Your CoMMunitY. trusteD neWs,
Courtesy Eli Weidmann Amateur Eli Weidmann, 18, was the winner of the 102nd Long Island Open Championship at the Seawane Club in Hewlett Harbor, finishing 11 under par on June 11.
The Seawane Club hosts
102nd Long Island Open
By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
Some of Long Island’s top golfers walked the fairways of the Seawane Club in Hewlett Harbor last week, competing in one of the region’s most prestigious championships while showcasing a course that nearly ceased to exist less than a decade ago.
The 99-year-old club hosted the 102nd Long Island Open Championship Presented by Stifel, from June 9 to 11, marking the first time the prestigious golf event was played at the historic waterfront course.
For the club’s owner, Jared Brecher, the tournament represented far more than a golf championship.
“This is the most prestigious event the club has ever hosted,” Brecher said. “It
Garczynski and Bass are elected in
By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
After a three-person race for two Atlantic Beach trustee seats, incumbent Douglas Garczynski, who had 327 votes, and Andrew Bass (317) each won a seat, defeating Joseph Montilli (171) in Tuesday’s election. Barry Frohlinger was re-elected mayor with 375 votes.
Ttwo years to four while limiting officials to two consecutive four-year terms.
In Hewlett Harbor, Mayor Dominic Calandrella won a second term with 365 votes, and incumbent Trustees Lorie Ruditser (356) and Igor Noble (354) were re-elected to the board. The village also elected its first village justice, Vito Palmieri, who had 353 votes.
o Trustee Garczynski and Trusteeelect Bass, thank you for running alongside me.
means a lot to us, and it’s something we’re very proud of.”
The event also served as a milestone in the club’s remarkable turnaround.
Brecher purchased Seawane in 2019 after the club had spent years struggling financially. At the time, membership had fallen below 150 families, and the property faced an uncertain future.
“Seven years ago, it was on the verge of being sold to developers and in bankruptcy,” Brecher said. “Today, thankfully, the club is thriving. We now have close to 400 families, and the average age has come down significantly, with about 25 percent of our members under 45.”
Brecher, whose family has lived in the Five Towns for four generations, said restor-
“To Trustee Garczynski and Trusteeelect Bass, thank you for running alongside me,” Frohlinger said. “We shared a vision and we pounded the pavement, and I am incredibly proud to serve with you. And to Chairman Montilli, thank you for raising your hand to serve. You ran a hard fought race.”
Uncontested races
BARRy
FRohLINgER
Mayor
In Lawrence, Mayor Samuel Nahmias (744) and Trustees Aaron Felder (752) and Steve Gottesman (748) were re-elected to four-year terms. This was the first election held under a newly adopted term structure that extends elected terms from
In Hewlett Bay Park, Antonio Oliviero retained the mayoralty, and Trustees Joshua Blisko, Michael Davidov and Village Justice Stephanie Kaufman were re-elected.
The scenario repeated itself in Hewlett Neck, with Mayor Moshe Blinder re-elected along with Trustees Edward Vilinsky, Russel Weinrib and Village Justice Brett Cooper.
Two of three trustee candidates in Woodsburgh won reelection — Seth Fishman and Shira Hoschander. Newly elected Trustee Mario Joseph will serve a one-year term. All trustee and mayor terms are two years unless noted.
stAY ConneCteD suBsCriBe toDAY
Walsh Ambulatory Pavilion
Episcopal Health Services is proud to introduce the Walsh Ambulatory Pavilion , a state-of-the-art
Services Include:
• Primary Care
• Behavioral Health
• Obstetrics & Gynecology
Maternal Fetal Medicine
• Endocrinology
• Endoscopy Colonoscopy
• EHS Cancer Center
Medical Oncology
Radiation Oncology
19-20 Brookhaven Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691
Call 718-347-3627 or visit ehs.org/walsh to schedule an appointment today! For the EHS Cancer Center, please email cancercenter@ehs.org.
From Nassau Herald columnist to self-published author
By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
Bob Calderon’s journey from a shy, closeted teenager in Woodmere to a published author at age 77 began with a newspaper column and a neighbor who saw potential where he saw uncertainty.
Calderon, a Lawrence High School graduate and former columnist for the Nassau Herald, recently self-published his first book, “What You See in Me”, a semi-autobiographical novella inspired by his experiences growing up in the Five Towns during the 1960s. The book follows Jacob Topol, a closeted boy navigating adolescence while searching for acceptance, purpose and his authentic self.
For Calderon, the story is deeply personal.
“I was closeted back then,” he said. “I was really frozen. People who are treated differently don’t have the coping skills at that age to deal with it. I wanted to be invisible.”
His life changed when Nassau Herald Executive Editor Leatrice Spanierman, then a neighbor living two houses away in Woodmere, invited him to contribute to the newspaper’s teen pages.
What began as helping with the popular “Be Twist & Be Tween” column soon evolved into Calderon writing under his own byline in a column called “Hot From the Cauldron.”
“To first help her write the column, then to give it to me and put it under my own
name in my junior and senior years was an extraordinary thing,” Calderon said. “It really saved my life. It taught me things I wasn’t learning in high school — deadlines, responsibility, commitment. It gave me a voice.”
The experience opened doors that few teenagers could imagine.
As a Herald columnist, Calderon attended concerts, book events and celebrity
appearances. Among his most memorable assignments was covering a Beatles event, where he found himself asking a question of George Harrison. At another appearance, he interviewed entertainer Sammy Davis Jr.
“I got to do these crazy things,” Calderon recalled. “I learned to express myself.”
Spanierman remembers recognizing his talent immediately.
“He wanted to write, so I said he could do some stuff on the teen page,” she said. “He was good, and we got tremendous response. The teens loved it.”
Many of Calderon’s columns were filled with humor and double meanings that resonated with young readers while subtly reflecting his personal struggles.
“I understood the work,” Spanierman said. “I didn’t understand what was behind it at the time. Looking back, there were all kinds of messages there.”
As his popularity grew, the newspaper gave him his own column and increasingly prominent assignments.
“I was crazy about him,” Spanierman said. “I tried to help him. I saw this young man and I absolutely knew he had so much potential.”
Their friendship has endured for more than six decades. Calderon credits Spanierman with encouraging him to complete the manuscript he had worked on for years.
“She even pushed me the last five years to finish the book,” he said. “We still have this incredible relationship.”
The book traces the period from his bar
mitzvah through directing a production of “Bye Bye Birdie” at the former Maimonides Institute in Far Rockaway, a residential program for children with developmental disabilities.
That experience shaped the course of his life. Calderon spent decades using theater and the arts to help children with special needs develop confidence and communication skills.
“I think I was able to identify with them because I knew what it felt like to be different,” he said. “The most important thing was giving them coping skills. That’s what I didn’t have.”
While “What You See in Me” explores themes of identity, it also celebrates the Jewish community and family traditions that shaped Calderon’s upbringing in the Five Towns.
Now, more than 55 years after writing his first newspaper column, Calderon hopes his book delivers a simple but enduring message.
“The understanding of how we deal with children and giving them tools at a younger age,” he said. “If you have a question, no question is stupid. Kids need a place to express themselves and feel important.”
For Calderon, that place was once the pages of the Nassau Herald. Today, it is the pages of his first book.
“What You See in Me” is available for purchase on Amazon. Readers can follow Calderon on Instagram at bobcalderon321 and on Facebook (Bob Calderon) for news, events and updates about the book.
Alexis Ricoy planted her way towards an Eagle Scout award
By AIDAN WARSHAVSKY awarshavsky@liherald.com
As Long Beach native Alexis Ricoy rose through the ranks of Scouts BSA, she worked toward becoming an Eagle Scout — the highest honor in scouting. On May 30, she achieved that goal at a Court of Honor ceremony at St. Agnes Parish Center, in Rockville Centre.
She joined Troop 163G, in Rockville Centre, after its merger with Troop 215G in Long Beach. Each completed a community service project and fulfilled leadership, merit badge and service requirements to earn the Eagle rank.
Ricoy, 18, started her scouting journey with Troop 215G when she was 13, after she and her mother, Shannan Ricoy, helped establish the troop during the coronavirus pandemic. Serving as a senior patrol leader, Alexis played a key role in building the troop and guiding younger scouts.
Ricoy has volunteered at the Village Garden, in Atlantic Beach, since she was in middle school at Long Beach Catholic Regional School. She was introduced to the garden by a friend and learned that it donates produce to the Long Beach Soup Kitchen.
“I already had the relationship with the people [at Village Garden], she said. “Knowing I was directly impacting someone in my community and the Atlantic Beach community made me really happy.”
Ricoy decided to use her Eagle Scout project to continue her work at the garden. She has an interest in addressing food insecurity and constructed a vertical planting box — a ladder-like structure with shelves for plants — there.
The project began about two years ago when Ricoy approached garden leaders with an idea for her Eagle Scout project. Working collaboratively with staff, she designed a vertical planting bed that would house native
plants while also meeting the requirements for scouting’s highest rank.
“She was incredibly responsible and self-possessed,” Suzy Schneider, garden volunteer said. “Alexis designed the project, organized a team and oversaw the construction of the vertical bed. She was remarkably capable for someone her age.”
Schneider said Ricoy stood out for her maturity, leadership and attention to detail throughout the process.
“It was a pleasure working with her,” she added. “She was intelligent, motivated and competent. From the beginning, I had the impression that she would be successful in whatever path she chose.”
Earning our Eagle Scout was kind of emotional. We knew that we wanted to finish it out together, and that we wanted to have our Court of Honor together.
ALExIS RIcoY Troop 163G
The vertical bed continues to serve the garden’s educational and environmental mission, while also standing as a lasting example of Ricoy’s commitment to conservation and community service.
Steve Bo, scoutmaster for Troop 163G, commended her efforts and noted the dedication to scouting.
“I have been working with both Alexis for years,” he said. “To see her progress pay off was special.”
Ricoy will Graduate from Long Beach High School later this month and attend Hofstra University in the fall, where she plans to study business management and accounting.
Courtesy Bob Calderon
Former Nassau Herald and Woodmere Native columnist Bob Calderon self-published his first book “What You See in Me” at 77-years old.
Courtesy Scarlett Anderson
Long Beach residents Scarlett Anderson, left, and Alexis Ricoy worked in their local communities to earn Eagle Scout.
OBITUARY
Jay L. Korn, MD
A Life of Goodness Personified: Jay L. Korn, MD dies at 89 Jay L. Korn, MD, 89, former Atlantic Beach resident, passed on May 18, 2026 in Naples, Florida.
Born in NYC, he learned business ethics from his father, a Torah scholar who was President of the iconic Bialystoker Synagogue and founded a multi-generational textile business. His mother, an attorney back in 1927, taught him the value of education.
A graduate of Yeshiva University and Chicago Medical School, he was trained at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan where he was Chief Resident. Early on, he served as a U.S. Navy Officer Physician. He then practiced geriatric internal medicine in Manhattan for 30 years. He was a brilliant diagnostician, practiced preventative medicine before its time, and was beloved by his patients. After meeting his wife on a tour bus in Israel, they celebrated 60 beautiful years of marriage. With unwavering devotion, they welcomed into their home and cared for their four aging parents. He enjoyed time with his close-knit family, boating, the news, and lifelong learning. He was a Member of The Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach and then Chabad of Naples.
He is survived by his beloved devoted wife, Melanie Bacal Korn, MD; children Tiara Korn Shoter (Neil) and Tyler Korn (Rebecca); grandchildren Gavin and Natalie Korn; three brothers; other relatives.
