Sea Cliff/Glen Head Herald 06-26-2025

GRADUATES

Valedictorian Aaryan Vira, right, and salutatorian Kaitlin Ho will lead North Shore High School’s graduating class of 2025 at the June 27 ceremony.

Meet the North Shore High School valedictorian and salutatorian

By LUKE FEENEY

lfeeney@liherald.com

Valedictorian Aaryan Vira and salutatorian Kaitlin Ho will lead North Shore High School’s graduating class of 2025 at the June 27 ceremony.

Both students recently reflected on their journeys, motivations, and experiences that shaped their high school careers. Vira has spent his entire K-12 experience in the school district. He started at Glenwood Landing Elementary School before switching to Sea Cliff Elementary School in second grade, followed by attending North Shore Middle School and then the high school.

“I felt that the freedom that North Shore allows you to have in choosing what you’re reading and kind of how you want to tackle assignments has been pretty cool,” Vira said. His academic achievements include being the recipient of the Harvard College Book Award, the Rensselaer Polytechnic

Institute Medal, a commended student in the National Merit Scholarship Program, the First National Bank Math Award, the Junior Award for Excellence in Social Studies, and the Kittleberger Award for outstanding 9th-grade student in math.

Ho moved to the North Shore School District in 2021 from Manhattan; her 9th-grade year was her first year in the district after spending K-8 in the public city school system.

Ho’s successes include recognition as a commended student in the National Merit Scholarship Program, a third-place finish in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair Award for Animal Sciences; the President’s Volunteer Service Award, National Scholastic Silver Medal of Art Award; first place at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair Animal Sciences category; first place and highest honors from the Science Teachers Association of New York State; and first place in the New York

Is Now the Right

For many homeowners, the answer is YES

Morgan Park festival opens with local stars

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

Glen Cove’s shoreline will echo with the sounds of Billy Joel’s greatest hits on July 6, the first day of the summer concert series, as the Morgan Park Summer Music Festival kicks off its 66th season with a performance by Richie Cannata and the Lords of 52nd Street. The concert will begin at 7 p.m., marking Cannata’s first appearance battling cancer last year.

“I’m so happy to be alive. I’m a walking miracle,” Cannata said. “I was given a 1 percent chance to live and to survive. Here I am driving, doing gigs and having a great life.”

Due to the shared bill, Cannata said the band won’t be performing its usual 90-minute show.

“I’ve been asked to only do a short set because we’re sharing it with an opening act,” he told the Herald. “So I won’t be able to do my normal one-and-a-halfhour show. I’ll only be able to do maybe one hour. Because of that, we will be doing the hits, of course, people want to hear.”

I would like to shake a lot of hands and see a lot of my friends that have supported me over the years.

RICHIE CANNATA Musician

The legendary saxophonist, best known for his work with Billy Joel, will be joined by fellow members of Joel’s original band, including Liberty DeVitto, Russell Javors, Anthony Bambino, Malcolm Gold, Doug Kistner and Dan Orlando. Together they’ll deliver a onehour set of classic Joel hits.

Cannata, who has performed at the Suffolk Theater and Richfield Playhouse in recent weeks, said he has being selective about the shows he takes on as he has returned to the stage this year.

“Glen Cove is a big one for me, because it’s my home and a lot of my friends and family will be there,” he said. “It’s very important that we have a lot of people there that night. I think we will. It’s always been a very big turnout.”

For Cannata, the July performance will be more than a concert — it will be a celebration

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Courtesy North Shore School District

Summer soundtrack begins with a star-studded night

of life and resilience. “I think it’s most important that people come and see that I’m healthy and that I’m out there playing,” he said. “I would like to shake a lot of hands and see a lot of my friends that have supported me over the years.”

Glen Cove native Shye Roberts, who rose to national prominence as a finalist on Season 26 of NBC’s “The Voice” in 2024, will open the show. Though she now lives in Pennsylvania, Roberts said that returning to her hometown for this performance holds deep meaning.

night is a celebration of exceptional talent from Glen Cove and beyond.

“We are thrilled to celebrate Richie Cannata’s return to the stage,” Suozzi said. “Extraordinary performers showcasing the depth of talent from Long Island, and Glen Cove, are the order of the night.”

“For me it’s about the community, which is so cliché to say, but it is,” she said. “I feel like it’s just about going back to where I came from and giving back to the people that I love so much.”

Roberts said she hasn’t made much money yet in her music career, but performing in Glen Cove is about more than that.

“Even though I haven’t really profited off of this kind of situation yet that much, I really feel like people think so highly of me,” she said. “I think highly of my community of Glen Cove, and really, I just don’t want to let them down.”

Roberts will also be selling shirts and bracelets at the show, and hosting a raffle organized by her sister. “I never supported this idea,” she acknowledged, “but she said that it was a good idea to do a raffle where everybody enters in and the winner gets whatever song they want me to sing sung to them on a live phone call.”

The Glen Cove High School Select Chorale, an award-winning student ensemble, is among other performances throughout the summer series.

The festival chairman, U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, said that this year’s opening

Suozzi, whose parents founded the festival in 1959, has continued their legacy of bringing free professional performances to the community. His late father, former Mayor Joseph Suozzi, and community member Laura Pratt launched the first concert with the goal of making culture and entertainment accessible to all.

“They used to do one concert a year,” Tom Suozzi said. “The idea was to try and bring culture and entertainment to people that can’t necessarily afford to go into the city for a Broadway show. It’s gotten bigger and bigger and bigger every year.”

The all-volunteer, nonprofit festival has remained free to the public thanks to donations from individuals and local businesses, including a major contribution last year from Rallye Lexus. The Terian family and Rallye Motor Company are as the title sponsor for the 2025 season.

“It’s no cost to the taxpayers. It’s all volunteers. It’s all donations from our friends and neighbors,” Suozzi said. “We’re going to keep this going forever. It’s never going to stop.”

Concerts continue every Sunday through August at 7 p.m. in Morgan Memorial Park, the scenic 40-acre waterfront property donated to the city in 1926 by financier J.P. Morgan.

“We have a great group of volunteers,” he said. “We’re always welcoming new people to our team.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Courtesy the Morgan Park Summer Music Festival

The Morgan Park Summer Music Festival will kick off its 66th season with a performance by Richie Cannata and the Lords of 52nd Street.

Exploring hidden gardens in your backyard

By LUKE FEENEY lfeeney@liherald.com

Seven Sea Cliff homes opened their backyards to the public to view as a part of the biennial Secret Garden Tour, a highly anticipated event that showcases the beauty of the village’s gardens this past Saturday.

“We are indeed grateful to our hosts for opening their gates and allowing us to share in the pleasures of their hidden retreats because our gardens are such personal expressions of ourselves,” Sally Davies, the president of the Sea Cliff Beautification Committee, wrote in a tour guide for the event. “We are proud of the growing interest Beautification has generated in the community to beautify and protect our unique environment.”

