



Temple Israel of Lawrence will unveil two newly restored Torahs and embroidered Torah covers at its Shavuot celebration on June 1.
Temple Israel of Lawrence will unveil two newly restored Torahs and embroidered Torah covers at its Shavuot celebration on June 1.
By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
Temple Israel of Lawrence will unveil to its congregation two new embroidered Torah covers during its Shavuot celebration on Sunday.
The two-day Jewish holiday of Shavuot commemorates the act of receiving the Torah, when Moses was given the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.
Shavuot is celebrated seven weeks after Passover and marks the beginning of the summer harvest season.
To celebrate the completion of the Torah covers, the temple will host a complimentary dinner and multi-access service during the June 1 celebration.
“To honor this enduring covenant, Temple Israel, Lawrence, launched a Torah rededication project,” the temple’s rabbi, Galina Makaveyev, said. “Thanks to the generous contributions of our congregants, we successfully completed this effort last year. With this meaningful accomplishment, our sacred community is now honored to hold two Torah scrolls in excellent condition, ready to serve future generations.”
Of the two refurbished Torahs, one has a blue cover that will be used for everyday services and the other a white cover, to be used for the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
“This special cover will be placed on one
By BRIAN NORMAN bnorman@liherald.com
The Village of Lawrence has announced a new array of projects, which will focus on beautification and restoration, with the aim of improving residents’ quality of life.
Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias disclosed at the May 15 board meeting that the village had received a grant from Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel for the restoration effort.
“I am extremely proud to announce that the Nassau County Legislature’s presiding officer, Howard Kopel, has worked through the budget and granted the Village of Lawrence $623,000 on behalf of the county,” Nahmias said.
“The grant is for beautification, which includes replacement of all the (street) lights in Lawrence. (Security) cameras will be purchased with that as well, and Rock Hall Road will have a new road.”
There is no timeline for the projects, but Nahmias said that the plans include upgrading all 800 streetlights in the village, the installation of security cameras and license plate readers, and the full restoration of Rock Hall Road, including new pavement, sidewalks, and tree plantings along the street, which is a county road.
The village’s streetlights have not been modernized in 30 years, according to Nahmias.
Kopel emphasized that the projects are important not just for beautification, but also for residents’ safety.
“I live in the Village of Lawrence, I have lived here since 1987, I love this village, and I am delighted that I have an opportunity to do something for the village and for my fellow neighbors,” Kopel said. “I mean, obviously, there’s several safety aspects of it. There’s the cracked and broken blacktop that needs to be
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By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
As beach season is here, Atlantic Beach residents are reminded to practice water safety and stay vigilant while still having fun.
Starting Memorial Day weekend, residents will have access to the eight village beaches on the weekends until June 21. Then, the beaches are open seven days a week until Labor Day. On the beachfront, there is no swimming on the weekends until the lifeguards begin working on June 21.
Nat Etrog, a village trustee and chairman of the Parks Commission stressed the importance of beachfront and pool safety.
“Atlantic Beach like a lot of communities has had a significant increase in home pools and there’s a long and unfortunate history of drownings in home pools, especially young children,” Etrog said.
With May being National Water Safety Month, Etrog emphasized that the five layers of safety should be followed no matter the person’s swim level at home and beachfront.
“Unfortunately, there is not one single thing we can do to prevent drowning so the National Drowning Prevention Alliance recommends layers of protection,” Alissa Magrum, executive director of the NDPA wrote in an email. “If one layer fails, another is in place.”
The layers of protection include — 1. Using barriers and alarms to restrict access to water. 2. Constant-capable and undistracted supervision around water.
3. Learning water competency and swimming skills. 4. Wearing U.S Coast guard approved life jackets when in, on and around open water and always while boating. 5. Being prepared in case of an emergency, learning first aid and CPR with rescue breaths.
“Drowning is fast and silent and does not discriminate,” Magrum wrote. “In the United States, we lose an average of 11 people every day to drowning — all ages, genders, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic levels and even swimming ability. We must elevate this issue to the forefront of everyone’s attention.”