Dr. Korn applied sound judgment in all situations. He emphasized independent thinking, perseverance, meticulousness, and positive outlook. He was a role model who will be missed and remembered for his deep devotion to family, great wisdom, righteousness, kindness, and warm smile.
OBITUARY
Barbara Schnaible
Crime watCh
Hewlett Neck burglary
According to police, four individuals were arrested June 7 in connection with a burglary and theft investigation after police responded to a Smith Lane residence in Hewlett Neck at 10:06 p.m.
According to detectives, officers were called to the home on June 7, where four suspects were seen searching a parked vehicle before entering an open garage. Police said the suspects fled the scene on scooters and a bicycle and were later located following a search of the area.
tronic control device to subdue him. He was transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation. While at the hospital, Ingram allegedly spit on and headbutted an officer, causing pain and injury. The officer was also treated for his injuries, police said. Further investigation determined the scooters and bicycle used in the incident had been reported stolen, according to detectives.
Barbara Schnaible, a 60-year Five Towns (Hewlett and Lawrence) resident, mother of three sons, passed peacefully June 3. Born and raised in (Flatbush) Brooklyn, NY, she was a spirited daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, and grandmother who lived a full life. She graduated Midwood High School (1951), The Packard Collegiate Institute (1953). She married her husband Frederick A. Schnaible in 1962, a U.S. Navy Veteran, NYPD Police Officer and 5-Towns handyman who preceded her death in 1990. They raised three sons, Eric, (Col. USAF Ret.) Kenneth and Edward, all G.W. Hewlett HS graduates. Barbara was a homemaker, Cub Scout Den Mother, Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library aide, child homecare provider, Carey Bus, America West, Northwest, and Delta airlines Customer Service Rep at JFK airport. In retirement, she volunteered at the Woodmere-Lawrence United Methodist Church Thrift Shop, where the family were members of the congregation for 40 years and the St James UMC in Lynbrook. She had three sons, two grandsons: Timothy and Tyler, and many close Long Island friends and neighbors. She was interred June 17 at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, NY, then was followed by a celebration of life service inclusive to all who loved her at St. James UMC in Lynbrook, NY.
Two 17-year-old female juveniles and two 18-year-old men — identified as Emmanuel Rivera and Quadir Ingram, both of 460 West 41st Street, Manhattan — were taken into custody, police said.
During the arrest, Ingram allegedly refused verbal commands, prompting officers to deploy an elec -
The two juveniles were charged with petit larceny and released on appearance tickets. Rivera and Ingram were each charged with burglary in the second degree and two counts of petit larceny. Ingram was additionally charged with assault in the second degree.
All defendants were arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on June 8.
— Melissa Berman
People named in Crime Watch items as having been arrested and charged with violations or crimes are only suspected of committing those acts of which they are accused. They are all presumed to be innocent of those charges until and unless found guilty in a court of law.
WEB SITE: www.liherald.com
E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: nassaueditor@liherald.com
■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 201 E-mail: nassaueditor@liherald.com
■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: subsriptions@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942
■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460
■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: sales@liherald.com
EmmanuEl RivER a QuadiR ingR am
News brief
H-W Students of the Quarter at BOCES
Students from the Hewlett-Woodmere School District were recently recognized as Students of the Quarter for the third quarter at Nassau BOCES Barry Tech career and technical education high school programs.
The honor recognizes students for their academic performance, attendance, work ethic and preparedness. Nassau BOCES officials said recipients demonstrated initiative on class projects and served as role models for their peers in both the classroom and workplace settings.
Graduate
Among the Hewlett-Woodmere students recognized were Emma Arbitman for Barry Tech Baking Skills, Darren Wallace for Barry Tech Auto Skills, Aiden Laleau for Barry Tech Construction Trade Skills and Sofia Mayvaldov for Barry Tech Audio Production.
In total, 125 students from across Nassau County earned Student of the Quarter recognition this spring through Nassau BOCES Barry Tech and GC Tech programs.
— Melissa Berman
Courtesy Nassau BOCES
Students from the Hewlett-Woodmere School District were recently recognized as Students of the Quarter for the third quarter at Nassau BOCES.
World Cup fervor spreads to Long Island
By JEFFREY BESSEN jbessen@liherald.com
Kids ran around as only children can — free and without care — as adults milled around the artificial-turf field and the seats of Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on the Stony Brook University campus.
I really love the USA, and I really want to support the team
This was the first of a few World Cup watch parties staged by Empire State Development, which promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity across New York. Several thousand people came for the soccer last Friday. The first game shown on the stadium screens was Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, being played in Toronto, as the event began at 3 p.m. Guests had a choice of watching the first game, the second game or both.
z Terryville
At 7 p.m., after those teams played to a 1-1 draw, the second session got underway, and many had come to root for the Unites States Men’s National Team, playing their first game of the quadrennial global tournament, which this year is being hosting across North America, with many of the games in the U.S.
Joe Nola, a Holbrook resident, brought his son Everett, 9, a soccer fan who started playing a few years ago and took to the sport.
“[I’m here] basically for him,” Nola said of his son. “He started getting into soccer and the World Cup, and I started following it a lot more the last couple of years. He’s really excited and so am I, so we’ve been waiting to check out more soccer, and saw this and thought it would be a full opportunity to watch the USA game.”
A travel soccer team player, Everett was a bit shy, but his father said he has an affinity for the “beautiful game.”
“As a family, we’re trying to watch more and learn more about it, so this is, like, a really cool experience,” Nola said, adding of Everett. “He plays goalie. He loves the pressure, for some reason. He drives his mother crazy with the stress. He’s a big fan of [Matt] Freese [the American goalie] and a lot of the goalies that we see internationally.”
Antonella Cortez, 11, from Setauket, who also plays on a travel team, was there to cheer on Team USA.
“I’m here to watch the game,” she said matter-of-factly, adding that playing soccer is fun. Her favorite position? “Anything besides middle and goalie,” she said.
Before the featured match of Paraguay vs. USA, in Los Angeles, the band Third Eye Blind performed a roughly 30-minute set in a driving rainstorm that seemed to end just after they struck
Terryville, Liam Sobritch, of East Northport, and Connor Klinger, from Selden, all wearing USA jerseys, roleplayed interviewer and interviewee, so of course the natural thing was to interview them.
“I really love the USA,” Hernandez said, “and I really want to support the team. I hope they win the World Cup.” His analysis of the first half? “They played great. We need to space out a little more, but we could have this win.
“It was good,” Sobritch said. “We scored three, so maybe [we] space out a little more.”
“We need more spacing,” Klinger agreed, “but [we’re] amazing on the attacking.”
From an own goal by Paraguay in the opening minutes to a score by Gio Reyna in the match’s waning seconds, the U.S. team dominated in a 4-1 win. The next game for the Americans is Friday versus Australia.
Organizing events such as a World Cup Watch Party is not an easy feat.
“This is almost two years in the making,” Dan Gross, Empire State Development’s executive director for New York Special Events, said. “I drew up a plan. It really started with the governor. FIFA controls the tickets,” he added, referring to the World Cup’s governing body. “They control the ticket pricing. The need to make sure people have access.” Gross and colleagues drew up the plan to hold watch parties across the state. They developed a grant program so that all 10 state regions across New York could have watch parties as well.
“I am very proud to say we are the only state in the nation, from a states perspective, that is truly bringing the World Cup experience to all four corners of the state,” Gross said.
For information on future news related to the World Cup Watch Experience, go to ILOVENY.com/fifa-world-cup/ community-viewing-events.
their final chords.
At halftime, the kids resumed their playful running around, and adults
made their way back and forth to the LaValle Stadium concession stands. Young teens Logan Hernandez, from
Rock group Third Eye Blind performed a roughly 30-minute set before the U.S.-Paraguay game in Los Angeles.
Tim Baker/Herald photos
As the U.S. team scored three first-half goals against Paragua, fans got to cheer often at the Stony Brook World Cup Watch Party.
Elmont resident Al Amin was a particularly colorful supporter of the U.S. team.
Driscoll seeks Gillen’s congressional seat
By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com
Jeanine C. Driscoll, the Town of Hempstead’s receiver of taxes, says her experience managing one of Nassau County’s most visible local offices has prepared her for a run for Congress, and she is seeking the Republican nomination in New York’s 4th District.
Driscoll, 59, a Republican and a longtime resident of Bellerose, will face Marvin Williams in next Tuesday’s primary. The winner will take on incumbent Democratic Rep. Laura Gillen in November.
Driscoll said she decided to enter the race after former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito lost to Gillen in 2024.
“I was called and I found out that they were interviewing candidates,” Driscoll said. “I’ve been in office for seven years. I’ve lived in Nassau County for about 25 years. I’ve been a volunteer, I was a village judge, and I’m a lawyer. I have the life experience to do this.”
She said the timing also aligned with her family life, noting that she and her husband are now at a stage where their youngest child is heading off to college.
A central focus of Driscoll’s campaign is tax policy, an issue she said has defined her public-service career. “I have always been focused on trying to alleviate the burden of taxpayers,” she said. “That’s been my number one priority since I’ve been in office.”
As receiver of taxes, Driscoll said, she has worked to expand access to property tax exemptions and educate homeowners about available relief programs. Her office has also implemented services such as drivethrough payment windows, satellite offices, online payment options and email reminder systems.
She said she also regularly hosts seminars on tax grievances and exemptions. “I don’t leave until every question is answered,” she said. “I’ve been in libraries
at 10 o’clock at night helping people understand their taxes.”
Driscoll said that direct contact with residents has shaped her understanding of public service more than any other experience. “No one deals with constituents
every day like I do,” she said of area tax officials. “People are in my office every single day, and I hear firsthand what they’re going through.”
In Congress, she added, lawmakers often lack dayto-day exposure to constituent concerns.
Driscoll also noted her background as an attorney for more than three decades and her prior service as an associate village justice. She has also been active in community organizations, including the Floral Park Memorial PTSA and the Junior Women’s Club of Bellerose.
Her policy priorities, she said, would center on reducing costs for families through tax relief measures, changes to federal deductions and reducing regulatory burdens on small businesses. Rising insurance costs, housing prices and taxes are all contributing to what Driscoll described as an affordability crisis on Long Island.
“You have people who grew up here, raised their families here and now they can’t afford to stay,” she said. “She supports efforts to increase take-home pay by eliminating taxes on tips and overtime and expanding the deduction for state and local taxes.
Asked why voters should choose her over Williams in the primary, Driscoll said that experience and familiarity with local taxpayers set her apart. “I know the residents, I know the taxpayers and I know how Nassau County works,” she said. “I’ve worked directly with people who are struggling, and I understand what they need.” She also emphasized her endorsement by the Nassau County Republican Committee.
As for what differentiates her from Gillen, Driscoll said the contrast comes down to tax policy and fiscal priorities, and that she looked forward to making her case directly to 4th District voters. “I’m all in,” she said. “I want to win this seat, and I believe I can.”
Williams is campaigning for GOP primary
By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Marvin Suber Williams will face off against Town of Hempstead Receiver of Taxes Jeanine C. Driscoll in the Republican primary in the 4th Congressional District next Tuesday. The winner will challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Laura Gillen in the November general election. Williams, 64, is a lifelong New Yorker and current Garden City resident who has spent 30 years in public service as an active-duty Air Force chaplain, senior pastor and senior executive at the federal level. He is focusing his campaign to represent Nassau County’s South Shore communities on lowering costs for Long Island families, restoring public safety, securing the country’s southern border, creating congressional term limits, supporting veterans and, he said, bringing accountability to Washington D.C.