The gardens were located throughout the village; two of the houses were on Prospect Avenue and Littleworth Lane, while the other three were at 9th Avenue, Glen Avenue and Highland Avenue. According to Davies, the proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards improving and restoring parks as well as initiating programs to enhance the village.

The Sea Cliff Beautification Committee is a volunteer organization dedicated to enhancing the village’s aesthetics through gardening and landscaping. The committee works on maintaining parks, planting flowers, and decorating public spaces with festive wreaths and baskets.

Each of the gardens featured unique plants and styles, attendees expressed admiration for the unique designs of each garden.

“We’re taking the walk because we love this beautiful neighborhood,” Assunta Fusco, a Glen Cove resident and frequent participant of the tour said. “It’s green, it’s lush, and we’re just talking about the importance of trees, and we would love to see more of nature, all around us all the time.”

The gardens were located throughout the village; two of the houses were on Prospect Avenue and Littleworth Lane, while the other three were at 9th Avenue, Glen Avenue and Highland Avenue.

Luke Feeney/Herald

Seven Sea Cliff homes opened their backyards to the public to view as a part of the biennial Secret Garden Tour

Each of the gardens featured unique plants and styles, attendees expressed admiration for the unique designs of each garden.

According to Sally Davies, the president of the Sea Cliff Beautification Committee, the proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards improving and restoring parks as well as initiating programs to enhance the village.

THE GREAT BOOK GURU

Godly glow?

Dear Great Book Guru, I was at the Sea Cliff Beautification Garden Tour last week - it was fabulous! The organizers did their usual great job and the gardens were amazing. While on the tour, someone mentioned a debut novel that sounded very interesting - mysterious phenomena with comedic and religious implications.

Thoughts? Garden Goer

Dear Garden Goer, “The Nimbus” by Robert P. Baird is an intellectually challenging read and great fun at the same time. Adrian Bennett, a theology professor at a school modeled loosely on the University of Chicago School of Divinity, is startled to discover his two-year-old son Luca is glowing - a soft, pulsating, pink, blue, neon-like light that comes and goes unpredictably and becomes known as the nimbus.

cannot. Paul Harkins, a doctoral student in the department, is the first to notice the glow and finds himself becoming more and more enmeshed in the lives of the family.

ANN DIPIETRO

Some can see this glow but others, including the boy’s mother Renata,

Warren Kayita, an aging theology school dropout who now works as a librarian at the university is being pursued by a dangerous mobster because of ever growing debt but sees a way out of his predicament - the debt will be forgiven if he can arrange a meeting with the toddler.

Parenting, marriage roles, academic politics, religious beliefs are examined –many times with great humor but eventually all clash in a dramatic but satisfying conclusion, and we are left to consider: what is belief and what is the desire to believe? Highly recommended.

Would you like to ask the Great Book Guru for a book suggestion? Contact her at annmdipietro@gmail.com.

NEWS BRIEFS

Town pools to open daily starting Saturday

All Town of Oyster Bay community pools will open for the season beginning on Saturday. The Town of Oyster Bay operates five pool facilities, including Tappen Pool at Tappen Beach in Glenwood Landing.

Pool hours from Saturday through Labor Day will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, weather permitting. Additionally, extended hours until 8 p.m., will be offered as follows (weather permitting) at the following locations on the following schedule:

Monday: Syosset-Woodbury

Tuesday: Plainview-Old Bethpage

Wednesday: Bethpage

Thursday: Marjorie R. Post

Fridays: ALL pools open late including Tappen

Pool memberships can be obtained at each park location. Memberships are available at community park pools for both park district residents and non-park district residents. Daily admission rates, nanny memberships and group access are also available. In addition, the town is offering swimming lessons at local pools to members age five and older. Applications to register for swimming lessons are available online at OysterBayTown.com/ sports.

For more information, including membership rates, and schedules for swim lessons, visit OysterBayTown.com/pools.

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Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

In April of 2015, these two Nobel Peace Prize laureates celebrated His Holiness’s 80th birthday by meeting for a week at the Tibetan leader’s exiled home in Dharamshala, India. Their purpose? To answer the question: How do we find joy in the face of life’s inevitable suffering?

“From the moment of birth, every human being wants to discover happiness and avoid suffering. Sadly, many of the things that undermine our joy and happiness we create ourselves. Often it comes from the negative tendencies of the mind, emotional reactivity, or from our inability to appreciate and utilize the resources that exist within us. We create most of our suffering. So it should be logical that we also have the ability to create more joy. It simply depends on the attitudes, the perspectives, and the reactions we bring to situations and to relationships with other people. When it comes to personal happiness there is a lot that we as

individuals can do”, says the Dalai Lama

“The problem is that our world and our education focuses on external, materialistic values. We are not concerned enough with inner values. I believe everyone has the responsibility to develop a happier world. We need, ultimately, to have a greater concern for others’ well-being. In other words, kindness or compassion, which is lacking now. We must pay more attention to our inner values. We must look inside,” he further states.

Lasting joy – joy as a way of being – arises from the serenity of deep well-being and benevolence, say the authors.

A strong sense of concern for the well-being of others will make you happy in the morning, says the Dalai Lama, even before coffee. Even ten minutes of meditating on compassion, on kindness to others, and you will see its effects all day. That’s the way to maintain a calm and joyous mind.

cliff/glen head

Book Synopsis: “The

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROPEL COMMUNITY MEETING

Residents share concerns about energy transmission project

Organizers from Glen Head and Glenwood Landing encouraged around 60 residents from across the North Shore to participate in voicing their opposition to a project focusing on modernizing Long Island’s aging electric transmission system at a community meeting organized by the Glen Head–Glenwood Civics Council Tuesday. Here’s what happened.

— Luke Feeney

n What residents can do now

The Propel Project is awaiting the State Public Service Commission’s Article Seven process, which includes full environmental, engineering, and constructability reviews. In addition to other permits, flyers with QR codes were distributed to audience members throughout the meeting, allowing residents to submit public comments on the state’s Department of Public Service website. In addition, two petitions were circulated at the meeting: one to ban the development of lithium batteries in the Town of Oyster Bay and another opposing the Propel Project. Organizers argued that the transmission cables would “marry” the community to battery energy storage systems, although the two projects are separate in scope and nature. Audience members were also encouraged to discuss the upcoming project with local businesses. Panzeca added that a rally similar to the one held at American Legion Post 190 on Glen Head Road in Glen Head on June 5 is also being planned. Propel is hosting two online webinars during the week, to which members of the

n Highlighting past efforts

For over a year, residents on the North Shore have voiced opposition to the Propel NY project, which proposes introducing three new underground electrical transmission connections across Long Island. The $3.2 billion project proposes 89.7 miles of underground transmission lines spanning multiple New York counties. Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2026 and is expected to continue for up to four years, with project completion anticipated by mid2030. Crews are expected to progress between 50 and 150 feet per day.

