance of 90 feet.
CROMER ROAD WEST (TH 57/26) South SideNO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting at a point 90 feet west of the west curbline of Tudor Gate, west for a distance of 47 feet.
CROMER ROAD WEST (TH 57/26) North SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from west curbline of Tudor Crescent, west for a distance of 45 feet.
OCEANSIDE
DAVISON AVENUE (TH 622(B)/25) North SideNO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting at the west curbline of Oceanside Road, west for a distance of 217 feet.
WEST HEMPSTEAD GREENWAY SOUTH (TH 75/26) West SideNO PARKING
NOTICE and the (“Village”), undersigned in the manner in the Village the following for the year fees, interest of such sale, be completed. sale of its PLEASE ALSO LIENS FOR Such real the Village. amount pursuant and Village TO ANY FORECLOSURE
Assessments and/or assessments,
SUNDAYS - starting at a point 10 feet south curbline of Greenway East, south for a distance of 185 feet.
WOODMERE
IRVING PLACE (TH 50/26) East SideNO STOPPING
ANYTIME - starting at a point 13 feet north of the north curbline of Cedar Lane, north for a distance of 72 feet.
FRANKLIN PLACE (TH 50/26) West SideNO STOPPING
NOTICE
ANYTIME - starting at a point 26 feet north of the north curbline of Cedar Lane, north for a distance of 90 feet.
ALSO, to REPEAL from Section 202-1 “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” from the following locations:
BELLMORE
MARTIN AVENUE (TH 690/00) South SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the east curbline of
Martin Court, east for a distance of 40 feet. (Adopted 10/2/01)
MARTIN AVENUE (TH 690/00) South SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the west curbline of Oak Court, west for a distance of 40 feet.
(Adopted 10/2/01)
OCEANSIDE
DAVISON AVENUE (TH 622/25) North SideNO STOPPING
ANYTIME - starting at the west curbline of
INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF LAWRENCE NOTICE OF SALE OF LIENS FOR UNPAID VILLAGE TAXES AND/OR ASSESSMENTS REMAINING UNPAID FOR THE YEAR 2025
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to the provisions of Village Code §187-17 and the New York Real Property Tax Law as applicable to the Village of Lawrence (“Village”), and pursuant to direction of the Village Board of Trustees, the undersigned Village Clerk-Treasurer/Village Administrator will sell at Public Auction in the manner provided by law on April 15, 2026 at 10:00 am local prevailing time in the Village Hall, 196 Central Avenue, Lawrence, New York so much of each of the following parcels upon which Village Taxes and/or Assessments remain unpaid for the year 2025 as will be sufficient to discharge the taxes and/or assessments, fees, interest and discharges which may be due thereon respectively at the time of such sale, and shall continue the same from day to day until the said sale shall be completed. The Village reserves the right to withdraw any property prior to the sale of its lien.
PLEASE ALSO TAKE NOTICE THAT THE VILLAGE OF LAWRENCE WILL PURCHASE ALL LIENS FOR SALE, AND NO PUBLIC BIDDING WILL BE PERMITTED.
Such real estate will be sold subject to any unpaid tax liens purchased and held by the Village. The purchase or purchasers of such tax sale will be required to pay the amount of their respective bids to the undersigned within TEN days after the sale pursuant to the provisions of Section 1454 of the New York Real Property Tax Law and Village Local Law #12-1994. THE VILLAGE DOES NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE TO ANY LIEN PURCHASER REGARDING ANY ASPECT OF THE PURCHASE OF OR FORECLOSURE UPON ANY LIEN.
The following is a list or statement of the Real Estate upon which such Tax and/or Assessments are unpaid for the year 2025 with a statement of the amount of tax and/or assessments, fees, interest and charges thereon:
Oceanside Road, west for a distance of 217 feet.
(Adopted 1/27/26) ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.