“The core lesson is exactly the same in ministry as it is in the federal government: When a mission is failing, you do not keep sending the same people back with the same plan,” Williams said. “That is not just political partisanship — that is the voters of Long Island loudly telling Washington that they have not been heard.”
Williams said that hearing those loud cries, and his love for country and community, motivated him to run for the congressional seat and create “lasting change” for Long Islanders in the 4th District, economically and socially.
“I am not running because I need a new career,” he told the Herald. “I am running because I have the time, the executive experience and the absolute political
“In
independence to do this job for the right reasons.”
Williams listed affordability, public safety and immigration, honoring veterans, and term limits as
his “four critical priorities.” Additionally, he wants to reduce energy and transportation costs, especially for Long Island.
Despite having less political experience than Driscoll and Gillen, Williams maintains that experience is far from the most important quality of a political leader.
“In this race, political tenure is not the most important asset,” he said. “Proof of capability is. Traditional political experience simply means time spent occupying a seat in a government building. Proof means tangible, measurable results you can put a clear dollar amount on – and I have those numbers.”
Williams also points out that he already has experience serving at the federal level, leading the charge for Air Force Inspection System reform and spearheading operational adjustments that, he said, saved $30 million in overseas operations at the Naval Supply Systems Command.
He believes that his military experience also makes him a more qualified candidate for Congress. He credits the lessons he has learned about service and the time spent as a senior federal executive as more than adequate background to know how to represent Long Island residents.
“Long Islanders are carrying an immense amount of economic and social worry right now,” Williams said. “They need a representative who genuinely hears them, not a career politician who reads about them in a polling memo. … My service makes me uniquely qualified, because three decades of mission-driven, results-accountable executive work is the precise preparation required for a job that demands those qualities today.”
Courtesy Driscoll for Congress Jeanine Driscoll, the Town of Hempstead’s receiver of taxes, is the Republican and Conservative choice for Congress in the 4th District.
Courtesy Marvin Williams for Congress
this race, political tenure is not the most important issue,” Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Marvin Suber Williams said of the Republicans’ effort to unseat Gillen.
News brief
Julia Igaunis, a senior at Hewlett High School HHS senior earns international recognition earned international recognition at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.
HHS senior recognized at RISEF
A senior at Hewlett High School earned international recognition this month at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona.
Julia Igaunis received fourth place in the Plant Sciences category at the competition, widely regarded as the world’s largest precollege science fair.
The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, commonly known as ISEF, brings together more than 1,700 student scientists, engineers and inventors from over 60 countries, regions and territories. Finalists advance through a competitive selection process from hundreds of affiliated science fairs worldwide.
Julia’s research focused on optimizing root hair growth in plants to improve nutrient absorption. According to district officials, her findings could have important agricultural applications, including increasing crop yields while reducing the environmental impact of excessive fertilizer use.
School officials praised Julia’s accomplishment as a reflection of both her dedication to scientific research and the academic opportunities available to students at Hewlett High School.
The district congratulated her on the achievement and her recognition on the international stage.
— Melissa Berman
Courtesy Gerard Petrocelli
What’s up next door and around the corner
HERALD neighbors
Residents of the Five Towns participated in the annual Israel Chesed Center’s Run for Israel on June 7 at
Running for Israel in North Woodmere Park
Runners of a variety ages took part in the annual Israel Chesed Center/Five Towns 5K’s Run for Israel at North Woodmere Park on June 7.
The run supports Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, displaced persons, and medical volunteers by helping the Israel Chesed Center send critical gear and supplies to Israel.
Leiba Rimler took home the award for first place female with a time of 22:14 and Dov Sternberg won for first place male with a time of 18:24.
The youth winners were JJ Aron, 14, first place female; Yosef Frishman, 14, first place male; N. Colman, 11, third place male and Aryeh Schachter, 14, second place male.
The Israel Chesed Center was co-founded by Marc Moshe Bodner and Jeff Eisenberg after the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
— Melissa Berman
Christine Rivera/Herald photos
North Woodmere Park.
The first place female Leiba Rimler, middle and first place male Dov Sternberg, right, were awarded with medals after the race ended.
Heshie Reiss, left, participant KK Aron and his mom Rebecca Reiss after the finish line.
Yakir and Mira Wachsrock were raising money for Boots for Israel.
Youth winners: JJ Aron, 14, first place female; Yosef Frishman, 14, first place male; N. Colman, 11, third place male and Aryeh Schachter, 14, second place male.
News brief
The Village of Lawrence has announced a series of water infrastructure upgrades and roadway improvements scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.
Lawrence village turns the tap on upgrades
The Village of Lawrence has announced a series of water infrastructure upgrades and roadway improvements scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.
Liberty Water will replace aging water mains on six village streets as part of an effort to improve water service reliability, water quality and overall system performance. The work will take place on Lord Avenue between Central Avenue and Broadway, Rand Place, Lismore Road, Wentworth Place, Stevens Place and Wildacre Place.
According to Liberty Water, the projects were selected following an evaluation of the
age and condition of existing water mains, repair histories and customer service data, including reports of water pressure issues and service concerns.
Officials said the upgrades are intended to address water pressure deficiencies, meet increasing demand on the system and improve water quality for residents.
Once the water main replacement work is completed, the Village of Lawrence will repave the affected streets as part of the restoration process.
Village officials said the project represents a continued investment in Lawrence’s infrastructure and qualitiy of life.
BELMONT PARK VILLAGE
Herald File Photo
What’s up next door and around the corner
HERALD neighbors
United Choral Society’s annual spring concert
The United Choral Society performed its annual spring concert on June 7 at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, continuing a tradition that has made the volunteer ensemble a cultural mainstay in the Five Towns for more than 85 years.
Under the direction of conductor Sharon Pesenti, the performance was held in Gold Hall, where the group has staged community concerts for more than 20 years. The program reflected the chorus’s wide-ranging repertoire, blending classical works with selections designed to resonate across generations.
Audiences listened to a musical journey spanning centuries, from baroque choral repertoire to a dramatic medley from “Les Misérables”, channeling the emotional intensity of the iconic production. The concert also featured a patriotic salute in honor of the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary
brating American
— Melissa Berman
cele-
history through music.
Kevin Tobin/Herald photos
The United Choral Society performed a Medley from Les Misérables at their spring concert on June 7.
Samuel Sava was a featured soloist for the United Choral Society.
Alexis Pesenti, Sharon Pesenti’s daughter, was another featured soloist.
Sharon Pesenti, conductor of the United Choral Society, Matthew Ingrao, accompanist, Alexis Pesenti, Kathleen Park, Erik Rasmussen, Samuel Sava and Melisa Schoenberger at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library.
Susan Gorecki and Melisa Schoenberger sang a featured duet together for the concert.
Seawane Club hosts its biggest tournament ever
ing the club became both a business venture and a community mission.
“We were very proud that we were able to bring it back to where it was in its heyday,” he said. “Really be the center of Hewlett Harbor and one of the great assets of the Five Towns.”
Since taking ownership, Brecher has invested heavily in the club’s facilities and golf course. Improvements have included extensive course restoration, new family amenities, a playground and installation of padel courts, making Seawane the first club in New York to offer the rapidly growing fast-paced racket sport that blends elements of tennis and squash.
“To come to Seawane on a Sunday now, you have kids playing basketball, padel, they’re at the pool, and we have three generations at the club, sometimes four,” Brecher said. “That’s a really special thing.”
The Long Island Open itself carries more than a century of history. Organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association, the championship is contested over 54 holes of stroke play with a cut after the second round. This year’s field began with roughly 120 competitors before being reduced to the top 40 players and ties for the final round.
Tom Roden, the MGA’s senior manager of championships, described the Long Island Open as one of the organization’s marquee events.
“This is one of our few championships where we get to see both the best amateurs and the best professionals together,” Roden said. “The highlight of the Long Island golf season is always the Long Island Open.”
Roden said Seawane was a natural choice because of its longstanding partnership with the MGA.
“They’ve been a great supporter of us for years,” he
said. “Ever since Jared took over ownership, I think we’ve been here every year for different events. They’ve hosted everything from qualifiers to the Long Island Amateur and the MGA Senior Open.”
He also praised the club’s willingness to make its course available during a time when member play has surged.
“The fact that I can call Jared and ask if they’d like to host an event and he’s always happy to say yes is huge,” Roden said. “We’re ecstatic to be here.”
Head golf professional Alex Smith said hosting Long Island’s premier championship allowed the club to showcase years of restoration work.
“This is the biggest event golf-wise on Long Island,” Smith said. “You have everyone from the best professionals on Long Island to collegiate players who may one day play on professional tours.”
Smith noted the diverse field included accomplished amateurs, club professionals and even teenagers competing against seasoned veterans.
“We had a 14- or 15-year-old player in the top 10,” he said. “It’s a whole host of ages and backgrounds, but definitely the best competition on Long Island.”
As Seawane approaches its centennial celebration next year, Brecher said the successful hosting of the Long Island Open stands as validation of years of investment and community support.
“The investments we’ve made are finally paying off in a big way,” he said. “As Seawane turns 100 next year, we’re really excited. This is a massive feather in the cap for our team, and it’s very special for all of us.”
The tournament concluded with 18-year-old St. John’s University golfer Eli Weidmann claiming the title at 11 under par over 54 holes.
“It was one of the better rounds of golf I’ve ever played,” Weidmann said. “I go into every tournament believing I can win. Once I got into the lead, I was just focused on getting rest and being prepared for the final day.”
Weidmann followed that performance with a finalround 1-under score to secure the championship trophy.
The incoming St. John’s sophomore did not receive the tournament’s $9,000 first-place prize because of his amateur status. Instead, the money went to runner-up Chen Guxin, a professional golfer.
“As an amateur, we can’t make any money from playing in tournaments,” Weidmann said. “I got the trophy and exemptions into a bunch of other tournaments this summer, so I’m pretty happy with that.”
SCHONFELD LAW GROUP, PC
Melissa Berman/Herald
The 99-year-old Seawane Club, in Hewlett, Harbor hosted the 102nd Long Island Open Championship.
What’s up next door and around the corner
HERALD neighbors
Cedarhurst hosts Knicks game watch party
Cedarhurst basketball fans gathered at Andrew J. Parise Park on June 10 as the Village of Cedarhurst and the Cedarhurst Business Improvement District hosted a New York Knicks watch party for Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
Residents dressed in blue and orange filled the park, bringing lawn chairs and blankets to cheer on the Knicks while watching the game on a large outdoor screen. The familyfriendly event included raffles, giveaways and refreshments from Common Grounds, the park’s new concession stand. The watch party came as the Knicks stood on the brink of history. Just days later, New York captured its first NBA championship in 53 years, defeating the Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 to win the series 4-1. Finals MVP Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in the title-clinching victory. The championship marked the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973 and sparked celebrations throughout the New York metropolitan area.
— Melissa Berman
Eric Donaldson/Herald photos
State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Village of Cedarhurst Trustee Myrna Zisman, Mayor Benjamin Weinstock, Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti, Trustee Daniel Plaut and Knick watch party organizer David Kaye.
Nate Bergman, 8, left, Eli Shapiro, 8. and Rachel Shapiro, 11, at the Village of Cedarhurst’s New York Knicks watch party for game 4 on June 10.