Christien Panzeca, a Glen Head resident and outspoken critic of the project, underscored the importance of local engagement for these projects. “This is something that needs to be done by your community,” she said. “It’s through community outreach that we are going to be able to protect the health and safety of our community.” Past opposition to the project has included residents speaking out at town board meetings, organizing rallies, and passing fliers to local businesses.

n Looking to the future

The next steps, according to the meeting’s organizers, are calls to legislators. Audience members were given another flyer with the office phone numbers of U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, State Sen. Jack Martins, and Assemblyman Charles Lavine. “State your opposition due to high fire risks, major road disruptions affecting local businesses, children traveling to schools, exiting the area to go to work, affecting emergency calls.” the flyer read. Susan Craig, the director of media relations at the New York Power Authority, pushed back on some of the concerns raised by residents. “Any sidewalks or streets that are disrupted will be restored and improved,” she said. “We’re going to be notifying people, and we’re going to have an app where you can log in and receive updates. All of that information will be distributed to everyone. So everyone knows, you know, kind of exactly how long we’ll be there, and you know what’s happening in their neighborhood.”

Attend Hofstra’s Virtual

GRADUATE OPEN HOUSE

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at 6 p.m.

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For event details and to RSVP, visit hofstra.edu/visit

Graduates look ahead after North Shore

State Association For Language Teachers Virtual Video

“Aaryan and Kaitlin are two exceptionally talented students,” Eric Contreras, the North Shore High School principal, wrote in a statement. “They have promoted academic scholarship, scientific research, artistry, community service, and athletic prowess in multiple domains inside and outside the high school.”

The two 17-year-olds were also active in several clubs and organizations throughout their time in the school district.

Vira has been an active athlete and musician during high school. The trumpet player has been selected to play in the Nassau Music Educators Association All-County Band and All-County Jazz Band as well as the state’s School Music Association. “My parents grew up in New Orleans, so I’ve kind of always had jazz as a part of me. I listened to it for years,” Vira said.

He has also played on the varsity boy’s Tennis Team, earning No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles. In addition, he is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, National Honor Society, Rho Kappa National Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta National Honor Society.

Courtesy North Shore School District Vira and Ho reflected on their journeys, motivations, and experiences that shaped their high school careers.

the Wind”, “The Prom”, “Curious Incident of the Dog”, “Urinetown”, and “Hello Dolly.”

Vira will be attending Rice University in Texas this fall majoring in environmental engineering, while he admitted to being unsure if he will stick with his major, he hopes his future will involve engineering. “I’ve always been very interested in the environmental space since elementary school, since I started learning about environmental issues such as climate change and pollution.” Vira said.

Ho will be headed north to Yale University majoring in art history with the eventual goal of becoming a plastic surgeon. “I’ve always been interested in how art and science coexist to create idealized beauty.” she said. Vira and Ho advised future students to make the most out of their time in the district and appreciate it while they are there.

During her high school years, Ho has been involved in science research at Long Island University Post working on projects in the areas of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

She is also a member of the National Honor Society, Rho Kappa, Science, and World Language Honor Societies. She also served as Student Body Govern -

ment president, Mock Trial Team president, Asian Student Alliance president and founder, and Viking View Editor in Chief. “I’ve always liked leading,” Ho said.

Ho has also participated in several theatre productions including “Inherit

“North Shore is a really great place since it is a really unique place to grow up in,” Vira said reflecting on his experience. “I would say get outside, try new things. Get out of your comfort zone, take risks.”

Ho echoed the sentiment as her academic peer. “Make the most of the opportunities at North Shore and try to be present in the moment. Don’t go through the motions and let life pass you by”

Driving the future:

Southern State upgrades and the role of responsible driving

By MADISON GUSLER & CHRISTIE LEIGH BABIRAD of the Heralds

Final part in a series on the Southern State Parkway.

State.

In April, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $7 million plan to reconfigure ramps at Exit 15 of the parkway. The state will eliminate the southbound exit ramp, and all traffic will exit via a redesigned northbound ramp. Exit 15N will consolidate both north- and southbound traffic entering the intersection at Corona Avenue. The changes aim to improve traffic flow for the more than 8,000 vehicles that use those ramps each day.

The Southern State Parkway is one of the busiest highways in New York state. It opened in 1927, and its original design has not been able to meet the demands of Long Island’s increased population and consistent roadway congestion, which has resulted in many deadly crashes.

Nearly 100 years later, work on the 25.3-mile parkway has ramped up, in an effort to ensure the roadway’s safety, and longevity.

Stephen Canzoneri, a public information officer for the state Department of Transportation Region 10, noted that New York has one of the most aggressive road and bridge renewal programs in the United States, and that it is investing more in the modernization of its transportation infrastructure now than at any point in the state’s history.

Upgrading Infrastructure to improve safety

Canzoneri explained that a $34.1 billion, five-year capital plan adopted in 2022 to invest in major infrastructure projects is the largest of its kind in state history. This plan, which is entering its fourth year, includes substantial investments in modernizing roads and bridges on Long Island, including the Southern

At the end of the ramp, a new traffic signal will be installed, as well as crosswalks, a pedestrian refuge island, and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalk ramps. The westbound connection to the parkway from Corona Avenue will be enlarged for easier left turns, accompanied by improved signage to better direct drivers.

There will also be a reconfiguring of Exit 13, with a new single exit ramp providing access to both Central Avenue and Linden Boulevard. The entrance ramp from Central Avenue to the eastbound Southern State will be rebuilt, the traffic signal will be updated with pedestrian countdown timers, and the sidewalks along Central Avenue, between Stuart Avenue and Linden Boulevard, will be improved. This project is currently in the design phase, with construction expected to begin construction in 2027 Enhancements at Exit 41A, from the eastbound Southern State to the northbound Sagtikos State Parkway, include increased safety measures. In 2024, new

reflective signs were installed and pavement markings were added. This year the ramp will undergo concrete pavement work, and a new concrete barrier will be installed.

Between 2021 and 2024, a significant portion of the parkway and several ramps were resurfaced with new asphalt, and highly reflective pavement markings were installed in an effort to increase driver safety. In an email to the Herald, Assemblyman Michael Durso, whose District 9 encompasses towns in both Nassau and Suffolk counties, wrote that in 2023, Wrong Way and Do Not Enter signs were refreshed or installed at all parkway ramps.

“Safety is always the top priority of the New York State Department of Transportation,” Canzoneri said. “We

continuously review safety measures in place on all our highways on Long Island and across the state, implementing enhancements wherever it is necessary.”

Safety improvements rely on responsible driving Canzoneri noted that safety is everyone’s responsibility.

“Working with our partners in law enforcement, local government and the community, we will continue to do our part to ensure the safety of our roadways. But motorists must do their part,” he said. “We urge everyone to obey the rules of the road, drive responsibly and remain alert, especially in work zones.”

Durso echoed Cazoneri’s sentiment

Traffic building on a typical day on the westbound Southern State Parkway.

Office of Congresswoman Laura Gillen

U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen speaking on driver safety.

Planners hope to create a safer Southern State

that safety is a shared responsibility, writing that “all of the wrong way crashes that occur along the Southern State Parkway have involved impaired drivers.”