Dated: March 24, 2026 Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD JOHN FERRETTI
Supervisor
KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 159258
To Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, WILMINGTON
SAVINGS FUND
SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF STARWOOD
MORTGAGE
RESIDENTIAL TRUST
2020-1, Plaintiff, vs. JOHNSON PLACE
HOLDINGS LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on February 17, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on May 6, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 30 Johnson Place, Woodmere, NY 11598. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Hamlet of Woodmere, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 41, Block 101 and Lot 329 f/k/a Section 41, Block 101, and Lot Part of lot 2. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,101,512.31 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 617161/2023. Gerard A. Geisweller, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 231781-1 159305
cies and agriculture, compost cafeteria waste, inspect plants for pest damage and nutrient deficiencies, and explore growing techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics and propagation.
One program for third-graders sends students to three learning stations, where they learn about bee pollination, the greenhouse and the pond’s nitrogen cycle — the balance of oxygen-related compounds in the water. The district’s science chair, Brian Terry, said that when younger grades visit the middle school, older students have the chance to become mentors.
“It builds their confidence,” Terry said. “When they have the opportunity to share what they’ve learned, it inspires the younger ones to be interested in the science as well.”
Engaging students in a hands-on environment, Terry added, makes for “true learning.” He noted their work with equipment like calipers and probes, and their data analysis. “We are constantly trying to find things that are engaging for students by finding realworld applications,” he said.
The environmental center has benefited from grant money before. During the 2016-17 school year, it was presented with $5,000 by SUNY Polytechnic Institute and the New York State School Boards Association for winning the 2016 Be the Change Award. The grant recognized the middle school for programs that create meaningful change for students and the community.
Ken Mossey, the lead teacher in the center, started his career in environmental education at Queens College in the late 1990s. He said that by securing the grant from the Islanders, Andruzcewicz has given the staff another opportunity
to expand programs and curriculum.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for us,” Mossey said. “I always want to bring an excitement for kids coming over and engaging in hands-on learning.”
In 2015, the middle school’s inner courtyard was a run-down, underused area. It took a long time, Mossey said, to persuade teachers to find ways to use the space. Now, all sixth-grade classes complete a science fair project in the greenhouse, and language arts teachers read poetry to their students there.
“We’ve had every discipline at this point come out there,” Mossey said, mentioning social studies, health and music classes. “We’ve really tried, over the course of time, to just keep expanding and figuring out how we can incorporate more people.”
Dozens of district administrators and faculty attended the Islanders-Pittsburgh Penguins game at UBS Arena on Monday night for the check presentation. Among them were Superintendent Dina Anzalone; Assistant Superintendents Patrick Fogarty and Lorraine Smyth; Richard Mangeri, the middle school’s assistant principal; and Barbara Giese, executive director of communications. The group joined Andruzcewicz on the ice to receive the grant from Islanders Co-owner Jon Ledecky.
The middle school is planning to use the grant money for new hands-on learning tools like weather monitoring equipment, new composting systems and environmental science stations. The hope, Andruzcewicz said, is to expand the center’s current programs so students can collect and analyze more real-world data.
“We want to continue doing and adding to the great programs that we already have out there,” he said. “This helps us achieve that.”
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Can we use a local architect for work
Q. We own a home in Boston that needs a lot of work, and were wondering what to do about hiring an architect. We want to hire one who is familiar with the area, the codes and the building department, because we understand they are very strict there. We have a local friend who’s an architect, and he has gotten his “reciprocal” license in Massachusetts. How do you think we should handle this? Should we work with our friend, Zoom with a local architect or have them try to work together?
A. This is not an uncommon problem, but it’s all based on communication, as is most of what we deal with in our daily lives. It’s best to weigh the issues of how the communication will work, including the making of the plans, which are also the basis for your project and the most important communication tool.
Over the years I’ve seen where clients didn’t take the planning process seriously, thinking, and even saying, that they just want to get the permit to start the work. That approach generally leads to failure, with either the owner not getting what they want or causing problems along the way. For example, many people assume that the plans are a suggestion, a kind of open guide to the approximate outcome, and that they will just handle changes for what they really wanted during construction.