Village of Cedarhurst Mayor Benjamin Weinstock welcomed residents to the watch party and thanked them for supporting the local businesses.
Aliza Rubel, left, Hannah Kuznicki, Ricki Mansdora, Ariella Silverman, Evy Weinstein, Aliza Brazil and Daniella Herskovic were ready to cheer on the Knicks in Cedarhurst Park.
Cedarhurst residents gathered to support the New York Knicks at a watch party for Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
ERASE Racism hosts forum on inequality
By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
The Long Island-based advocacy group ERASE Racism held its 25th Anniversary Benefit event earlier this month, giving out awards for anti-racism and anti-discrimination work and awarding scholarships to students who embody the organization’s values.
Hundreds of guests crowded the Garden City Hotel on June 3 for a cocktail hour and to take part in ERASE Racism’s silent auction, where items ranging from artwork to lottery tickets were bid on for up to thousands of dollars. The funds will go to ERASE Racism advocacy initiatives for public education and housing equality.
Students Ria Bhatia, of Jericho High School; Edwin Montes Dubon, of Uniondale High; Zamari Paul, of Malverne High; and Janeiry Savinon, of New Hyde Park High, were each awarded $500 scholarships for winning a student essay contest. Malverne High student Matthew DaCosta was awarded the $1,500 John Wenzel Scholarship for his work with ERASE Racism.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and activist Monique Fitzgerald were honored with special awards for their advocacy against structural racism. HannahJones’s work on the 1619 Project, a New York Times Magazine and audio series
examining the beginnings of American slavery and its generational effects, was highlighted during the program.
Hannah-Jones and Elaine Gross, ERASE Racism’s founding president, had a “fireside chat,” discussing how racism continues to impact life for minorities, particularly Black communities, on Long Island and across the country.
“This is a hard time for civil rights organizations, because there is a very organized and powerful effort from the highest reaches of the government that basically is saying there is nothing
called structural racism,” Gross told the Herald before the event.
She identified an April settlement between the U.S. Justice Department and the Town of Oyster Bay over alleged housing discrimination as an example of structural racism on Long Island. In the case, which was settled in U.S. District Court, the town was found liable for “intentionally discriminating against Black individuals” by giving the children of current residents priority in purchasing housing units under its Next Generation housing program. This allegedly hindered the ability of Blacks and
other racial minorities to buy homes in predominantly white Oyster Bay.
Hannah-Jones pointed out that racism on Long Island often is not a conscious effort by residents, but rather the result of the region’s historically discriminatory structure.
“You as an individual white person don’t have to be racist at all to have your housing choices and the benefits of your housing choices shaped by a structure that you have nothing to do with creating,” she said.
Talking more about the 1619 Project and contemporary racism, Hannah-Jones contended that the sanitized way in which many schools and institutions deal with America’s racist history is counterproductive to the goal of erasing racism.
“The truth about America is deeply heartbreaking,” she said, “but I find the truth to be a liberating thing, because one can confront the truth that everything that is within the law is constructed. If you know that it’s constructed, then you know it can be deconstructed.”
Hannah-Jones acknowledged that she was not very optimistic about race relations and how discrimination is handled in the U.S., citing the current administration as a reason for such pessimism. But, she and Gross said they believe that as today’s young people advocate for social justice, they have the potential to unlock a better future for Long Island and beyond.
Courtesy ERASE Racism
Elaine Gross, founding president of ERASE Racism, left, hosted a “fireside chat” with Nikole Hannah-Jones on the continuing impact of racism on Long Island.
STEPPING OUT
‘Celebrity Autobiography’ is back in the spotlight
By Iris Wiener
For more than three decades, Angelo Fraboni has built a career that spans Broadway stages, national tours, arts administration, and theatrical producing. Today, while serving as Artistic Director of the Madison Theatre, on the Molloy University campus, Fraboni continues to leave his mark on the professional theater world as a producer of Broadway’s “Celebrity Autobiography,” the comedic sensation currently delighting audiences once again after its original Drama Deskwinning run in 2008.
The show, created by Eugene Pack, takes passages from celebrity memoirs and transforms them into a live comedy event performed by well-known actors. For Fraboni, the appeal of the production has remained remarkably consistent since he first became involved. “Laughter,” he says when asked why the show continues to resonate.
“Everyone needs something to laugh at and just enjoy where you don’t have to think very hard. It’s easy laughter. We’re not making fun of people; we’re just reading this banal dialogue that people write in their autobiographies.”
That spirit of spontaneity has helped make “Celebrity Autobiography” a unique theatrical experience. Unlike most productions, the cast has little rehearsal time together before stepping onstage.
“The actors are cracking each other up as much as they’re cracking up the audience,” Fraboni says. “The greatest thing about the show is the rawness of it and these celebrities being human on stage with each other. It’s glorious.”
Fraboni has been involved with the production since its early years, serving as both producer and general manager before focusing exclusively on producing. He has helped bring the show to audiences across the United States and around the world, while continuing to oversee one of its most challenging components: casting. While the rotating cast has already featured the likes of Katie Couric, Rita Wilson, Keenan Thompson, and Tony Shalhoub, it also has an especially strong Long Island connection, featuring local entertainment icons such as Alan Zweibel, Susan Lucci, Ralph Macchio, and Ray Romano. Pack and co-producer
Douglas Denoff are also from the area.
While Fraboni’s current work places him at the center of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, his path to producing began far from New York. Raised in a mining town in northern Minnesota, he started ballet lessons at age six alongside his twin brother.
“I was really into sports,” he recalls. “My mom and dad said, ‘Why don’t you take ballet? It will help with your athleticism.’”
What began as an extracurricular activity soon became a career. After high school, Fraboni joined a ballet company and performed professionally for five years. A chance audition for “West Side Story” during an off-season changed everything. The opportunity introduced him to acclaimed choreographer and director Jerry Mitchell, who cast Fraboni in six of his first seven productions. The experience ultimately led to his Broadway debut in “Cats” and opened doors throughout the industry.
As a performer, Fraboni developed a habit that would later serve him well as a producer and artistic leader.
“I would listen and watch,” he says. “I wanted to hear what the directors and choreographers were saying. I was very tuned in to what was going on.”
Eventually, curiosity about the creative process led him offstage and into producing. The transition revealed a side of theater audiences rarely see.
“As a performer, you show up to the theater do your job, and get your paycheck,” he says. “As a producer, you’re working constantly for months and months, sometimes years. Your job is never done.”
That commitment to building opportunities for others became the foundation of his work at Molloy University. Fraboni’s connection to the institution dates back more than two decades, when he helped bring Broadway legend Carol Channing to campus for a gala performance. There, he met then-president Drew Bogner, who shared plans to build a theater. One decade later, Fraboni received a call encouraging him to apply for the artistic director position at the newly constructed Madison Theatre.
“It was still a shell,” he remembers. “I was instrumental in how they built the infrastructure.”
Over the next 15 years, Fraboni transformed the Rockville Centre venue into a regional performing arts center featuring Broadway-caliber productions, symphony performances, international artists, jazz concerts, and educational opportunities. He also played a key role in bringing the renowned CAP21 musical theater program to Molloy, creating new pathways for aspiring performers.
“The idea was to make it an arts center with a variety of art,” he says. “I wanted it to be a regional theatre and performing arts center, but also give the students the opportunity to grow and perform with professionals.”
Despite balancing productions at Molloy with responsibilities on “Celebrity Autobiography,” Fraboni says the rewards make the long hours worthwhile.
“The joys are the audiences laughing and enjoying what we do,” he says. “We create what we think will be the best thing possible for our audiences to see, and the payoff is when they enjoy it.”
Whether producing a Broadway comedy, mentoring students at Molloy, or developing new artistic opportunities on Long Island, Fraboni remains committed to the idea that theater is ultimately about people coming together.
“There’s nothing like going to the theater, laughing with people, and experiencing a journey,” he says. “Everybody is emotionally affected differently by a show. That’s inspiring to me.”
Visit celebrityautobiography.com for more information or to purchase tickets.
A familiar favorite returns to a legendary stage as Dion takes the spotlight for a concert honoring Westbury Music Fair’s 70th anniversary. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, whose history with the iconic venue spans decades, is returning to live performance after stepping back from regular touring in recent years. While he has been largely absent from the concert circuit, Dion has remained remarkably productive, releasing new music and books while continuing to earn acclaim for his blues recordings. In the past two years alone, he released The Rock and Roll Philosopher along with a companion book, further showcasing the creativity that has defined a career spanning more than six decades. His recent blues albums have topped the Billboard Blues chart, introducing his work to new audiences while reaffirming his place among America’s enduring musical voices. Best known for classic hits such as “Runaround Sue,” “The Wanderer,” and “Ruby Baby,” Dion continues to evolve as an artist well into his 80s.
Saturday, June 20, 8 p.m. Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury. Tickets available at LiveNation.com.
Tosh
Get ready for an evening of sharp observations and quick-fire punchlines that are Daniel Tosh’s signature irreverent style when he brings My First Farewell Tour to he Paramount stage. Acclaimed for his quick wit and deadpan delivery, he’s built a devoted following through both stand-up and television. After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a degree in marketing, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue comedy full-time. His career gained national attention following a standout appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2001, leading to appearances Comedy Central Presents, Premium Blend and The Tonight Show. Tosh became a household name as the creator and host of Tosh.0, the longrunning Comedy Central hit that paired viral internet videos with his trademark commentary and satirical take on pop culture.
Tuesday, June 23, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.
Daniel
Courtesy Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade Scott Adsit and Rita Wilson are among the show’s rotating cast.
Courtesy Michaelah Reynolds
Angelo Fraboni is all smiles on opening night with his wife, Michelle Fraboni and his Molloy students Grace McNally, left, and Skylar Faith Ludwig.
Your Neighborhood CALENDAR
Jun
19
FIFA World Cup Watch Party
Soccer fans are invited to Eisenhower Park for Soccer In The Park, a free public watch party for the FIFA World Cup match between the United States and Australia. The viewing will feature a live match broadcast, giveaways, family-friendly activities, concessions and more. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets for outdoor viewing. Free parking is available, with Lots 6 and 6A closest to the venue. Free parking is available.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 3 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 572-0200 TheIslandFC.com
Westbury House Tour
For many years visitors to Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens asked what was beyond the first floor corridor. Now go beyond the door and discover “Secrets of the Service Wing,” during a 60-minute guided tour. Be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests; tour the many rooms that were “behind the scenes” to create the formal dining experiences of early 20th century. Go along the corridors to the butler’s pantry and silver cleaning room then descend the 17 steps to the kitchen, scullery, and wine storage rooms located on the ground floor. Reservations required.
• Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury
• Time: Noon-1 p.m., also, June 21-22, June 24-25
• Contact: oldwestburygardens. org or call (516) 333-0048
Jun
22
Tunes with The Chiclettes Eisenhower Summer Concert Series welcomes The Chiclettes and Vinnie Medugno. Celebrate the remarkable women who reigned supreme on the charts! Gracie, Mikayla, and Jennie deliver an exceptional blend of female vocal groups and artists, spanning from the early Rock & Roll and Motown eras to Disco, R&B, 80’s/90’s pop and more. The Chiclettes are set to energize you as they celebrate the female artists who have graced the music scene from past to present.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 6 p.m.