However, Durso noted an ongoing effort to address roads that have become unsafe. “As Assemblyman, I continue to work with the New York State Department of Transportation to pass along concerns from constituents and identify areas that can be improved,” he said. “Safety is my top priority.”

U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen, who represents the 4th Congressional District, which includes Exits 13 to 28 on the parkway, serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, as well as the Science, Space and Technology Committee. Gillen recently sent an open letter to Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy about a spike in traffic fatalities.

Working with our partners in law enforcement, government and the community, we will continue to do our part to ensure the safety of our roadways, but motorists must do their part.

STEPHEN CANzONERI State Dept. of Transportation

“Traffic crashes are the single leading cause of accidental death among young people on Long Island, and the second-leading cause for all residents under the age of eighty,” she wrote. “Every seven minutes on average, a serious traffic accident happens on Long Island. The failure to secure our roads has led to thousands of lives being cut short, families being ripped apart, and a terrible void left in too many communities.”

Gillen urged Duffy and the DOT to open an investigation into these accidents, and advocated for larger investments to improve roadways and increase driver safety. She is also pushing for the state to lower the legal blood alcohol limit.

“Many road safety groups have endorsed lowering our drunk-driving limit to a blood alcohol content of .05,” Gillen wrote in an email to the Herald, noting evidence that lowering the limit reduces the number of accidents and saves lives. She noted that the state of Utah, which lowered its drunk-driving threshold to .05 in 2018, saw a nearly 20 percent drop in fatal car crashes over the next calendar year.

“There is already a push to bring this limit to New York at the state level, and I’m exploring federal options to make this the law of the land across America,” she wrote.

Gillen also mentioned distracted

SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY - EXIT 15

New York State Department of Transportation

a draft of plans for the Southern State parkway’s exit 15, where two exits are being replaced by one.

the parkway near exit 13. “We need to increase high-visibility traffic enforcement,”

driving and speeding motorists. “My plan to make our roads safer includes stepping up enforcement on reckless and dangerous driving,” she wrote.

“That means giving our law enforcement agencies the tools and resources to police unsafe driving.”

Gillen stated that it’s crucial that

drivers reduce their speeds. “No matter what day or time you drive on the Southern State Parkway, there are people recklessly speeding and street racing,” she wrote. “We need to increase highvisibility traffic enforcement, and I’ll continue to push for New York State to increase the number of troopers on the

Southern State Parkway and other Long Island roads to keep people safe.”

“It’s important to remember that safety is everyone’s responsibility,” Durso wrote. “We remind residents to abide by the posted speed limit, put down your cellphone, and never drink and drive.”

Tim Baker/Herald

u.S. rep. Laura gillen says.

Celebrating Bloomsday with an adventure

Sea Cliff was turned into Dublin for the evening of June 16 as the Sea Cliff Civic Association held its annual James Joyce Jaunt.

Excerpts from Joyce’s novel “Ulysses” were dramatized and reenacted as an audience followed performers through the village streets.

The tradition was started 14 years ago by Sea Cliff Civic Association President Ann DiPietro and her husband Dan. They have since joined with Glen Cove resident and local performer Fred Stroppel to make the event a developed dramatic production.

The jaunt celebrates “Bloomsday”, recognized worldwide on June 16, the date on which the novel takes place in 1904.

“If you’re intimidated by the idea of reading an 800 page novel, come to the Jaunt,” Dan said. “And in an hour and 15 minutes, you can get the gist and the spirit of the novel.”

Participating performers are part of a troupe that acts in other such civic association productions like the Scrooge Stroll.

“We feel that it adds to the building of community in the village,” Ann explained.

Stroppel said that feedback from audience members has been positive, even if they did not fully understand every bit of the novel’s Middle English, England’s vernacular from 1100 to 1500.

“They just love the idea of just doing something that’s a little offbeat, a little different,” he said. “It’s sort of very Sea Cliff in that way.”

The next performance will be a Great Gatsby Gala to celebrate the novel’s anniversary in August.

—Julia Capitelli

Photos Courtesy Heidi Hunt

Sea Cliff celebrated Bloomsday, named for a character in ‘Ulysses’, with annual James Joyce Jaunt featuring local actors.

Residents followed performers through the streets for the reenactment of James Joyce’s novel ‘Ulysses.’

Locations in Sea Cliff were used as places in Dublin to bring the story to life by actors like Christine Abbenda Hughes, left, and Joe Hughes.

Fred Stoppel, left, and Jen Sebetic dramatized an excerpt from the nearly 800 page novel.

From clothing to quilts, residents swap stories

By Julia Capitelli Intern

When Tracy Warzer was in her twenties, she wove a hammock out of her father’s neckties and gifted it to him for Father’s Day. She later became a licensed art therapist and now serves as the senior outreach coordinator for the Sea Cliff Senior Outreach Network.

Warzer’s passion and Sea Cliff Village Museum’s textile exhibit inspired the event “Exploring Our History through the Stories of Textile Artifacts” on June 19. On display at the museum are items people would have made in their homes like garments, quilts and doilies. Seniors in the community were invited to share any item of cloth or woven fabric, known as textiles. Students grades seven to 12 were welcome to come listen to the seniors’ stories and connect with them.

“(The students) can learn so much about history from them, and just about our own American culture,” said Courtney Chambers, museum director. “So I think it’s just such a fantastic thing for the kids, and I think the seniors enjoy it as well.”

Warzer described the event as part of an effort by the senior outreach network to create an “age friendly concept.”

Senior participants arrived with personal mementos like clothing, pillows and quilts. Sea Cliff resident Yohko Tanaka-Doran shared kimonos with the group, some of which were decorated with hand sewn designs. She explained how people in Japan wear brighter or more subdued colors depending on their age and how there are different kimonos for different seasons.

“I have quite a few of them,” Tanaka-Doran said. “From my grandmother to mother to (me).”

Learning about cultures was a highlight of the

Maizie Lippert tried on a kimono Yohko Tanaka-Doran shared with the group.

event, Tanaka-Doran added.

“I like to learn things,” she said. “And a lot of times you don’t know unless you go to that type of thing, and then you find out a lot of things that other people do or did.”

Tanaka-Doran offered the teens in the room the opportunity to try on one of the kimonos. Chambers’ daughter, Maizie Lippert, volunteered.

“It’s inspiring me to do more craft stuff,” Lippert said. The North Shore High School student described the event as “really cool.”

Warzer emphasized the importance of connection between the seniors and students at the gathering. This was the second collaboration between Chambers and Warzer. Both women said they hope to hold events together once or twice a year going forward.

“That’s a wonderful teaching opportunity for the seniors to be able to impart narrative, personal narratives, stories through artifacts,” Warzer said. “And artifacts are storytelling objects. And so it gives the students an opportunity to hear the stories that come directly from the seniors.”