“Never swim when there’s no lifeguard on duty,” Etrog said. “Despite the fact that the beaches are open people are
constantly reminded by staff and park commissioner that there is no swimming allowed.”
Once the beaches are open full-time, these rules also apply when the lifeguards finish for the day and people remain at the beach.
“After-hours swimming becomes an issue to because there are no lifeguards on duty, that’s when you see most of the drownings,” Etrog added. “We have not had a drowning in Atlantic Beach since the village was incorporated in 1962.”
Dan Majikas has been the Atlantic Beach chief lifeguard for five summers and this will be his 17th as a lifeguard. He manages a crew of over 30 lifeguards that span the seven stands along the village’s eight beaches.
“We identify hazards like rip currents and undertows, we indicate that with yellow flags or we’ll keep people in no deeper than their waist,” Majikas said. “When the red flags come out we close the beach or just the water and we mark the swim area with red and green flags.”
He urges residents to “always swim in front of the lifeguards” and “talk to the lifeguards” about your swimming ability.
“In the beginning of the season, the water will be very cold which poses as another hazard so try to swim in front of guarded beaches and keep yourselves and children close and monitored,” he said.
For more information about water safety with educational tools and resources, go to NDPA.org.
By BRIAN NORMAN bnorman@liherald.com
Over 110 students with intellectual and developmental disabilities from across Nassau County enjoyed an eventfilled day on the Hewlett High School football and softball fields.
The Friendship Games is a field day event that allows students with disabilities to participate in several outdoor activities.
Organized by the PE Leaders Club, a student run organization, helped to promote, organize and take charge during the games to ensure it ran smoothly.
Hewlett High senior Ava Morgan is the president of the organization and said that she and her team really got to improve on the foundation that they built for the event last year.
“Sports are really unifying, and just to be to be able to play sports solely for fun and not, you know, worry about winning is something that we don’t really get to do often, at least at a high school level,” Morgan said. “We have unified bowling and basketball, but besides those two seasons, it’s very limited, and a lot of these students don’t really get the chance to participate at a high school level, so, bringing all these schools together is really cool.”
Morgan and a group of her friends brought the games back to Hewlett High after a two-year hiatus.
Students from surrounding districts
Students from neighboring districts including Lynbrook, Lawrence, South Side and West Hempstead took part in this year’s Friendship Games on May 19.
including Lynbrook, Lawrence South Side, and West Hempstead took part.
Hewlett High physical education teacher Monique Ciccarelli, an event adviser, said students worked hard to bring the event back and that the participants’ reactions are always priceless.
“The amount of enjoyment that they get from this event, and watching their faces is amazing, it fills your heat with such joy,” Ciccarelli said. “The kids are always smiling and happy and loving every part of it, even if it’s as silly as carrying an egg on a spoon across the
Over 110 students with intellectual and developmental disabilities from across Nassau County participated in several activities during The Friendship Games at Hewlett High School.
field, it’s enjoyment for them, it’s nice to watch them love every minute of it.”
Following an Olympic theme, the games kicked off with a walk around the track for the students, where each district and school had their names announced.
The students participated in several activities, including relay races; javelin throws with foam noodles, frisbee tosses and a bounce house, which was provided by the Hewlett-Woodmere Special Education Parent Teacher Association.
Ariana Ciampone, the social media
coordinator for the games, said she loved being able to be a part of all the different stations and capture the interactions and emotions from all of the students participating.
“I think it’s an important event for the school because it unifies all of the different demographics in the school along with other schools in the district and surrounding towns,” Ciampone said. “I love the role that I play because I was able to be all over the event, at every station, interacting with all the kids and not just one group.”
By BRIAN KACHARABA sports@liherald.com
The final event literally vaulted the Hewlett girls’ spring track and field team to the Nassau Class AA county title.
Junior Maree Drayling won the deciding pole vault and senior Jayden Yochai and sophomore Ella Findling finished second and fifth, respectively, as the Bulldogs collected 20 points in the event to ‘vault’ over four schools and claim the program’s tenth county title and first since 2018 on May 19.
Sophomores Janee Llanos (triple jump) and Valeria Paez (800-meter run) also won county titles to help Hewlett, which hosted the meet, finish with 73 points, eight clear of defending-champion Calhoun.