Stavros Halkias
Stavros Halkias’s The Dreamboat Tour hits the Paramount stage. He delivers the sharp observations, self-deprecating humor and quick wit that have made him one of comedy’s fastest-rising stars. Originally from Baltimore and now based in New York City, Halkias recently wrote, produced and starred in the independent comedy Let’s Start a Cult. His latest standup special, Fat Rascal, is streaming on Netflix, following the success of his debut special, Live at the Lodge Room, which attracted millions of viewers online. Beyond the stage, Halkias hosts the hit podcast Stavvy’s World, which quickly climbed the comedy charts and built a devoted following. He also stars in the Netflix comedy series Tires and is set to appear in A24’s Tony, inspired by the life of Anthony Bourdain. Known for his candid storytelling and relatable humor, Halkias has built a loyal fan base through stand-up, podcasting and acting. He has also been featured in Steven Soderbergh’s sci-fi series Command Z. Outside of comedy, he made his runway debut at KidSuper’s Paris Fashion Week show in 2023, earning Vogue’s nod as “the plus-est of plus-size models.” His ultimate dream? Get just famous enough to buy his mother a nice home — then retire from show business to open a surf-and-turf restaurant in East Baltimore.
Jun
Midsummer Jazz
Old Westbury Gardens hosts Monk for President, an ensemble that’s redefined the art of the jazz trio. Glafkos Kontemeniotis (piano), Fred Berman (bass) and Vince ‘Kazi’ McCoy (drums) deliver a high-wire act of musical conversation. From timeless standards to deep-cut favorites, and originals from Glafkos. Their improvisation has graced iconic stages like Bryant Park, Central Park Summer Stage and the Schomburg Center. Don’t miss this masterclass in intuitive jazz. Before, during, or after, stroll the gardens decorated with floral arrangements and illuminated with lanterns. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic dinner. $40 (includes light season fair and beverages), with member discount. Additional wine, beer and prosecco may be purchased separately.
• Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury
• Time: Gates open at 6 p.m., concert 7-9 p.m.
• Contact: oldwestburygardens.org or call (516) 333-0048
Jun
26
Rockin’ with the Almost Brothers Band Rock on during the Eisenhower Summer Concert Series. Enjoy an Allman Brothers tribute with ABB and Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute with Sons of Skynyrd.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 572-0200
Jun
27
Freestyle meets salsa
Get in the groove at Eisenhower Park with Brenda K. Starr, Tito Puente JR., TKA/ K7, Joey Cruz, La Sonora 495 and Forever Freestyle Band.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 572-0200
Point Lookout
Independence
Day
Fireworks/Concert
Hempstead Town celebrates our nation’s 250th Birthday with its annual Concert and Fireworks spectacular. Residents should anticipate travel delays — Loop Parkway and Lido Boulevard are
Have a Song to Sing, O,” the bouncy patter song “A Private Buffoon Is a Light-Hearted Loon,” the ravishingly beautiful quartet “Strange Adventure,” the lyrical “Is Life a Boon?” and the comical “Hereupon We’re Both Agreed.”
• Where: Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre
• Time: 3 p.m.
• Contact: madisontheatreny. org or (516) 323-4444
Rock on with reggae Reggae is the vibe at Eisenhower Park. The concert series continues with Inner Circle, Wayne Wonder and IRIEspect.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 572-0200
Jun
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
typically closed in all directions by 9 p.m. and will remain closed until the conclusion of the Fireworks, around 10:30 p.m. There will be no vehicular access to enter or exit Point Lookout during this time. In the event of inclement weather, rain date is June 28.
• Where: Point Lookout Town Park, Point Lookout
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 292-5000 ext. 4304
Jun
28
‘Yeoman of the Guard’
The Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company stages “Yeoman of the Guard.” The romantic tale unfolds in the Tower of London during the reign of Henry VIII, blending romance, humor and drama. The story follows Colonel Fairfax, unjustly condemned, who escapes execution moments after secretly marrying Elsie Maynard, leaving her torn between love and loyalty as danger closes in. Long a favorite of the Gilbert & Sullivan repertoire, The Yeomen of the Guard features some of W.S. Gilbert’s most beautiful lyrics, paired with Arthur Sullivan’s sweeping, romantic music. Its songs include the yearning “I
30
Water Reclamation District Board meets Greater Atlantic Beach Water Reclamation District Board of Commissioners meet Attend the meeting to hear monthly updates, express issues/grievances and learn about what is going.
• Where: 2150 Bay Boulevard, Atlantic Beach
• Time: 5 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 239-6777
JuL
2
Celebrate America Eisenhower Park welcomes all to the annual patriotic show. Glenn Strange, Chicken Head and Let Freedom Rock perform, followed by drone show and fireworks.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 5:30 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 572-0200
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.
JuL
Public Notices
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
Supreme Court County of Nassau The Bank of New York Mellon fka
The Bank of New York as Trustee for the Certificateholders of CWMBS, Inc., CHL Mortgage PassThrough Trust 2005-21, Mortgage PassThrough Certificates, Series 2005-21, Plaintiff AGAINST Howard Miller, Mindy Miller, et al, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on April 3, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, North sides of the steps, Mineola, NY 11501 on June 25, 2026 at 2:30 PM premises known as 8 Ventana Court, Lawrence, NY 11559.
All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Nassau, State of New York, SECTION: 41, BLOCK: 100, LOT: 310. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,340,148.88 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 608092/2019. This sale may be subject to the US Dept of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Real Estate Reporting Rule. In such event, all purchasers are required to provide the information needed for proper reporting in accordance with the terms of sale. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Heather D. Crosley, Referee FRENKEL
LAMBERT WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-090994-F01 89973 160405
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU
US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR RASC
2006KS9 Plaintiff, Against
MICHELLE WILLIAMS
A/K/A MICHELLE D. WILLIAMS, et al Defendant(s)
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 11/14/2024, 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 7/9/2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 37 Cedar Road, Inwood, New York 11096, and described as follows:
ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Inwood, Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York.
Section 40 Block 144
Lot 350
The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $524,686.09 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 606755/2022 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.
Anthony C. Curcio, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573
Dated: 5/11/2026 File Number: 20-303082 CA 160581
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF NASSAU, WHOISCAMERA, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. DAVID DIXON A/K/A DAVID A. DIXON, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on September 30, 2025, 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 July 13, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 435 Franklin Avenue, Hewlett, NY 11557. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings
and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 39, Block 536 and Lot 84. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #610165/2023. Keith Lavallee, Esq., Referee
Berkman, Henoch, Peterson, & Peddy, P.C., 400 Garden City Plaza, Suite 320, Garden City, NY 11530, Attorneys for Plaintiff 160674
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: July 2, 2026 Time: 7:00 PM Place: Village Hall, 65 The Plaza, Atlantic Beach, New York 11509
Subject: Case #24-10-6682 1920 Bay Boulevard LLC 1920 Bay Boulevard Atlantic Beach, New York 11509
Applicants propose to construct a second story addition with interior alterations and 1st and 2nd story rear decks. The applicants are seeking relief from the following section of the Zoning Code: Section 250-20 Height (A) In the case of a single-family dwelling, no building shall be greater n height than 2 1/2 stories, with a maximum height of 28 feet to peak for properties east of the street center line southbound of the west side of The Plaza and the east side of Acapulco Street north of Atlantic Boulevard. Proposed height 31.8 feet.
Premises are also known as Section 58, Block 79, Lots 36 & 37 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: June 10, 2026. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
Steven Cherson, Plans Examiner 160810
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: July 2, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Village Hall, 65 The Plaza, Atlantic Beach, New York 11509
Subject: Case #25-12-7012 Maximus Builders LLC 62 Broome Avenue Atlantic Beach, New York 11509
Applicants propose to lift the existing house, add a second story addition with a flat roof and roof deck. The applicants are seeking relief from the following section of the Zoning Code: Section 250- Section 250-21 Lot coverage. The lot coverage shall not exceed 30% of the lot area. Existing 35.95%. Proposed 39.68% for additional rear deck with stairs and front stairs. Section 250-22 Front yards (A) The required front yard depth shall be the same as the average front yard depth of the existing buildings within 200 feet on each side of the lot and within the same block in the same use district. Existing 19.9 feet, proposed 19.3 feet for front stairs. Section 250-23 Side yards (B) In case of a singlefamily dwelling with 51 feet or more of frontage where the existing aggregate widths of which are 15 feet and the existing side yard is five feet, any additions shall be permitted to maintain the same aggregate width and side yard setback. This shall include any vacant lots or when the entire structure is removed and replaced. Existing side yard aggregate 14.7 feet, proposed second story addition 14.7 feet. Section 250-24 Rear yards. There shall be a rear yard, the depth of which shall be at least 21.3 feet, Proposed rear yard setback for deck stairs 19.2 feet. 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 10 feet. 250-108 Prohibited and restricted uses(J) Buildings within the Village of Atlantic Beach shall be constructed with a peaked or gable roof only. Proposed rooftop deck and attic roof. Premises are also known as Section 58, Block 58, Lots 54 & 56 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: June 10, 2026. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
Steven Cherson, Plans Examiner 160809
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: July 2, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Village Hall, 65 The Plaza, Atlantic Beach, New York 11509
Subject: Case #25-12-7015
Jonathan and Laura Heller 1620 Bay Boulevard Atlantic Beach, New York 11509
Applicants propose to raise the existing grade (average 9.12 feet) to elevation 11.0 feet. The applicants are seeking relief from the following section of the Zoning Code: Section 250-18.1 Grading. For all lots upon which any proposed grade change is in excess of two feet, where the total area of the lot containing the proposed work is in excess of 100 square feet and where the grade is permitted to be increased up to two feet, the grade shall not be permitted to be increased to within 10 feet of the front, side and rear property lines. No person, firm, or corporation or entity shall alter the grade of any parcel of land without first having obtained the approval of the Board of Zoning
Appeals. Proposed 2’ for 41’- 9 æ”, 0’ for 29’-.2” and 10’-11” west side of property. 2’ for 40’-11 Ω” and 0’ for 56’-6 æ” east side of property, 0’ for 135’-11” rear of property and 6’-11 Ω” for 29’-4” front of property.
Premises are also known as Section 58, Block 84, Lots 17-23 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: June 10, 2026. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
Steven Cherson, Plans Examiner 160812
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: July 2, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM Place: Village Hall, 65 The Plaza, Atlantic Beach, New York 11509
Subject: Case #25-12-7016
Jonathan and Laura Heller 1620 Bay Boulevard Atlantic Beach, New York 11509
Applicants propose to construct a new twostory single-family dwelling with a two-car garage and carport. The applicants are seeking relief from the following section of the Zoning Code: Section 250-20 Height (B) Roof slopes less than four feet vertically for every 12 feet horizontally shall have a maximum height of 24 feet to peak, including parapet walls for properties east of the street center line southbound of the west side of The Plaza and the east side of Acapulco Street, north of Atlantic Boulevard. Proposed roof height 25.6 feet. Section 250-22 Front yards (A) The required front yard depth shall be the same as the average front yard depth of the existing buildings within 200 feet on each side of the lot and within the same block in the same use district.
Average F.Y.S.B.
12.125 feet from property line, proposed garage 6 feet and carport 0 feet. Section 250-25 Permitted encroachments (A)(1)
Cornices, eaves, gutters, chimneys or bay windows projecting not more than 24 inches. Proposed roof overhang over rear decks 6.4 feet. 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 6 feet. Section 250-108 Prohibited and restricted uses(J) Buildings within the Village of Atlantic Beach shall be constructed with a peaked or gable roof only. Section 250-129 Maximum building area and minimum side yards for certain oversized lots. For any property in the A Residence District which shall hereafter be improved with a new residence and is of a lot area indicated in the table below, the maximum lot coverage, maximum percentage of the lot occupied by lot coverage, minimum side yard setbacks and minimum aggregate side yard setback required for such new residence shall be as indicated in the following table. Lot sizes 16,000-19,999 SF (21.6%-24.75%).