Julia Capitelli/Herald

Troop 43 scout mapping veterans’ graves

By WILL SHEELINE wsheeline@liherald.com

For years, Memorial Day on the North Shore has included a quiet but powerful tradition — American flags planted at the graves of veterans in local cemeteries by members of the Quentin Roosevelt American Legion Post 4 and the former Oyster Bay Boy Scout Troop 299. But as the legion post prepares to close and its membership continues to shrink, one local teenager has stepped in to ensure that the tradition endures.

Zachary Hertlein, 18, a rising senior at Oyster Bay High School and a member of Troop 43 in Sea Cliff, is working toward the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest in scouting, with a project that honors Cold Spring Harbor’s fallen service members in a distinctly modern way. Hertlein is creating a detailed, GPS-coded map of every veteran’s grave in St. John’s Church Cemetery to ensure that no one is forgotten during Memorial Day flag placements.

The idea was born from a lifetime of service.

“Back when my brother was in scouts, he would do that for the American Legion with my dad, and my dad being next to my mom, he brought 2-year-old me with them to come and help,” Hertlein recalled. “Over time, it just ended up being a service I’ve done to help out the legion, and just something I care about because I’ve been doing it for so long.”

Hertlein, who also participates in sailing, fencing, jazz band and several clubs at the high school, was inspired not just by his brother, an Eagle Scout himself, but by longtime legion commander and U.S. Navy veteran Reginald Butt. Over the years, Butt mentored Hertlein and other scouts while leading the Memorial Day flag effort at four local cemeteries.

“I do see him as a mentor,” Zachary said. “Throughout the years, I’ve just really enjoyed listening to his stories. It’s very interesting learning what he’s been through and what he’s done.”

Hertlein originally proposed mapping all four cemeteries used for local Memorial Day observances, Young’s Cemetery in Oyster Bay, Pine Hollow Cemetery in Oyster Bay and Old Brookville Cemetery as well as St. John’s Church Cemetery, a goal his parents encouraged him to scale down for practicality. Even focusing on St. John’s alone has required meticulous work, including reviewing cemetery records to double-check every name.

But the effort is already paying off. This year, for the first time, students from the high school’s Interact Club, which previously raised money to display flags on the school lawn for Veterans Day, took over the planting of flags in the cemetery. Thanks to Hertlein’s detailed map, they were able to honor nearly every veteran without missing graves.

“It turned out really well,” Hertlein said. “It looked like we had done almost

his

everyone, which is amazing, because in previous years we’ve missed so many names.”

Butt, 87, served in the Navy from 1956

to 1986, active and reserves, and retired as a chief radioman. He remembered Hertlein attending flag placements even before he officially joined the scouts.

“Zach joined his parents who were troop leaders and older brother who was a scout before he even could join the scouts,” Butt wrote in an email. “We were so happy to pass the torch to the OBHS Interact Club. We know they will continue to honor our local veterans on Memorial Day.”

Hertlein’s project came together over the course of the school year, beginning last fall. Working with cemetery Supervisor Brian Pierce, he used Pierce’s original layout and mapped each grave, section by section.

“We used the coordinate feature on the Apple Maps to find out the exact coordinates of where that grave would be,” Hertlein explained. “And then we put all that information that’s on the gravestone into a spreadsheet.”

The project is still in progress, but he has already created a bronze plaque, which has been installed at the cemetery to guide future volunteers, a physical marker to help preserve local memory.

For Butt, seeing young people take over the effort is especially rewarding. “I think it gives us as veterans great peace of mind,” he wrote, “to know that all we’ve done over many decades to honor those that came before us will continue with this generation.”

Danica Reorden/Herald

For

Eagle Scout project, Zachary Hertlein is mapping the graves of every veteran in St. John’s Church Cemetery in Cold Spring Harbor.

Examining Japan’s influence on American art

By WILL SHEELINE wsheeline@liherald.com

The North Shore Historical Museum will host a special presentation on the influence of Japanese art on American artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries on July 9. The talk, titled “F. Edwin Church: Japonisme & its Enduring Legacy in American Art,” will be delivered by Justinne Lake-Jedzinak, director of education and public programs at Raynham Hall Museum.

I wanted to connect this idea of alienation and fascination with Japanese art to sort of our broader relationship with Japan.

JUSTINNE LAKEJEDZINAK presenter

The presentation accompanies the museum’s ongoing exhibit on F. Edwin Church, an early to mid20th-century artist who lived in Locust Valley and whose work blends American portraiture with Japanese aesthetics.

“This is a really wonderful opportunity for the community to discover, or rediscover, this fascinating artist and his connection to our local history through his Locust Valley home,” said Museum Director Christopher Judge. “We definitely wanted a speaker related to the current exhibit about the artist F. Edwin Church, and having Justinne come in and talk is fantastic.”

Church, known for his portraits, landscapes, and lesser-known “thumb box” paintings, studied in Paris and later traveled to Haiti, where his work was influenced by his experiences alongside naturalist William Beebe. A collector of Japanese woodblock prints, Church’s work reflects a synthesis of global styles.

“He was just really, really a talented artist,” Judge said. “He studied in Paris and you’ll see the juxtaposition of his more traditional works, like landscapes and portraits, with clear Japanese influences.”

Lake-Jedzinak said her presentation will go beyond formal art history, weaving together cultural and historical threads.

“I think what I wanted to do was give a little bit of a history and context to this fascination with Japan,” Lake-Jedzinak said, “and particularly Japonisme, in terms of the way that Japanese art filtered through this Western psychological lens that goes on to influence Western artists.”

The term “Japonisme” refers to the West’s aesthetic fascination with Japanese art following Japan’s forced opening to world trade in the mid-19th century. Lake-Jedzinak, who holds an art history PhD from Bryn Mawr College explained that while the phenomenon’s

influence on European artists like Vincent van Gogh is well documented, American artists’ engagement with Japanese aesthetics has received less scholarly attention.

“Considering the American economic role in the opening of Japan, you really see a lot of Japanese objects at these World’s Fairs,” she said, referring to the voyage by American naval officer Commodore Matthew Perry to force Japan to engage in political and economic relations with the world following centuries of isolationism. “And that doesn’t get talked about as much, as opposed to European art.”

Lake-Jedzinak’s presentation will explore not only artistic inspiration but also deeper cultural themes, including alienation, Orientalism, and how the perception of Japanese art evolved alongside American attitudes toward Japan and Asian Americans in the 20th century.

“I wanted to connect this idea of alienation and fascination with Japanese art to sort of our broader relationship with Japan,” she said. “So it’s very much history, but also our history.”

Tickets for the event are available at NSHMGC.org. Admission is $10 for museum members and $15 for nonmembers. The Church exhibit will remain on display through Aug. 17.

“It’s a very affordable ticket price to come see such an elevated presentation,” Judge said. “We really want to keep the exhibit dynamic and keep people coming back to the museum for different reasons.”

Courtesy Gaitley Stevenson-Matthews Museum Director Christopher Judge, right, had previously invited Justinne Lake-Jedzinak to speak at the opening of the North Shore Historical Museum’s F. Edwin Church exhibit.

Work ongoing at new community theater

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

Months after plans were first announced, the transformation of the former Charles Hardware building into the North Shore Village Theatre is officially in progress.