One recent client, who didn’t last very long, was in another city and, being in the medical field, said we could do Zoom meetings like they do in tele-health. Conversations fell apart immediately, because the building has major structural deterioration, and on my first walk-through, I had to order column supports to be installed immediately where collapse was imminent. The owner was told this, and that, at the very least, building plans would be absolutely necessary, detailing the exact remedy. But in order to prepare the structural plans, measuring of the building areas contributing loads and further investigation were necessary. The owner got very upset, because his contractor was ready to go and just needed to know what to do.
Having made medical appointments over the years to get one test in a particular hospital, and then shuttling to another site for another test, I realized this client just didn’t get it. His profession required all kinds of very specific testing, and his perception was that mine did not. Buildings are custom. They’re not kits. There are many ways that buildings, even homes, can fail, and we always want to prevent leaking, movement and subsequent damage, in addition to wanting to make the spaces function and be attractive. I would recommend working with your friend, and having him develop an agreement and relationship with the local professional who knows the area best, if possible. Otherwise I would work with the local professional, but arrange for in-person meetings. With issues and questions that happen during construction, you want a good team of people you can trust. Good luck!
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CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE
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Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department. Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc. STRONG knowledge of EXCEL a must! Knowledge of DATABASE maintenance or postal regulations a big plus. Qualified Candidates must be computer literate, able to multi-task, dependable, reliable, organized, energetic, detail oriented and able to work well under deadlines. Salary Range is $17 per hour to $20 per hour.
For consideration, please send resume & salary requirements to: circulationassociate@liherald.com
DENTAL ASSISTANT
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Full Time and Part Time Positions Available!
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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
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PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTED
$20 - $25 Per Hour Must Be Available On Weekends April - June 516-902-6258 Randy@LISNYC.com
PRINTING PRESS OPERATORS FT & PT. Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for
With my second term as county executive underway, I’m proud to say that Nassau County’s future is bright. Like my first term, these coming years will be defined by a strong commitment to public safety, excellent economic growth that increases affordability for our residents, and expanded opportunities for business owners that will benefit everyone.
Growing our economy remains a top focus for my administration. After canceling a $150 million tax hike in my first year in office, I have not raised taxes for four consecutive years — a promise that I will keep in this year’s budget. Through smart financial management, we have earned an unprecedented seven bond upgrades and have been cited by Democratic State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli as a county with no fiscal stress. Our local businesses are thriving, with minority- and women-owned business certifications increasing by 40 percent last year alone — a number I hope to
Araise even higher in 2026 and beyond.
Positive economic activity lets us invest in initiatives that matter to residents. We’ve restored local historical sites like the Roslyn Grist Mill, invested in cultural centers like the Joysetta and Julius Pearse African American Museum, in Hempstead, and upgraded local community hubs like Centennial Park, in Roosevelt. These are testaments to how a well-run government can provide for all of its residents.
since taking office, with more to come. We opened the state-of-the-art Harry Singh Bolla Police Training Village to give all of our officers, new and old, cutting-edge training to ensure that Nassau County remains a leader in public safety.
We’re focused on public safety, economic growth and business opportunities.
I’m proud to report that Nassau County remains the safest county in the United States, a distinction we owe to the courageous men and women of the Nassau County Police Department, the Corrections Department, the Probation Department, the Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Office. These dedicated professionals — along with emergency services personnel like our firefighters, EMS workers and fire marshals — work tirelessly for our security, and we cannot thank them enough.
My administration recognizes the importance of investing in public safety efforts. I’ve authorized the hiring of 600 new police and corrections officers
During my time in office, our emergency services staff has also grown, with more than 1,000 residents signing up to become volunteer firefighters. This year’s budget will expand the number of fire marshals and dispatchers, ensuring that we are prepared for anything that comes our way.
The good news is that our initiatives are already paying off. Major crimes have fallen by more than 10 percent in the past year, with huge declines in serious crimes like murder, rape, assault and robbery. In 2025 our police executed the largest drug bust and gang takedown in county history. Major investments in our battle to alleviate the opioid crisis led to a drop of more than 16 percent in overdose deaths last year. These results speak for themselves, and show that our policies are working.
My administration has also taken steps to protect our religious freedoms.
I recently signed a new law that prevents protesters from targeting churches, synagogues and mosques. Nassau County will always stand for the safety and rights of everyone who practices their religion here.