Minimum side yard setback 15 feet and an aggregate side yard setback of 35 feet.
Proposed lot coverage 45.77% (house 40.51%, carport 3.04%, stairs and landings 2.22%)
Proposed side yard setback west side of property 7.52’ and 34.82’. Proposed side yard east side of property 8.10 æ’. Premises are also known as Section 58, Block 84, Lots 17-23 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: June 10, 2026. BY ORDER OF THE
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, Steven Cherson, Plans Examiner 160811
LEGAL NOTICE CASE NO. 21527
RESOLUTION NO. 567-2026
Adopted: June 9, 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. 560-2026, adopted May 27, 2026, a public hearing was duly held on the 9th day of June 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 B STREET - north side, starting at a point 176 feet east of the east curbline of Meacham Avenue, east for a
Public Notices
distance of 20 feet.
(TH-162/26)
SWEETMAN AVENUEsouth side, starting at a point 78 feet east of the east curbline of Travis Avenue, east for a distance of 20 feet.
(TH-163/26)
238th STREET - west side, starting at a point 24 feet north opposite the northeast curbline of 116th Road, north for a distance of 20 feet.
(TH-179/26)
INWOOD WALCOTT AVENUEeast side, starting at a point 39 feet south opposite the southwest curbline of Merril Place, south for a distance of 20 feet.
(TH-172/26)
POINT LOOKOUT
OCEAN BOULEVARDsouth side, starting at a point 929 feet east of the east curbline of Parkside Drive, east for a distance of 56 feet.
(TH-180/26)
ROOSEVELT
ST. FRANCIS STREETeast side, starting at a point 63 feet south the south curbline of Underhill Avenue, south for a distance 20 feet.
(TH-170/26)
WEST HEMPSTEAD
BERRY HILL COURTsouth side, starting at a point 254 feet east of east curbline of Mayfair Avenue, east for a distance of 22 feet.
(TH-166/26)
; 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) 160796
PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES…
To place a notice here call us us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com
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 07/01/2026 at 9:30 A.M. & 2:00 P.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:
THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30
A.M.
349/26. NR LAWRENCE
- Mattress Firm, Renewal of grant to maintain one doublefaced, illuminated, detached ground sign; overall size 100 sq. ft.; overall height 20’ & setback 10’ from Rockaway Tpke., E/s Rockaway Tpke., 100.06’ N/o Valentine Ave. running thru to Benjamin Ave., a/k/a 660 Rockaway Tpke.
355/26. HEWLETTLionel Goldberg, Variance, lot area occupied, maintain deck attached to dwelling., W/s Hunt Dr., 71.71’ N/o East Rockaway Rd., a/k/a 4 Hunt Dr.
360/26. INWOODEliyaho B. & Elana L. Krasnow, Variances, lot area occupied, average front yard setback, side yard, side yards aggregate, rear yard, construct 2-story & 2nd story additions & cellar entrance all attached to dwelling., E/s Donahue Ave., 80’ S/o Healy Ave., a/k/a 186 Donahue Ave.
THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 2:00 P.M.
364/26. WOODMERE121 Franklin Partners, LLC, Variances, height, exceeds number of stories, front yard average setback, rear yard, construct 4-story office building with parking below, special exception for place of public assembly & amusement (use of rooftop amenities), variance in off-street parking with insufficient stall size (demolish existing
building)., W/s Franklin Pl., 212.40’ N/o Central Ave., a/k/a 121 Franklin Pl. 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 Lawrence, Hewlett, Inwood & Woodmere 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. 160784
LEGAL NOTICE INC. VILLAGE OF CEDARHURST
LEGAL NOTICE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Board of Zoning Appeals of the Village of Cedarhurst will hold a public hearing on 06/30/2026 at 7:00 PM in the Village Hall, 200 Cedarhurst Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY for the following: Petition of WEISS BUILDERS GROUP LLC Premises: 268 Oakwood Avenue Sec/Blk/Lot 39/253/313 Case # 2026-013 265-42.1Character of roofs.
A. All buildings permitted by this chapter shall be erected with roofs other than those of the character and description known as “flat roofs.” Such flat roofs are permitted for one-story extensions and appurtenances only, and are not to exceed 240 square feet in the aggregate.
C. All buildings permitted in this article shall be erected with pitched roofs as defined in § 265-1, which roofs with a slope of 4.5 to 12, or greater.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all interested persons will have an opportunity to be heard at said hearing.
Dated: 06/17/2026
Cedarhurst, NY Benjamin Weinstock Mayor Jacob Plaut
Village Clerk-Treasurer By Order of the Zoning Board 160808
PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES…
To place a notice here call us us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com
To place a notice here call us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com
LEGAL NOTICE INC. VILLAGE OF CEDARHURST
LEGAL NOTICE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Board of Zoning Appeals of the Village of Cedarhurst will hold a public hearing on 06/30/2026 at 7:00 PM in the Village Hall, 200 Cedarhurst Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY for the following: Petition of RESNICK ISAAC Premises: 304 ROSELLE AVE
Sec/Blk/Lot 39/327/42 Case # 2026-012
265-38 C. Building area.
The total building area, including all accessory buildings, shall not exceed 30% of the lot area.
265-40 A. Front yards. A front yard of 25 feet shall be required.
265-41 A. Side yards. A side yard is required along each side of a building. The side yards along the sides of a building used exclusively as a single-family dwelling shall have an aggregate width of no less than 16 feet. Neither side shall be less than seven feet in width.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all interested persons will have an opportunity to be heard at said hearing.
Dated: 06/17/2026
Cedarhurst, NY
Benjamin Weinstock
Mayor Jacob Plaut
Village Clerk-Treasurer By Order of the Zoning Board 160807
Photos courtesy Frumie Ganz
Cedarhurst resident Frumie Ganz recently published her fourth children’s book in her Little Red Headed Girl series “Laura’s Tiny Tips for Happy Kids.”
Ganz also published a fifth stand-alone book titled “Right on Time” which is available for purchase on Amazon.
Ganz continues to turn life lessons into children’s books
By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
Cedarhurst resident Frumie Ganz is continuing to transform personal experiences into lessons for young readers with the release of her fourth and fifth children’s books, including the newest installment in her Little Red Headed Girl series.
Ganz’s latest series title, “Laura’s Tiny Tips for Happy Kids”, is a collection of short, meaningful lessons designed to help children grow into confident, kind and happy individuals. The book follows Laura, a lovable little girl with red hair, freckles and a big heart, as she shares practical advice that children can apply in their everyday lives.
The inspiration for the book came directly from Ganz’s experiences raising her own children.
“When my kids were little, I always had these little life lessons and tips that I would share with them,” Ganz said. “They became the kinds of things that Mommy always says. One day the idea just popped into my head that I should put them into a book and share them with other children.”
Unlike her previous story-driven books, “Laura’s Tiny Tips for Happy Kids” features 15 lessons that children can easily understand and remember, along with colorful illustrations and a bonus tip at the end.
“I don’t really plan these books,” Ganz said. “An idea comes to me and I run with it. This one felt very natural because these were lessons I had already been teaching my own children for years.”
She hopes the book becomes a resource for families, classrooms and libraries.
“These are simple messages, but they’re important,” Ganz said. “It’s more than just a story. They’re lessons that can stay with a child long after they finish reading the book.”
Amazon reviewer Kimberly Potter praised its colorful illustrations and posi-
tive messages, while reviewer Rachel Dadon called it “a truly delightful and inspiring” book that teaches kindness, perseverance and confidence in ways children can understand.
But Ganz’s biggest news came just days later with the release of her fifth book, “Right on Time”, a standalone title that she describes as her most personal work yet.
The book grew out of a realization she had while building her career as a selfpublished author and illustrator over the past year and a half.
“For years, it weighed very heavily on me that I never became an artist when I was younger,” Ganz said. “I always wondered why that dream didn’t happen. Then during this process of writing and illustrating books, I suddenly understood that every experience I had gone through was preparing me for this moment.”
That realization became the heart of “Right on Time”, which encourages readers to trust that their dreams can unfold when the timing is right.
“My dream happened right on time,” Ganz said. “That’s why I chose that title. I finally realized I didn’t need to be sad about all those years. Everything I went through gave me something to say.”
She added that her mission extends beyond entertaining young readers.
“I’ve always wanted every book to have a message,” Ganz said. “I can’t write something I don’t truly feel. These stories come from my heart and from my own life experiences.”
Now five books into her publishing journey, Ganz says she is already thinking about future titles.
“I feel this sense of clarity now,” she said. “I understand things that I didn’t understand for so many years. It’s a calm feeling. I know there are more stories to tell, and I’m excited to keep creating.”
“Laura’s Tiny Tips for Happy Kids” and “Right on Time” are available for purchase on Amazon.
EDITOR/REPORTER Part Time & Full Time. The award-winning
Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to jbessen@liherald.com
MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP
Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
MULTI MEDIA ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT Inside Sales
Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. Compensation ranges from $35,360 + commissions and bonuses to over $100,000 including commission and bonuses. We also offer health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286
OUTSIDE SALES
Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $35,360 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses. Compensation is based on Full Time hours
Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250
PRINTING
Homes
A new pool, and the fence around it
Beautiful Cape
CEDARHURST NO FEE Private Entrance, Modern 1BR, 2BR, 3BR, CAC, W/D, Storage, Wall To Wall Carpeting, Indoor Parking Space When Available. For Details Call 516-860-6889/ 516-852-5135/ 516-582-9978
elcome to this beautifully maintained expanded Cape in the Salisbury section of Westbury in the East Meadow school district. Offering 4-5 bedrooms and a versatile floor plan, this home is perfectly suited for today's lifestyle. The updated kitchen flows seamlessly into the comfortable living spaces, including a spacious living room and formal dining room. A striking double-sided wood-burning fireplace adds warmth and character, creating an inviting atmosphere throughout the main living areas. The first floor offers exceptional flexibility, featuring a bedroom,
Q. I’m putting in a pool, and have to raise the property on the side closest to my property line by about 18 inches. I see that my permit shows I can’t go over 6 feet for the fence. What I want to do is build a wall along the property line using the concrete interlocking blocks that are made for this, and I remember from a previous column you wrote that the wall also needs a permit. Am I going to have problems getting the fence and wall approved, because the company that makes the blocks shows that they go right onto compacted gravel and not the concrete foundation you wrote about? Also, the fence will be 6 feet tall on my side, but at least 7 feet 6 inches on my neighbor’s side. Is that going to be a problem? I want to do this right away, so I can enjoy the pool this summer. Should I just do it and see what an inspector says, if anything?
A wonderful opportunity to own a spacious, well-appointed home in one of Westbury's most desirable neighborhoods. Don't miss the chance to make this exceptional property your own.
A. You have given this a lot of thought. I will answer each question as well as possible. The reason for my doubt is that communities have differing opinions, and even inspectors have differing views. The real problem is that until, and sometimes even after, you get a final sign-off, anything that wasn’t documented on the plans is fair game for nullifying the approval, requiring refiling for a new permit.