“We were sixth on paper if you look at all the seeds going in, so we didn’t have to jump just over one team, we had to jump over five,” Hewlett coach Stephen Honerkamp said. “But we did it in every event that we were in. We all jumped up and did better than we were supposed to.”
Hewlett, which was hosting its first spring county championship, entered the last event of the day – the pole vault – in a fourth-place tie with Garden City with 53 points. Calhoun and Manhasset were tied for first at 61 and Roosevelt sat third with 55.
remaining competitors failed to clear 8 feet 6 inches, but she went on to reach a personal-record 9-2. Yochai reached eight feet on her first attempt and Findling did it on her third try to break her personal record.
I knew their experience going into it was going to really be a strength,” Honerkamp said of Drayling and Yochai. “They would be able to handle that stressful situation because they’ve been there before.”
the triple jump, but she later reached 36 feet for her longest ever. She also PR’d while finishing fourth in the long jump (15-7) and placed the same in the 100meter hurdles final.
erkamp said. “She was hurdling well,
replaced. So that’s a safety issue, as well as a beautification issue. Everyone’s happier living in a in a pretty, wellmaintained neighborhood.”
The announcement follows one almost two months ago about repairs to 11 streetlights on the Lawrence side of State Route 878, also known as the Nassau Expressway. The village acquired a grant of $150,000 for that project from State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick. That project is on track to be completed by the end of the month.
In an op-ed column, “Samuel Nahmias: Lawrence is investing in safety, beauty and community” in the May 15-21 issue of the Herald, Nahmias also noted a new initiative to target the greenhead fly, an insect that has been a major nuisance for many village residents during the summer months. He claimed that the new program would significantly reduce the presence of the flies, and make the village’s parks, backyards, pools and public spaces more
pleasant for residents.
Barry Ringelheim, an Atlantic Beach resident, said that he looked forward to seeing all of these new projects. “I think spending money for better lighting is a great idea,” Ringelheim said. “The cameras, I mean, I live in Atlantic Beach, and I sometimes wonder what could happen. I think it’s a very good idea.”
He added that Rock Hall Road typically experiences a lot of flooding, and that he hoped it could be renovated to benefit both drivers who use it and resident who live on it.
“Together, these projects reflect our administration’s firm commitment to delivering meaningful, tangible improvements to the Village of Lawrence,” Nahmias wrote in the column to the Herald. “Whether it’s a safer road, a brighter streetlight, a new sidewalk or relief from insects, each initiative is rooted in one goal: improving the quality of life for our residents.”
Have an opinion on the village’s projects? Send letter to mberman@liherald.com.
‘Blood Alley’ stretch lives up to its name on roadway with grim total of over 3,000 crashes per year
By BRIAN NORMAN bnorman@liherald.com
Third in a series on the Southern State Parkway.
The 23.5 miles of the Southern State Parkway, which stretches from the Queens-Nassau border to Heckscher State Park in East Islip, has daily traffic congestion and frequent accidents, so numerous that one portion is called “Blood Alley.”
There have been over 3,000 accidents a year on the parkway since 2021, a majority of which occurred in Nassau County, according to New York State Police. Last year, 15 of those crashes were fatal, the highest number in recent years.
The section of parkway between exits 17 and 32 is widely referred to as Blood Alley due to its high accident rates, which include several fatalities. The road’s narrow lanes, sharp turns and poor lighting have all contributed to its dubious distinction as one of the most dangerous roadways in the country.
Elmont resident Winston Waters said that he has lived in the area for 40 years, and has often found himself having to plan his day around the congestion of the parkway.
“I work around it as much as I can,” Waters said. “There are times when I have to leave early to get to work — you know, I’ve got to deal with that — but I try to work around it. I try and leave very early, after rush hour, before rush hour, those kinds of things.”
Waters said his backyard once resembled a national park, with thick trees that helped muffle the sound of the nearby parkway. But since the trees were removed because of their age, the noise has become a growing issue, and the constant congestion is beginning to spill into the community, disrupting daily life.
see the roadway.
And despite the noise, she is not a fan of the huge sound walls erected on other roadways, such as the Long Island Expressway. “The walls are kind of ugly, Kordulak said.