Our stance on immigration enforcement remains firm: Nassau County is not a sanctuary county. Collaborating with our federal partners has helped us remove dangerous and illegal criminals from our streets — many of whom come from known gangs like MS-13, the 18th Street Gang and the Trinitarios. I want to reiterate that all of our enforcement actions are targeted at criminals, not honest and hardworking people who enrich our communities. My administration is continuing to work on a guest-worker program to support law-abiding immigrants, many of whom are pillars of our business community.
Even as we continue to build on our successes, I know that there’s a lot of work ahead to keep us moving in the right direction, but my commitment to making Nassau County the safest, most affordable and healthiest place to live, work and raise a family remains strong. Thank you for helping to make us the best place to live in all of New York.
Bruce Blakeman is the Nassau County executive.
s deputy managing editor of Herald Community Newspapers, I am privileged to work alongside a staff of honest and creative reporters and editors who deliver the local news that you’re used to receiving. They embody what it means to be a strong journalist, acting with integrity and passion, which is reflected in every story we write and share with the communities that we love to cover.
The ethos I’m describing embodies the pillars of American journalism — a press that thrives on freedom and a drive to seek the truth and report it.
Many of my former colleagues — my good friends — have moved on from their time with the Herald to apply that passion in other media circuits, delivering more, albeit different, news to readers close to home and nationally, too. In a media climate so polarized, where it may feel difficult to decipher right from wrong and the truth from exaggerations, it’s important to remember that we are privileged to live in a
country where we can ask questions. We can challenge what we’re told. We can yearn for more than what appears in black and white.
A few weeks ago, I attended the 2026
Marie Colvin Distinguished Lecture at Stony Brook University, hosted by the school’s Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting. The center was established in memory of Colvin, a fearless war correspondent who was raised on Long Island and died on the front lines of the Syrian civil war in 2012.
T his work matters, and we must never take our freedoms for granted.
The featured speaker was Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian politician and journalist who was arrested in Moscow in 2022 and sentenced to 25 years in prison for “high treason” for opposing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kara-Murza spent over two years in prison, including 11 months in solitary confinement. His release in 2024 was orchestrated by the Biden administration, and part of the largest prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia since the Cold War.
For the writing he completed while in prison, Kara-Murza was awarded the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.
He was the type of speaker who drew you in from the start, painting a bleak
picture of what it’s like to be a journalist in Russia, a place where independent media voices have been not only silenced but directly targeted for telling the truth. He named fellow writers — many of them friends — who were killed by the Russian government. Kara-Murza himself has survived two suspected poisonings in the past decade, marked for his relentless, fearless, truthful reporting. His opening thoughts captivated me. “There’s nothing dictatorships hate more than the truth,” he said, “and the first targets in that quest for absolute power are usually, almost always, independent media voices.”
In Russia, the press is never protected. In the U.S., by contrast, federal courts usually appear committed to upholding the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech. Just two weeks ago, federal courts ruled that the Pentagon’s newly implemented press policy, which bars news outlets from reporting information not officially sanctioned for release, is a violation of the amendment. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman wrote in his ruling that it was “more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspec-
tives about what the government is doing.” That, in essence, makes good journalism possible.
Kara-Murza made it clear that a democracy thrives only when its people put forth the effort to sustain it. He invoked Ben Franklin’s reminder that the United States was founded as “a republic, if you can keep it”— which resonates with renewed urgency.
I became a journalist because I love to write. I’m committed to upholding the values I believe in so strongly. Like my Herald colleagues, I love telling your stories, and I love diving into the important topics I believe you, our readers, deserve to know about.
I can’t say that I’m as courageous as Vladimir Kara-Murza, who embodies everything journalists should hope to be — fearless, principled, and unwavering in the pursuit of truth. But his story reminds me why this work matters, and why we must never take our freedoms for granted. Every day that we can report honestly, ask challenging questions, and share your stories is a privilege — one I never intend to lose sight of.
Jordan Vallone, the deputy managing editor of Herald Community Newspapers, is a graduate student in Stony Brook University’s School of Communications and Journalism. Comments? jvallone@liherald.com.