Demolition began in early June at 19 Glen St., where construction crews have stripped the interior of the long-vacant storefront to make way for Glen Cove’s first community theater. The project, spearheaded by Christopher Moll, founder of Jazz Hands Children’s Theatre and artistic director of NSVT, is aiming for a grand opening this fall.

“We needed a blank slate,” Moll said during a recent site visit. “They’ve taken everything down to the bones so we can rebuild it exactly the way a theater should be.”

The plans call for a 150- to 200-seat venue, complete with a 25-by-35-foot stage, lobby, bar and performance-ready acoustics. Much of the original interior structure, including a ramp and excess wall partitions, has been removed to expand the audience area and improve visibility. The stage will extend into the former sales floor of the hardware store, which operated on the site for over 60 years.

The redesign is being completed in phases, with major upgrades to plumbing, electrical systems and fire sprinklers

The long-vacant former Charles Hardware store will soon be transformed into a 150seat community theater, under the direction of Christopher Moll.

scheduled in the coming weeks. The construction timeline remains aggressive, with a targeted opening production of Steel Magnolias in October or November.

“This is a dream that’s finally taking shape,” Moll said.

“We’re hoping to stay on track without interruption between construction phases. We’re close to being able to move forward.”

The total cost of the project is expect-

ed to exceed $1 million, and fundraising is ongoing. Moll said that about half of that has been raised through private donations, grants and support from local sponsors. NSVT, a nonprofit, is seeking additional funding and corporate partnerships to complete the buildout.

“This isn’t just for Jazz Hands,” Moll clarified. “North Shore Village Theatre and Jazz Hands are two separate entities. Jazz Hands will be a tenant of the theater,

not its financial backer. It’s important for people to understand that distinction.”

The project has been a community effort, with support from city officials, business leaders, and property owner Bruce Waller of GW Development, who agreed to a 10-year lease for the space.

City Councilwoman Danielle Fugazy Scagliola, a longtime proponent of downtown revitalization, played a key role in securing the agreement.

“For as long as I can remember, that building was Charles Hardware,” Scagliola said. “Now, to stand in there and actually see it turning into a real theater—it’s exciting. You can visualize what it’s going to become.”

Once completed, the venue will offer programming by both NSVT and outside companies. Moll said plans are already in motion to host Ballet Nepantla, a contemporary Mexican folkloric dance company, as well as touring children’s theater groups that incorporate educational workshops.

The theater also aims to improve accessibility to the arts, with plans to offer free tickets to underserved families through partnerships with local nonprofits such as the Boys and Girls Club and the Youth Bureau.

“This will be more than a theater,” Moll said. “It’s a place for the community to connect and be inspired.”

Residents can follow progress or donate at NSVillageTheatre.com.

Roksana Amid/Herald

STEPPING OUT

From fire to water

Embracing Indigenous tradtion at Long Island Children’s Museum

By Danielle Schwab

The proud culture and legacy of Shinnecock Nation will be full display soon, representing the region’s cherished heritage. Everyone is invited to celebrate the arrival of a newly crafted dugout canoe at the museum, on June 30.

The Arrival Ceremony — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. — is an opportunity for connection with our Indigenous community. Traditional songs, music and remarks from community leaders and culture bearers provide gratitude, context and a spiritual welcome as the canoe is greeted at its new home. Families can also participate in hands-on activities and sample traditional Native foods.

• June 30, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

• View the LICM events calendar at licm.org for additional information or call (516) 224-5800

• Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City

The 10-foot 500-pound white pine mishoon, commissioned by Long Island Children’s Museum, was created through the collaboration of Shinnecock Cultural Steward Chenae Bullock, her mentor Darius Coombs of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and apprentice Shane Weeks of the Shinnecock Nation.

Named “Pewea Koowa,” or “Little Pine,” the vessel reflects the enduring relationship between Long Island’s waterways and the Indigenous communities who have lived in balance with the region’s waterways for generations.

“One of the most important things is for us to understand that the indigenous population is still here, as an active, living part of our community. We’re often taught ‘that’s the old times’ or ‘that was hundreds of years ago,’ when actually, no, they’re here. They’re part of us,” Museum President Erika Floreska says.

Carving the mishoon involves deep care — rooted in ancestral knowledge. It was crafted by hollowing out a 1,700-pound white pine tree using fire, controlled burning and hand tools — a method passed down through the generations.

“The best way to learn is to be an apprentice, because you have to know how to identify the right tree for the vessel,” says Bullock, who guided the project (her seventh mishoon) as lead artisan.

“You strip the bark off. You get the log right where you want it to be. Then, you roll it over and begin to start the fire on top of the log,” Bullock explains. “Once you light that fire, your eyes do not leave that mishoon at all. You are on that mishoon until it is complete.

“Paddling a mishoon in Shinnecock waters was a profoundly special experience for me. Throughout my life, I have crafted numerous mishoons, participated in a handful of maiden voyages, and paddled in many of them. However, this particular journey was unparalleled, as it took place in my home waters. Water holds memory, and I believe that in this moment, we unlocked memories for our community, as well as for the land and water that we cherish.”

Symbols carved into the vessel offer further cultural meaning. Bullock added a whale tail to honor the importance of whales in Indigenous life here.

“It begins to teach the kids what these mishoons were used for. It’s kind of hard for people to think about how our ancestors took these mishoons and actually hunted whales. Whales are a big part of our culture,” Bullock adds.

The mishoon will be placed in the museum’s upcoming permanent exhibit, “Saltwater Stories: We Need the Sea and the Sea Needs Me”, opening In October.

“It’s important to celebrate what makes Long Island unique and this connection to the ocean, but also our responsibility for taking care of it. The mishoon is a really good representation of the history, the ecology and the climate,” Floreska says.

In the spirit of reciprocity, resources for a second mishoon will be gifted to the Shinnecock community in September.

“The tradition of gifting and showing reciprocity in relationships is very important to represent the balance between each other. The idea of them gifting [the mishoon] to us, us gifting to them, is very symbolic,” she adds.

Everyone can also contribute to the making of a wampum belt from quahog clam shells, led by artist and educator Tecumseh Caesar during the event.

This ongoing collaboration between Indigenous communities and the museum offers meaningful ways for families to explore deep connections — not only to the land and water, but to histories that continue to shape the present.

“There’s a whole culture that we’ve inherited and that we have a responsibility to include and think about as we all work together to shape the future,” Floreska reminds us all.

Get The Led Out

Led Zeppelin fans, rejoice! Get The Led Out returns with “A Celebration of the Mighty Zep,” for two electrifying nights of classic rock, The six veteran musicians who make up the Philadelphia-based group delivers Led Zeppelin live with the all passion and fury these bluessoaked, groove-driven rock anthems deserve. Hailed for their powerful tribute to what many consider the greatest rock band of all time, the band delivers a faithful and highoctane recreation of Zeppelin’s iconic sound. From thunderous anthems to mystical acoustic ballads, GTLO captures the full range of Led Zeppelin’s brilliance — complete with the layered instrumentation and soaring dynamics that the band rarely performed live. . With no wigs or phony accents, just pure musical passion, GTLO focuses on the legendary band’s early years and dives deep into beloved hits and rare cuts alike. Their approach is reverent and precise, more like a classical concert than a cover band — a true celebration of timeless rock.