“I personally didn’t want to see that much traffic in the area,” he added, “because it (creates) a lot of congestion, particularly if there’s an accident or there’s in the morning, rush hour — you have a lot of people that come through, come off the exit and then they want to maneuver through the side streets, which decreases the quality of life.”
Blood Alley lived up to its name in January, when a car overturned near Exit 29 in North Massapequa, killing two people and seriously injuring two others. The driver was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic before losing control and crashing into a tree, police reported.
South Park Drive, in North Massapequa, sits within sight of the parkway and Sharyn Kordulak can see vehicles whizzing by from the front of her house.
“You get used to all the noise, the drone of the traffic,” Kordulak said, noting that some neighbors have blocked out portions of the cyclone fence on the opposite side of the street so they don’t
Valley Stream resident Patrick Goin, who has been an advocate for safer conditions along the highway, specifically near Exit 13 in Valley Stream, said that he is hopeful that the myriad complaints about the parkway complaints will be addressed.
“I’m the one who spoke with Carrié for something to be done about that intersection, because my uncle had a severe car accident where he almost died and his car was totaled,” Goin said, referring to Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages. “There’s been a few accidents. My uncle wasn’t the first, so that’s being addressed.”
Goin added that he lives right near Exit 13, and that speeding by motorists coming on and off of the parkway has become a recent issue for him and his neighbors when they try to leave their homes.
Exit 13, which serves both Central Avenue south and Linden Boulevard north in Valley Stream, is one of the more widely reviled entry and exit points along the highway, with residents calling for fixes for several years.
In 2018, Valley Stream resident Nayyer Zubair created a petition that documented residents’ concerns about safety. The petition, which currently has 672 signatures, calls for the addition of leftturn lanes and signals on Central Avenue to facilitate safer turns onto Stuart Avenue; lighting upgrades to enhance
Osmar Vasquez was killed in 2023 when the driver of the car in which he was a passenger apparently lost control and crashed between exits 36 and 37.
pedestrian visibility and safety; and the addition of traffic cameras to deter redlight violations and other dangerous driving behaviors.
The state Department of Transportation unveiled a plan on May 8 to reconstruct eastbound Exit 13, with construction set to begin in the spring of 2027. The project aims to create safer conditions for drivers entering and exiting the parkway.
However, some residents questioned the need to reconstruct the entire exit.
Valley Stream resident Dayle Cohen said she recognized the issues that occur at the exit, but questioned how a massive project like this could affect the community even more.
“I drive this route often,” Cohen said. “I know a lot of people run the stop sign when you’re getting up (the ramp to) the highway. People coming from the Linden (Boulevard) side always struggle to make their right lane on Stuart. But I really haven’t noticed any (bigger)
issues. I’m not an expert — I don’t know the traffic patterns. I don’t know the statistics, and my only concern was people run the stop sign, but then you wait a minute and it’s no big deal. I’m not sure about the price tag and how it will affect people who actually live right here, but I personally didn’t see a need for it.”
In Islip Terrace, not far from the Southern State’s eastern terminus, Jo Borda has lived off Spur Drive South, on Juniper Street, for 33 years, and though the parkway is wider there than in its western portion, accidents still occur.
“All times of the day, people are turning too fast off the exit and crashing on the turn,” Borda said. “Once right into the corner house.”
The former Franklin Square resident had advice for motorists. “People just need to slow down,” Borda said.
Additional reporting by Jeffrey Bessen. Next installment: Engineering challenges, infrastructure needs.
By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
Q: Tell me about yourself.
A: I’m a licensed CPA with over 20 years of experience as an accountant, having worked in the field since 2001. Although I don’t have children in the Lawrence school district, I have a strong connection to the community. I grew up in Lawrence for part of my elementary school years and have been living in Cedarhurst with my husband Sruly for the past 16 years. Through my friendships and community involvement, I’ve heard concerns about various issues affecting the district, which motivated me to run for school board trustee.
Q: How does it feel to win trust-
ee over someone who held it over 10 years?