The block wall can only go on a compacted gravel bed if the ground is stable — not in a flood plain or previously reclaimed land, such as in a neighborhood that was once marshland — and if the gravel bed reaches a 90 percent compaction level, according to manufacturers. This compaction is achieved only by using heavy equipment and extreme force, so if you plan to shovel it in and tamp it down, think twice. Fortunately, the wall movement will be hardly noticeable unless sections sag from the weight of the block and the horizontal shifting of the earth, which mainly occur with the help of water buildup and extremes like the weeks of below-freezing weather a few months ago that most people have already forgotten.
The fence height is another mixed bag of opinions. I’ve had to appear for clients at zoning hearings because of just such circumstances, where there was a problem achieving the 6-foot height and the uneven land dilemma. In other, similar circumstances, another inspector in the same jurisdiction said not to bother and passed the approval without the need to go through the hearing process. I believe that good fences make good neighbors, as Robert Frost wrote. The height issue should only come into play when a neighbor is harmed or potentially harmed by the height, such as if the fence blocks sunlight.
I can never recommend building something without approvals, as a licensed professional, but I am seeing more often that people hate the word “permit.” Good luck!
Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to
We Buy Antiques, Fine Art, Coins & Jewelry
Same Day Service, Free In-Home Evaluations, 45 Year Family Business. Licensed and Bonded, Immediate Cash Paid. SYL-LEE ANTIQUES www.syl-leeantiques.com 516-671-6464
Wanted To Buy
Costume Jewelry Wanted Necklaces, Earrings, Bracelets & Rings. Also Buying Gold & Silver. $$ CASH PAID $$ 631-500-0792 Long Island / Will Travel
FINDS UNDER $100
Finds Under $100
BABY'S CHANGE TABLE. Gently used, white, 3 drawers. $15. Lido Beach. (516)705-9398
BASKETBALL HOOP REGULATION size, portable $20 text/ call Michele (516) 287-7027
CEDAR RABBIT HUTCH: Formica lined clean-out drawers, Casters, 54" X 24", Solid construction. $35. 516-343-4010
FOOD NETWORK (BRAND) countertop convection oven with rotisserie, never used!!! $95. Call 516 502 5699
GRACO STROLLER, MODES bassinet LX, Click Connect, 3 in one, excellent, instructions included, $60, 516-884-9994.
HANDICAPPED DELUXE SPORT Hand-Held Portable GPS Unit for Hikers, Hunters, Bikers, etc. New! $50. 516-486-7941
HANDICAPPED FORTUNOFF'S OUT-
DOOR Store Patio Table. 5'x7' Glass Top, Cast Aluminum Frame. Mint. $100 516-486-7941
ROCKING CHAIR WHITE paint, text for picture, $25, 516-884-9994.
WALKER, ALUMINUM LIGHTWEIGHT
ProBasics w/ wheels, two button, original packaging never used $25. 516-781-8313
SERVICES
Home Improvement
Appliance Srvc./Repair
APPLIANCE DOCTOR FOR ALL YOUR APPLIANCE REPAIRS! Prompt, Reasonable, Reliable. All Repairs Guaranteed. Lic/Ins. Serving Community 45 Years. $10 OFF Repairs. Seniors $12 OFF. 516-764-7011
THE APPLIANCE KING: Washers, Dryers, Dishwashers, Microwaves, Stoves, Refrigerators. WE RULE REPAIR ! $10 Off Repair With Ad. Senior Discount. Lic/Ins #201025, Call 516.640.8593
Cable/TV/Wiring
Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 OnDemand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-782-4069
Cleaning Services
WENDY'S CLEANING SERVICES INC.
Commercial/Residential. We Specialize In Houses, Apartments, Offices, Airbnb & More. Good References. Free Estimates. Call/Text Wendy 516-406-5375 Or Email wencruzpa@gmail.com
Electricians
E-Z ELECTRIC SERVICES, INC.
All Types Residential/Commercial Wiring, Generators, Telephone/Data, Home Entertainment, Service Upgrades, Pools, Spas. Services/Repairs. Violations Removed. Free Estimates Low Rates. 516-785-0646 Lic/Ins.
AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER?
STORM DAMAGE? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-877-318-7982
BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Superior quality bath and shower systems at AFFORDABLE PRICES! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now! 1-877-271-0003
DO YOU KNOW what's in your water? Leaf Home Water Solutions offers FREE water testing and whole home water treatment systems that can be installed in as little one day. 15% off your entire purchase. Plus 10% senior & military discounts. Restrictions apply. Schedule your FREE test today. Call 1-866-247-5728
PREPARE FOR POWER outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-877-516-1160 today to schedule a free quote. It's not just a generator. It's a power move.
PREPARE FOR POWER outages with Briggs & Stratton® PowerProtect(TM) standby generators - the most powerful home standby generators available. Industry-leading comprehensive warranty - 7 years ($849 value.) Proudly made in the U.S.A. Call Briggs & Stratton 1-888-605-1496
SAFE STEP. NORTH America's #1 WalkIn Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-855-916-5473
Miscellaneous
GET BOOST INFINITE! Unlimited Talk, Text and Data For Just $25/mo! The Power Of 3 5G Networks, One Low Price! Call Today and Get The Latest iPhone Every Year On Us! 844-329-9391
Power Washing
POWERWASHING ALL SURFACES: Houses, Fences, Concrete/ Brick, Decks/Sealing. ANTHONY & J HOME IMPROVEMENT, INC. 516-678-6641
Services
PEST CONTROL: PROTECT YOUR HOME from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-877-290-0023 Have zip code of property ready when calling!
Telephone Services
CONSUMER CELLULAR - the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long-term contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more information, call 1-844-919-1682
Tree Services
T&M GREENCARE TREE SERVICE *TREE REMOVAL *STUMP GRINDING *PRUNING. FREE ESTIMATES. 516-223-4525, 631-586-3800 www.tmgreencare.com
Satellite/TV Equipment
DIRECTV- All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Health & Fitness
ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Discover Oxygen Therapy That Moves with You with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. FREE information kit. Call 1-877-536-0251
ATTENTION: VIAGRA AND CIALIS USERS! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices! 50 Pill Special - Only $99! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW: 1-877-468-3979
Internet Services
AFFORDABLE TV & INTERNET. If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote and see how much you can save! 1-877-461-0663
Legal Services
INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT? Don't Accept the insurance company's first offer. Many injured parties are entitled to major cash settlements. Get a free evaluation to see what your case is really worth. 100% Free Evaluation. Call Now: 1-877-315-0990.
i’ve told this story before, but friends say it always bears retelling. Four years ago this month, a group of us experienced in just a few hours some truly high moments followed by some comedic screwups that still make us shake our heads.
Nassau County Republican Party Chairman Joe Cairo, my law school roommate Tom Curtin and I are Notre Dame graduates, and fanatical followers of Fighting Irish football. When we heard that then new football coach Marcus Freeman would be speaking at a Notre Dame event at the Union League Club in Manhattan, we decided to attend and then go to dinner afterward.
Melissa Zimmerman, a retired Nassau County Police Department detective who was on my security detail when I was in Congress and was still doing security work for me, coordinated the logistics for the evening. We took my car, picked up Cairo at his North Valley Stream home and made it to the city in
Tplenty of time. Zimmerman parked the car in a garage a few blocks from the Union League, and once there we met up with Curtin, who, as usual, knew someone who knew someone and got us into a pre-event gathering with just a small group of alumni and Freeman, who was friendly and generous with his time. Couldn’t have been a better moment for Notre Dame guys.
AFollowing the larger reception downstairs, we went to Sam’s Place, a terrific Italian restaurant on East 39th Street, where we were joined by my son, Sean, another Notre Dame graduate. The conversation was filled with reminiscing, and expressions of hope that Freeman would restore Notre Dame football’s golden luster.
So we set off to meet the new Notre Dame coach . . .
Despite a sign that said it would be open for a few more hours, the garage were locked tight. We rang the bell. No answer. It started raining harder. We were the only people on the street.
nd what followed
forced us to find our way home in the rain in a very sketchy Uber.
Afterward, as we were outside on the street posing for a group photo, Zimmerman couldn’t help congratulating herself on her logistical success. Sean said he would walk to his nearby apartment and said good night. There was a drizzle of rain, but the garage was a block away; nothing to worry about. Curtin, who lives in Jersey, was staying at the New York Athletic Club, so we offered to drop him off.
The always prepared Curtin produced an umbrella and decided to walk to the NYAC. Zimmerman, seeing her brilliant planning coming undone, was on her phone trying to find an Uber to drive us to North Valley Stream. Minutes went by; no taxicab, no Uber. Cairo, one of the nation’s most powerful political leaders, was standing in the rain, looking down 39th Street.
After several long minutes, a broken-down, filthy-looking, barely operable car pulled up. The driver held a cardboard sign with “Uber” scrawled in magic marker. Speaking with a thick foreign accent, he asked where we were going. North Valley Stream, Zimmerman told him.
“No problem,” he said. We warily got in the car — Zimmerman, the seasoned detective, in the front, and Cairo and I in the back. The driver seemed to have a hard time finding his way out of Manhattan as Zimmerman tried to guide him, and rain splashed against the
windshield. Eventually we made it to Cairo’s home, where he obligingly paid the driver and, adding insult to injury, at Zimmerman’s suggestion, gave the man a generous tip. He shook his head as he got out.
Next, Zimmerman tracked down a friend to drive us to my home in Seaford, and then, because her car keys were in my car in the Manhattan parking garage, to drive her to her Bellmore home.
Because my wife, Rosemary, knew I’d be coming home late, she had decided to sleep in the back bedroom. When she got up in the morning and didn’t saw my car, she didn’t know whether to call the cops or the emergency room. Moments later, as I recounted the events of the previous evening, she shook her head with the look of a woman thinking, why did I ever marry this guy? Good question.
Later that morning, Zimmerman took an LIRR train to Manhattan to retrieve my car and her keys and complain to the parking garage manager about his misleading closing-time sign. The saga of the Notre Dame football coach and the locked garage was over, but none of us has ever forgotten it.
Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.
A crisis at a journalistic institution
here are a number of ways to frighten a politician. I could recite a few, but there’s nothing more frightening then telling an elected official that “‘60 Minutes’ wants to talk to you.” For almost 60 years, the show has been more than a television program. It is one of the few that has held powerful corporations, governments and individuals to account for their conduct. Like it or not, “60 Minutes” has been the conscience of the nation.
During its time on our television screens, the show has exposed the tobacco industry’s lies, the failures of the Veterans Administration and the abuses of Wall Street, to name just a few of its in-depth investigations. It has done so week after week, in prime time, watched by millions of Americans who might never have read an investigative newspaper series but would sit down on a Sunday night and absorb a piece of journalism that changed what they knew, and sometimes what the country knew.
That institution, in any meaningful sense, is now gone. What has taken place over the past year is a cautionary tale about what happens when corporate fear meets political intimidation and what is lost when the two converge.
The chain of events that got us here started in April 2025, when Bill Owens resigned at executive producer of “60 Minutes.” He was only the third person to hold that job in 57 years. That was followed by the resignation of CBS President Wendy McMahon.
W hy all the drama at ‘60 Minutes’ matters beyond the television industry. opinions
The reason for both departures was that Paramount, the parent company of CBS, was seeking federal approval for its merger with Skydance Media. The Trump administration had leverage over the deal, and it was clear that it was prepared to use it. Then CBS settled a lawsuit with the president with a payment of $16 million. The optics should have been a tipoff of what was yet to come.