Friday and Saturday, June 27-28, 8 p.m. $75, $45, $35. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com.

Paula Poundstone

Get ready for an evening of razor-sharp humor and brilliantly unpredictable comedy with the one and only Paula Poundstone. When she’s not dishing out laughs as a beloved panelist on NPR, she’s hosting her wildly popular podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone. It’s a quirky “comedy field guide to life,” filled with offbeat segments like taste tests, “cat of the week” tributes, and interviews. Her stand-up résumé is as robust as it is hilarious, with HBO specials like “Cats, Cops and Stuff, Goes to Harvard” and “Look What the Cat Dragged In.” In 2017, she added “bestselling author” to her list of accomplishments with “The Totally Unscientific Study Of The Search For Human Happiness “— a laugh-out-loud account of her quirky quest for joy. Oh, and if her voice sounds familiar to your kids? That’s because she played Forgetter Paula in “Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out.”

Friday, June 27, 8 p.m. $65, $55, $45. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Tickets available at landmarkonmainstreet.org or (516) 767-6444.

Your Neighborhood CALENDAR

JUNE

The Joy of Wonder: Finding Awe During Times of Uncertainty

Jane Cairns Irvine’s installation, at Sea Cliff Arts Council, of several works in kiln fired glass celebrates the joy we feel from the beauty that surrounds us despite the time of uncertainty that we are experiencing in this political climate. These works are vivid depictions of flora and fauna. Sea Cliff has a great appreciation for gardens as witnessed in the many parks and beaches around the one square mile village and through the work of the Sea Cliff Beautification Committee. The many types of glass used create a symphony of color, vibrant and luminous with light. Each installation creates a moment in nature frozen in time through a dynamic display of color and design.

• Where: 86 Roslyn Ave.

• Time: Ongoing through June 29

• Contact: seacliffartscouncil.org

Creatures of the night

Join Ranger Eric Powers for a presentation and nighttime walk through Sands Point Preserve in search of Long Island’s only flying mammal: the bat. Bats, while villainized in vampire movies and such, are important members of our ecosystem. Learn about the fascinating lives of our bats, as well as some of the other nocturnal animals that call the preserve home. This program begins with an indoor talk, followed by a brief walk at dusk. For adults and teenagers 13+. Rescheduled from May 22. Admission is $24, $18 members. Registration required.

• Where: 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point

• Time: 7-8:30 p.m.

• Contact: sandspointpreserveconservancy. org or call (516) 571-7901

Sunset Serenade

Sea Cliff Civic Association presents another year of Sunset Serenade, featuring 10 bands performing live at Clifton Park throughout the summer. Enjoy music, community and the natural beauty of the village.

• Where: Clifton Park, Sea Cliff

• Time: 6-8 p.m.

• Contact: sccivicassociation@gmail.com

JUNE

JULY

10

He said, she said

• Where: Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington

• Time: 7:30 p.m.

reveals a new chapter in this extraordinary estate’s history. Also take the time to visit the Main House.

• Where: 1395 Planting Fields Road, Oyster Bay

• Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.; also July 6

• Contact: plantingfields.org or call (516) 922-9210

Kiwanis Bicycle Challenge

Share in some lively repartee when four stand-up comedians — two men, two women, two are married, two are single — sling comedy barbs at one another in The Ivy League of Comedy’s “Skirmish of the Sexes.” The troupe — known for their elite brand of clever comedy as seen on late-night TV and Comedy Central appearances — is armed and ready with high-brow, clean fun. Laugh the night away wty tales of love and not-love, bad dinners and good dates, broken cars and unbroken dreams. Check out this lively comic take on the age-old dichotomy of who’s right and who’s wrong — done with panache and good humor. The lineup features Tony Deyo, known for his sharp, quick material and near-perfect comedic timing almost certainly gained from his years as a professional symphony musician; Calise Hawkins, a single mom who stands out with her hair, but also her smile and her onstage likability. Also Shaun Eli, rightfully called one of America’s smartest comics. Whether it’s a story about dining with a vegetarian or successfully fighting a parking ticket in criminal court, master storyteller Shaun Eli shows you that there’s hilarity in the ordinary. And Ophira Eisenberg (pictured), host of the comedy podcast Parenting Is A Joke with iHeart and Pretty Good Friends, who delivers a unique blend of smart irreverent standup and storytelling. $40, $30.

• Where: West Harbor Beach Bayville

• Time: 8-10 p.m.

JUNE

In concert

Sea Cliff Arts Council hosts the Toby Tobias Trio. With Toby Tobias on acoustic guitar and vocals, Bill Titus on electric guitar and vocals, and Steve Finkelstein on percussion, this dynamic group brings a heartfelt collection of original songs, old and new, that share messages of compassion, acceptance, and love. $25.

• Where: 86 Roslyn Ave, Sea Cliff

• Time: 6 p.m.

• Contact: seacliffartscouncil.org

On Exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art’s unveils its new exhibition, “At Play,” a survey of artists’ perennial fascination with entertainment in all forms. Framing this topic between the nineteenth century Belle Époque and today, the exhibit includes works by Pablo Picasso, Reginald Marsh, Everett Shinn, and Max Beckmann among many others. Works are gathered to represent a wide range of expressions, from entertainment-related activities

to the fascinating personalities involved. It encompasses dance, music, theater, movies, circus, boating, and beach scenes, along with horseracing and various sports, both active and passive Also featured are archival items from The Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic, including costumes by Marc Chagall for Die Zauberflöte, vintage fashion items by such designers as Alfred Shaheen, and iconic costumes from the FoliesBergère in Paris. On view June 28 to Nov. 9.

• Where: 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor

• Time: Ongoing

• Contact: nassaumuseum.org or (516) 484-9337

Monthly meditation

JJoin H.E Gegye Yongyal Tulku Rinpoche, a 3rd seat reincarnate Buddhist Master and scholar in Buddhism, for one-hour session mindful meditation session at Planting Fields.. The program harnesses the profound natural qualities of Planting Fields park, which serves as a place of peace for many. The sessions take place in a different location on the site and teach participants how to lead more mindful lives through meditation. Whether you’re experienced or someone new

• Contact: (516) 767-6444 or landmarkonmainstreet.org

to mindfulness, these sessions offer a gentle yet profound way to quiet your thoughts, release stress and experience the deep stillness that comes from aligning with the natural world. No prior experience is necessary. Registration required.