A: I’m thrilled and humbled by the trust the community has placed in me. This win is a testament to the desire for fresh perspectives and new ideas in our school district. I’m excited to bring a new voice to the table and work collaboratively with the board and community to drive positive change.
Q: What new ideas are you looking to bring to the table?
A: As a CPA, I bring a financial perspective that will help ensure the district’s resources are used efficiently. I’m also passionate about expanding universal pre-K to communitywide organizations and reinstating pre-K bussing. These
initiatives will help level the playing field and provide more opportunities for our youngest learners.
Q: What are you most looking forward to tacking?
A: I’m most looking forward to increasing transparency around issues in the school district. I believe parents, students, and community members deserve to have access to accurate and timely information. I’ll work to ensure that communication channels are open and that everyone has a seat at the table.
Q: How will you bring your experiences to the board?
A: With over 20 years of experience as an accountant, I’ve developed strong analytical and problem-solving skills. I’ll use these skills to make informed decisions that benefit our students and district. My experience living in the community for 16 years and growing up in Lawrence also gives me a deep understanding of the district’s needs and values.
Q: Anything else to add?
A: I’m committed to putting students first and working collaboratively with the board, administrators, teachers, and community members to drive positive change. I’m excited to get to work and make a difference in our school district. I want to thank the community for their support and look forward to serving the Lawrence School District.
The Villages of Cedarhurst and Lawrence had their annual Memorial Day parade, on May 25 at 10 am.
The parade marched along Central Avenue from Frost Lane to Cedarhurst Avenue, concluding at Andrew J. Parise Park, in Cedarhurst with a commemorative service honoring fallen heroes and paying tribute to veterans.
Participants included — veteran groups, police and fire departments, community organizations, local schools and the Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol.
The parade honored former Mayor Andrew J. Parise, who was a World War II veteran who liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp with a banner on a car.
Residents lined the parade route and attended the memorial service, bringing friends, neighbors, and family members to show appreciation for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
— Melissa Berman
By BRIAN NORMAN bnorman@liherald.com
Residents continued to voice their frustration over Atlantic Beach’s looming 87 percent property tax hike.
The increase, announced during a special budget adoption meeting on April 30, marks the largest tax hike in the village’s history.
Dozens filled Village Hall during the monthly board meeting on May 12, criticizing what they described as a lack of transparency from the trustees.
Atlantic Beach resident Douglas Garczynski took issue with Mayor George Pappas attributing 60 percent of the tax increase to a Nassau County tax shift. Garczynski questioned where the remaining 27 percent was coming from.
“You read a statement concerning the 60 percent on the assessments,” Garczynski said. “Do any of you have any comment on the additional 27 percent increase in taxes that we are having this year?”
Residents attributed the remaining 27 percent increase to additional spending on the ongoing litigation between the village and the Chabad of the Beaches, based in Long Beach, and urged the board to settle the case.
The dispute between the Chabad and the village began in 2021, after the religious organization purchased the former Capital One bank property at the base of the Atlantic Beach Bridge; in 2022, the village attempted to seize the site through eminent domain, but a federal judge later ruled in favor of the Chabad.
In 2024, the village allocated $47,500 in its budget for legal fees, this year that number has skyrocketed up to $622,688.
Atlantic Beach resident Suzy Schneider pleaded with the board to end the on-going settlement with the Chabad, and to consider what more could be at stake for the residents if this continues.
“In November of 2023, the board signed a settlement agreement with the Chabad for $400,000, that seems very inexpensive compared to where we are now,” Schneider said. “We’re probably in the millions now, plus what, hundreds of thousands in legal fees and if we litigate and lose, we’re looking at a lot more. How much are we going to you going to gamble with our money?”
Other residents raised similar concerns, asking if any of the other villages that serve as their own assessing units in Nassau County were facing comparable issues.
Trustee Barry Frohlinger said that of the 19 villages that are assessing units of Nassau County, Atlantic Beach is the only one facing this problem, crediting it to improper tax rate calculations that have been occurring since 2006.