Warshavsky
harWiTT
2 Endo Boulevard
City, NY 11530
Phone: (516) 569-4000
Fax: (516) 569-4942
Web: www.liherald.com
E-mail: nassaueditor@liherald.com
Official neWsPaPer:
Incorporated Villages of Cedarhurst,
New York’s housing crisis is undeniable. Rents are high, supply is tight and too many families are struggling to find a place to call home.
In response, Albany is advancing proposals like the REVIVE Act alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Let Them Build agenda — efforts designed to cut red tape and accelerate development.
The goal is right. The challenge is getting the approach right, too. At the heart of the debate is a familiar tension: how to build faster without sacrificing thoughtful planning and public trust.
It’s not just about process; it’s about trust. Residents are more likely to support new housing when they believe their voices are heard. Developers are more likely to invest when rules are consistent. And elected officials are more effective when they can balance urgency with accountability.
Supporters of reform make a compelling case. New York’s development process is notoriously slow and expensive. Reviews under the State Environmental Quality Review Act can stretch timelines by years, even for projects that ultimately pose little or no environmental risk.
According to state data, projects can take up to 56 percent longer to start compared with other states, and cost up to $45,000 per unit on Long Island. Those costs are usually passed on to renters and buyers. In a state where affordability is already a crisis, those inefficiencies matter.
The REVIVE Act seeks to address this by targeting underused commercial properties — shopping centers, office
To the Editor:
parks and large parking lots — and encouraging their conversion into housing. In concept, this is smart policy. Repurposing dormant or declining properties into vibrant residential communities can ease the housing shortage while revitalizing local economies.
But the concerns raised by local officials and residents are just as valid. Critics argue that the legislation could sideline local zoning authority, limit public hearings and reduce meaningful community input.
The inclusion of a “deemed approved” provision — allowing projects to move forward automatically if municipalities fail to act within an expedited timeline — is a flashpoint.
One side says projects would move forward without public hearings or meaningful community input. That might overstate the case, but it isn’t entirely off base. The proposal appears to compress timelines and shift leverage away from local governments. If those timelines are too tight, or if municipalities lack the resources to review complex proposals quickly, the result could be approvals by default rather than by design.
And what about the timeline itself? That remains a critical detail. Without clear and reasonable deadlines, “expedited” can quickly become “unworkable.” Municipal boards might need additional support to operate on stateimposed clocks. If they are rushed, oversight suffers. If they miss deadlines, community members may feel that decisions are being made for them, not with them.
Yet it would be a mistake to dismiss
With all the rhetoric being bandied about over the war in the Middle East, I would like to add something that rarely seems to enter into the discussion. That is the size of the various sides. My source is the 2025 World Almanac.
Israel has an area of approximately 8,470 square miles, which is about the size of the state of New Jersey. The West Bank and Gaza have a combined area of about 2,402 square miles, which is about the size of the city of Detroit and the state of Delaware.
The area of Israel’s near neighbors — Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon — is just over 1.3 million square miles, or about one-third the size of the United States.
The population of Israel is just over 9.4 million. The population of the West Bank and Gaza is just
the need for reform altogether. Doing nothing is not an option. The current system is too slow, too costly and too unpredictable. Developers face uncertainty and communities can miss opportunities.
The answer lies not in choosing sides, but in combining the best ideas from both. New York should streamline environmental review for projects that consistently demonstrate minimal impact, particularly those on previously developed sites. It should set clear, enforceable timelines for decisions.
Those timelines, however, must be realistic, and paired with resources, training and technical assistance for local governments. The state’s proposal to modernize permitting and create a “permitting academy” is a step in the right direction.
At the same time, local decision-making must be preserved. Communities deserve a voice in shaping their neighborhoods, especially when it comes to density, infrastructure and quality of life. Public hearings should not be eliminated, but they can be made more efficient and focused.
If “deemed approved” provisions are included, they must come with safeguards: flexibility for municipalities acting in good faith, transparency in the review process and mechanisms to ensure that projects meet clear standards before moving forward.