What happened next confirmed everyone’s worst fears. Bari Weiss became editor in chief of CBS News, installed by the new owners. While Weiss is a competent writer, she knew nothing about television news. Last
month she fired veteran “60 Minutes” correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, the first Latina correspondent in the show’s history. That was followed by numerous other layoffs of longtime staffers. It’s worth noting that, months earlier, Weiss pulled a segment off the air that dealt with Trump administration deportees held in a Salvadoran prison. It eventually ran, but that sent another signal.
The final touch in the dismantling of a journalistic institution was the firing of Scott Pelley, who helped make “60 Minutes” what it was. Pelly is the modern-day version of what Walter Cronkite was in his time, and the loss of his voice is a loss for all of us who believe in investigative journalism.
So why does this matter beyond the television industry? Investigative journalism is a mechanism by which citizens of a democracy learn what their government and their corporations are actually doing, as opposed to what they are told they’re doing.
What do weekly newspapers have to do with this type of reporting? Willamette Week, the Village Voice and the Riverdale Press are just a few of the
weeklies that have won Pulitzer Prizes. Consider what happens when a weekly newspaper is sold. If a new owner has different priorities, different allegiances or a fear of generating controversy, it’s the beginning of the end of fair coverage for their readership. When a new owner takes over, the staff remains for a time. The nameplate stays the same, but the readers may sense the change before they can articulate it.
Identity and credibility aren’t assets that appear on a balance sheet, but they are one of the most fragile assets a paper possesses. You might have noticed that the Herald has both Republican Peter King and Democrat Jerry Kremer as columnists. That’s because the owner values all opinions.
The dismantling of “60 Minutes” because of political pressure and corporate self-interest is a message to newsrooms all over America. It is a reminder that the public can’t afford to ignore what takes place before their eyes. We need good and honest journalism, and should be supportive of those who practice it.
Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He currently chairs the Capitol Insight Group, a government relations firm. Comments? jkremer@liherald.com.
Herald editorial
Start exercising your electoral muscles
every election cycle brings a familiar refrain: “This is the most important election of our lifetime.” The phrase is often overused, but the underlying message remains true. Democracy only works when citizens participate, and that participation begins long before Election Day in November.
For New Yorkers, that opportunity starts with next Tuesday’s primary election, which determines which candidates represent each political party on the ballot in November’s general election.
Too often, primary elections are overlooked. Turnout is routinely far lower than in general elections, even though primaries frequently determine who will ultimately hold office.
In many districts, particularly those dominated by one political party, the primary is effectively the most competitive election voters will see. Yet thousands of eligible voters stay home, leaving crucial decisions in the hands of a small fraction of the electorate.
Voting is more than a civic duty; it is one of the few opportunities citizens have to directly influence the direction of their communities, states and nation. The issues debated during campaigns — taxes, public safety, education, transportation, housing affordability, health care, environmental policy and economic development — impact residents every day. Whether voters are satisfied with current leadership or eager for change, the ballot box remains the most powerful tool available to make their voices heard.
The 2026 election cycle will determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, institutions that shape federal policy on everything from spending and taxation to national security and judicial appointments. Midterm elections have historically served as a
letters
How to register to vote and find your polling place
Nassau County: Go to the Nassau County Board of Elections website: nassaucountyny.gov/Departments/BOE.
Suffolk County: Go to the Suffolk County Board of Elections website: suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/BOE.
referendum on the direction of the country, and they often produce significant shifts in political power.
Yet those outcomes are frequently decided by a relatively small number of voters. Nationally, turnout in midterm elections, like 2026, is typically lower than during presidential years. That means individual votes carry even greater weight.
New York voters face an unusual circumstance. Due to a court ruling involving the state’s congressional district maps, several elected officials who only recently won office must once again make their cases to voters. As a result, some communities will see campaigns and races return to the ballot much sooner than expected.
Rather than viewing this as election fatigue, we hope that voters see it as an opportunity. Democracy is strengthened when elected officials remain accountable to the people they represent. Frequent elections require candidates to engage with constituents, explain their records and articulate their plans for the future. Those elections also give voters a chance to evaluate whether promises made during previous campaigns have
Ben Franklin’s wise words? If only.
To the Editor:
Re Jerry Kremer’s column, “Much of what Ben Franklin said is being ignored,” in the June 4-10 issue: To use Franklin to compare the personal qualities of top officials then and now is very appropriate, for it points a way forward.
When Franklin connected the maintenance of the republic to the character of its members, he knew whereof he spoke. He was well studied in history, the qualities of his compatriots were well known to him, and he was fully experienced in the effort that went into the maintenance of “virtue.” His statements that “only a virtuous people are capable of freedom” and about the tendency of corruption to bring on “masters” were deadly serious advice about the kind of citizens necessary to “keep” the republic.
been fulfilled.
Congressional races often receive the most attention, but local and state elections — for Assembly members, village mayors, town council members, and more — can have an equally profound impact on daily life. Decisions made by state lawmakers influence school funding, transportation projects, environmental protections, public health initiatives and countless other issues that directly affect neighborhoods. The officials chosen this year will help shape policies and budgets that residents will live with for years to come.
Unfortunately, many Americans have become increasingly cynical about politics. Some believe their vote doesn’t matter. Others feel frustrated by partisan divisions or disappointed by the pace of change. Those feelings are understandable, but disengagement isn’t the answer. History repeatedly demonstrates that elections can be decided by razor-thin margins. A handful of votes can determine a local race. Every voter who participates increases the legitimacy of the democratic process and helps ensure that election results reflect the will of the broader community.
Next week’s primary should therefore be viewed as more than a procedural step on the path to November. It is the opening chapter of an election season that will help determine who represents us and what priorities those leaders pursue.
Voters should take the time now to learn about the candidates, understand the issues and confirm their registration status. They should familiarize themselves with polling locations, early voting opportunities and absentee ballot options if needed.
The road to November begins next Tuesday. The most important thing voters can do is show up and vote.
Go to liherld.com/subscribe
opinions
Surviving the end-of-year overwhelm as an L.I. parent
sometime around May, something shifts for long Island parents. One morning you glance at your phone and realize that between now and the last day of school, you’re expected to attend a spring fling, coordinate field day gear, buy a prom corsage, rSVP to three birthday parties, survive finals week alongside a teenager who sleeps until 2 p.m. — or a toddler who wakes up at 2 a.m. — label 14 pairs of camp socks with permanent marker, and, somewhere in there, actually exhale. as a mom of two and as someone who works alongside long Island families every day, I want to say plainly: This is a lot. Joy stacked on top of more joy, on top of logistics, on top of a full-time job and dinner and everything else — that’s not a celebration. That’s a stress response in a party hat.
Parental stress doesn’t stay tucked inside. It moves through families. The short-tempered answer at dinner, the
Letters
Franklin made for himself a chart of seven columns, one for each day of the week, and 13 rows listing the 13 virtues he considered important enough to track. He focused on one per week, and marked his shortfalls. “Tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of attaining,” he wrote, “but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavor, a better and happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”
Most citizens — and very few politicians — would be hard-pressed to even name 13 virtues, confused today with ideology. We know that George Washington had his own written self-guide, and self-improvement was a popular theme at the time, in line with efforts at improving society by improving the people. Citizens today should make their own list of virtues, make an honest attempt to abide by them, and insist on representatives who share the effort. Franklin’s words should be remembered, as should his efforts to attain virtue and thus be a good citizen of our republic.
BrIan Kelly Rockville Centre
Comments about our stories?
Send a letter to the editor to execeditor@liherald.com.
argument over a permission slip, the exhaustion that makes it hard to be present for the moments you’ve been looking forward to — these are the quiet consequences of end-ofyear overwhelm. and yet we’ve normalized it to the point where parents feel guilty for being overwhelmed.
parental stress doesn’t stay tucked inside. It moves through families.
That’s why the eaC network’s long Island Parenting Institute exists. lIPI has been offering free and low-cost workshops and classes to parents across nassau and Suffolk counties for years — practical, judgment-free spaces to build skills, find community, and be reminded that the village is still out there. you just sometimes need an invitation. last year, lIPI served nearly 750 parents across the region.
Its programming director, Kathryn Cannino, helps oversee programs on positive parenting, child development and strengthening family relationships. asked about parents feeling stress this time of year, Cannino’s response was, “end-of-year stress is real, but parents don’t have to push through it alone, or perfectly. The families we work with often find that turning point is treating
themselves with the same compassion they offer their loved ones — recognizing burnout is a signal to slow down and ask for support. reaching out for support is a strength, and it also helps build the kind of connected village and supportive community that so many parents are longing for.”
So if you’re not the one managing the balancing act right now, look around. Someone near you probably is. Here are three simple ways to support parents in your community this season.
1. Be specific when you offer to help. “let me know if you need anything” is easy to say, and almost impossible to act on. Instead, try, “I’m picking up dinner Friday — I’ll grab extra for you,” or “I can take the kids to Field Day.” Specific offers get accepted. Vague ones get politely declined by people who are too tired to ask.
2. Check in on the parent who seems like they’ve got it together. They don’t. at least not entirely. The parent who shows up at every event with snacks and a smile is often running on fumes by 9 p.m. Texting, “How are you actual-
Framework by Tim Baker
ly doing?” can mean more than you know.
3. Say the quiet part out loud. We love our kids, and will do anything for them — but that doesn’t mean we have to do everything all the time, or that we have to do it silently and alone. When one parent names the overwhelm, others feel less alone in it. you don’t need to fix anything. Just being willing to say, “This time of year is genuinely hard” is a gift.
The lIPI team and community may be one of the best-kept secrets on long Island, but the programs they offer are open to all. If you’re looking for your village, consider joining us for the sixweek Common Sense Parenting workshop series in July. learn more and register at eac-network.org/li-parentinginstitute.
The end of the school year is supposed to feel celebratory — and it can, once we stop pretending the sprint to get there is effortless. So hang in there. Check on your people. Go to the concert. Cry a little at graduation. and when you’re ready to come up for air, we’ll be here.
Neela Mukherjee Lockel is president and chief executive officer of EAC Network and a Long Island mother of two.
Diana Frohman with one of her dancing golden retrievers, 5-year-old George — Oceanside
LIVING AT ITS FINESTOceanfront
Experience Coastal Luxury Living in this Brand-New 3 Bedroom, 2-Bath Condominium at the Prestigious Blue Point. This Stunning Residence Offers Breathtaking Southwest Ocean and City Views, with Spectacular Sunsets Enjoyed from your Expansive Wraparound Terrace. The Open-Concept Layout is Designed for Modern Living and Effortless Entertaining. The Spacious Living Area Features a Cozy Fireplace and Flows Seamlessly onto the Terrace, Creating the Perfect IndoorOutdoor Lifestyle. The Chef’s Kitchen Opens to the Main Living Space, Enhancing the Bright and Airy Feel Throughout. The Primary Suite is a True Retreat, Complete with a Full En-suite Bath and a Relaxing Jacuzzi Tub. Two Additional
Premium Amenities Including Concierge Service, a Fully Equipped Gym, Secure Parking, and a Beautifully Designed Sitting Area with a Fireplace and Wrap Around Terrace-Ideal for Relaxing or Gathering with Guests. Perfectly Located Just Moments from the LIRR, Shopping, Top Restaurants, the Stunning Boardwalk and Beach, this is a Rare Opportunity to own a Sophisticated Oceanview Residence with Unforgettable Sunsets. Priced from $750,000 to $2,500,000