“The 60 percent attributable to this problem the tax allocation, to which the press has reported. It’s a longstanding issue, it’s actually untrue, it is not a county problem,” Frohlinger said. “There are 19 villages in Nassau
County that assess the taxes the way that we do, we’re the only one out of all of them that is caught with 60 percent increase,”
A financial committee was created and approved during the meeting, which will consist of Frohlinger, Treasurer Herbert A. Klibanoff and residents Les Frimerman, Julia Herbert, Joseph Pierantoni and Francine Rosenberg.
Have an opinion on the Atlantic Beach tax increase? Send letter to mberman@liherald.com.
Atlantic Beach trustees heard the residents frustrations over the village’s looming 87 percent tax increase during the board’s monthly meeting on May 12.
Inwood honored Memorial Day with their annual parade, on May 25. It stepped off at the Inwood Train Station, on Doughty Boulevard and ended with a ceremony at VFW Post 1582.
The parade featured — the Inwood Civic Association, Inwood Fire Department, Peninsula Kiwanis, Lawrence School District students and PTA members, the Police Activity League, Our Lady of Good Counsel Church and veterans.
Community members stood and waved from the sides of Doughty Boulevard as the parade marched by.
— Melissa Berman
The annual HewlettWoodmere Memorial Day parade will stepped off at the Woodmere Fire Department, on May 26.
The parade ended with a barbecue in the Hewlett High School parking lot. Before the grilling, there was a performance from the HHS marching band and select choir students recited the pledge of allegiance and sang the Star Spangled Banner.
Dina Anzalone, the incoming Hewlett-Woodmere superintendent served as this year’s Grand Marshall.
All active military, veterans, law enforcement joined the parade along with school organizations and members of the community.
— Melissa Berman
By MOHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
At All American Cleaners in Bellmore on May 22, Nassau County Legislator Seth Koslow, accompanied by Democratic colleagues Delia DeRiggi-Whitton and Olena Nicks, unveiled legislation aimed at reducing business licensing fees across Nassau County.
“The fees that people are paying in Nassau County are multiple times higher than Suffolk County, and it’s just not fair,” Koslow, the Democratic candidate for county executive, said at a news conference. “These small businesses drive our economy, and they have to pay $650 a year just to get their license, when in Suffolk County they’re paying $110.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Nassau is home to over 200,000 small businesses, which employ the majority of the county’s workforce. The proposed legislation targets more than 30 categories of business licenses, including dry cleaners, locksmiths, doggroomers, second-hand gem dealers, appliance replacement services and more.
Asked why there was a difference between the license fees in Suffolk and Nassau counties, Koslow laid responsibility at the feet of County Executive Bruce Blakeman, saying, “Blakeman just keeps raising fees to pay for all his celebrations and his photo ops, and he’s not really worried about taking care of the people here that drive our business.”
“I, unfortunately, don’t anticipate it’ll get much traction because of Bruce Blakeman and the Republican majority,” Koslow added of the legislative proposal. “But this is one of those things that is important to our community, and we should do on a bipartisan level.”
DeRiggi-Whitton echoed Koslow’s sentiments.
“Many of these fees came in under the Mangano administration,” she said, referring to former County Executive Edward Mangano. “And many of them, at that point, we thought, were completely ridiculous, and our caucus voted against them. However, the Republican majority passed them.
“They are arduous,” DeRiggi-Whitton added. “They are something that would make someone decide whether or not they want to come to Nassau County, and that’s the last thing we need.”
Marc Tolchinsky, owner of All American Cleaners, was asked about the impact that licensing fees have on businesses’ ability to stay afloat, and the difference
Nassau County Democrats decried high business licensing fees and announced legislation to cut fees for small businesses on May 22. In Bellmore, from far left, were County Legislators Olena Nicks and Seth Koslow; Marc Tolchinsky, owner of All American Cleaners; and Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton.
that the proposed cuts would make.
“We’ve already been hurt so badly by Covid and the working from home, so all these things that they’re coming up now with, it impacts us,” Tolchinsky said. “You know, we’re running on less revenue, less volume, and anything will help.”
In statement to the Herald, Blakeman rejected the claim that he was responsible for the fees. “These fees were sustained and supported by a Democrat administration with acquiescence from Democrat legislators,” the statement read. “I am happy to cut the fees provided Democrats come up with matching cuts to spending.”