New York doesn’t need a rushed solution. It needs a smart one. Albany has an opportunity to get this right. By blending efficiency with oversight, and speed with community input, lawmakers can craft a housing policy that works for all.
For years, my son cody and I were known in court papers only by our initials. Today I am using my full name — as a Long Island mother, a family peer advocate and one of the formerly anonymous plaintiffs in c.K. v. McDonald. I joined this class action lawsuit to challenge new york state’s widespread failure to provide mental health services to children on Medicaid.
In January, a federal judge approved a settlement, and the state agreed to dramatically improve access to these services. It’s a measure of justice, but it is incomplete without investments in the struggling nonprofit providers who deliver this vital care to kids like cody.
cody needed help almost from the moment he entered this world. I worked as an early childhood educator, and I recognized the signs. By age 3, he was diagnosed with ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder and severe social anxiety; at 4 he was psychiatrically hospitalized. He struggled to function in school. From ages 10 to 12 he was in a residential treatment center, where he finally
under 5.4 million. The population of Israel’s near neighbors is 188.2 million. As a reference, the population of the United States is nearly 342 million.
There are rights and wrongs on both sides, but the constant drive to destroy Israel is not the correct solution to these issues.
LAwrence Levy Rockville Centre
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began to thrive. In 2019 cody was discharged and came home. He was supposed to receive home- and community-based mental health services to give him the tools to re-integrate. He was entitled to at-home therapy to manage his emotions, as well as crisis respite services — an alternative to hospitalization to provide stability during crises.
He received care through Medicaid, its access guaranteed by federal law. But the reality was different: Providers changed constantly, programs had waitlists and services disappeared without explanation.
wcate, I saw the chronic understaffing, the underfunding, and the burnout.
e can’t afford to continue neglecting the services our children need.
without consistent, medically necessary services, cody couldn’t handle the transition to home, and while lingering on waitlists, he had his first suicide attempt.
All the while, I was working inside the system. I took a job with wellLife network, a nonprofit mental health provider, as a supervisor of communitybased services and a family peer advocate. These advocates are an indispensable component of our behavioral health system. we provide care as parents of children with mental health issues. As such, we are trusted messengers when offering services like skill development. But working as an advo-
I knew that the system was failing, even as my family lived it personally. And we aren’t alone. Across the state, three in four Medicaid-eligible children who need outpatient behavioral health services are not receiving them. The disparities are similar on Long Island, and grow worse the closer you look. eighty-five percent of Medicaid-eligible children in our area are not receiving the outpatient clinical services they need, and nearly 500 more practitioners are needed to fill the gap.
without an investment for providers to expand services, children will lose out on programs that stabilize them before a crisis lands them in the hospital, or in handcuffs. we cannot afford to continue neglecting these services. Medicaid reimbursement rates for them have stagnated, even as costs have risen. nonprofit providers can’t pay competitive wages. Staff leave, caseloads grow, and some programs stop offering Medicaid services altogether.
I joined that lawsuit because I was fed up with a broken system. Alongside three other families, we charged that new york was violating Medicaid law by failing to provide required communi-
Framework by Tim Baker
ty-based services. As part of the settlement, new york must review long-inadequate Medicaid reimbursement rates to improve services. But the settlement gives the state a yearslong runway, and families can’t wait for reform.
If new york is serious about meeting both its legal and moral responsibilities, lawmakers must act this budget season. Providers across the state are calling for a $200 million investment to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for children’s behavioral health services.
Unfortunately, the governor’s and the State Senate’s proposed budgets do not include new resources. The Assembly did include $20 million to improve reimbursement rates, but that is far short of the support that is needed.
without investment, the promises in the settlement risk becoming hollow. It may be too late to give my son back the years he lost, but it doesn’t have to be too late for others.
every child on Long Island and across the state deserves timely mental health care in their home and community. The settlement made clear that new york falls short. now our lawmakers must make the investment necessary to turn that legal victory into real change for families like mine.
Christina Hauptman is a family peer advocate and a New York state peer specialist on the Intensive and Sustained Engagement Team at Hands Across Long Island.
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