• Where: 1395 Planting Fields Road, Oyster Bay

• Time: Ongoing monthly, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

• Contact: plantingfields.org or call (516) 922-9210

JUNE

Walking with the Olmsteads

Step into a world where history and horticulture intertwine on this guided walking tour of Planting Fields. Explore the stunning landscapes shaped by the renowned Olmsted Brothers firm and discover how W.R. Coe’s vision transformed this estate into a living masterpiece. As you wander through lush gardens, winding pathways, and historic structures, you’ll uncover stories of the Coe family’s lasting influence and the artistic brilliance of the Olmsteds’ naturalistic designs. From vibrant seasonal blooms and majestic trees to elegant architectural details, each stop

Ride in support of others. The Nassau Bicycle Challenge (formerly Nassau to Suffolk Bicycle Challenge) supports the work of the Kiwanis Club of North Shore Foundation. It supports charities such as Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center, Pediatric Lyme Disease Foundation, Kamp Kiwanis, NOSH, Boys and Girls Club and charities aligned with those of Kiwanis International “Serving the Children of the World”, including Kiwanis’ signature programs of Klothes 4 Kids, Koats 4 Kids and Kicks 4 Kids. The beautiful ride through the Gold Coast features picturesque vistas and water views. Choose from a 25 mile loop with 1,060 feet of vertical climb or the more challenging ride with an additional 10 mile loop, totalling 35 miles, with 1,600 feet of vertical climb. Routes are clearly marked and ride is equipped with a rest stop. Snacks and water provided. Sponsorships also available. Online registration ends June 24, but walk-ins are welcome. Online registration is $50, day of is $60.

• Where: Starting at Harry Tappen Beach, Sea Cliff

• Time: Staggered starts, rain or shine

• Contact: n2nbc.org

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.

Rock the beach

Bayville Village Arts Council presents Mad Hatter in concert at West Harbor Beach.

ON THE ROAD WITH A TAKEOUT QUEEN

Takeout For Humidity Haters

Ihate humid days. I know they’re coming. When it’s humid outside, I stay at home and dread the moment I’ll have to leave because my refrigerator is empty. To prepare for these annoying days, this month I found three new eateries and one café reopening for the season. Each eatery is casual, small and has just a few tables. So, while most customers are grabbing their meals to go, I love getting out of my house and enjoying food in these cool, peaceful places.

Schmackary’s (1044 Willis Ave., Albertson)

This new “more than a cookie shop” features 100 different types of large, soft, chewy cookies ranging from Fluffer Nutter to Yogi Bare to Horny Unicorn made with “unicorn dust.” Favorite flavors are available every day, while at least ten others rotate and change daily. But that’s not the best part…

sat together and looked as if they were seated in an outdoor theatre. Breakfast is also offered. But that’s not the best part.

I’ve always been too lazy to mix avocado and tuna at home. In this café, I tried the avocado spread and tuna with lite mayo combined in a panini. Their smooth, creamy textures worked together as a wonderful team.

Matsuya Quality Japanese Eats (1358 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn)

Any cookie you choose can be infused in a soft ice cream machine. It comes out as soft ice cream with swirls of chewy bits of your flavor. So, my s’mores cookie became s’mores soft ice cream with pieces of the cookie in it as well. You can also have a “new fashioned” milkshake or place ice cream in between two cookies and make your personal version of an ice cream sandwich..

Green Eats (17 Bridge St., Glen Cove)

The nourishing ingredients in the salads and warm bowls in this new mini café always look as if they’re having a fabulous time. I say this because instead of jumbling all the vegetables and grains together as if a tornado rolled through, the servers place each type of food in its own section on the platter. So, in my Mediterranean Zing Bowl, warm basmati rice, lentils, romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers whipped feta and hummus

This café with super fresh and creative sushi dishes plus more was in Great Neck for decades. It recently reopened in Roslyn. Gorgeous sushi platters have names such as Funky Mantis, Torched Salmon and Mad Hatter. There are also entrees and soups such as Wild Shiitake Bisque. I loved the Kobe Slider plate lined with mini burgers topped with brie. But that’s not the best part…

Sometimes I crave sushi but don’t want rice. Any sushi dish you order can be prepared without rice. It will be wrapped in seaweed or cucumber instead.

Sea Cliff Shave Ice (247 Sea Cliff Ave., Sea Cliff)

Sea Cliff’s much loved shave ice shop is back for the season. The Hawaiian Shave Ice has a unique, creamy texture and is enhanced with all natural syrups, ice creams and toppings. All favorite flavor combos have returned including Tropical Sunset, Caramel Macchiato, Color Changing Magic Butterfly and Watermelon Sugar. But that’s not the best part…

The Shave Ice texture is so smooth, on a humid day I imagine I’m eating snow.

See you next month.

OBITUARY

John W. Salat, beloved husband

John W. Salat, 72, formerly of Glen Head, died on May 8 in his home in Canton, C.T. Graduate of North Shore High School and attended Ithaca collage with a BA in communications, Salat continued on to pursue his theater passions at the prestigious American Conservatory Theater in the San Francisco Bay Area. A resident of Glen Head for more than 25 years, he was born on June 3, 1952 to Evelyn and Stephen Salat (both deceased). Cherished husband of

Suzanne Salat of Connecticut, brother to Eric Salat (Vermont) and Kathleen Wigder (North Carolina).

Uncle to Elisabeth Fort (North Carolina), Alexander Wigder (Boston), Eric Salat (California) and Michael Salat (Manhattan). Salat was an avid bicyclist, skier and golf enthusiast, passionate about all things theater, exceptional craftsman and beloved husband. He will be missed.

‘Burn, baby, burn’: An evening of disco and soul

Jazz, soul and R&B icons took the stage at Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre in Eisenhower Park for a Juneteenth celebration on June 19.

Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. It first became a holiday in 1865, three years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation, when enslaved people in Texas were declared free.

The performance featured The Trammps, which includes Earl Young, a drummer who is considered one of the leading figures in Philadelphia’s soul scene during the 1970s. The group’s hits include “Disco Inferno,” famously featured in the 1977 movie, “Saturday Night Fever,” starring John Travolta.

Other hits include “Hold Back the Night,” “The Dark Side of the Moon” and “Disco Party,” among others.

After the Tramps, a group paying tribute to Earth, Wind and Fire, a classic six-time Grammy-award winning musical group that has spanned a vast range of genres throughout their career, was set to perform.

Earth, Wind and Fire has sold over 90 million records worldwide, producing countless hits, such as “September,” “Boogie Wonderland” and “Reasons.”

Although the event was cut short due to rain, each musician played with enthusiasm, making the celebration all the more memorable for those who attended.

on

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a public hearing will be held as to the following matters:

Agency: Planning Board, Village of Sea Cliff

Date: July 9, 2025

Time:7:00 pm

Place:Village Hall, 300

Sea Cliff Avenue, Sea Cliff, New York

Subject: Application of 227 Prospect Ave

Sea Cliff, LLC, 227 Prospect Avenue, Sea Cliff, New York, for site plan approval pursuant to Village Code Chapter 107 to construct a one story addition, two story

addition, covered porch, new patio, stone retaining walls and reconfigure a driveway.

Premises are designated as Section 21, Block 162, Lot 3 on the Nassau County Land and Tax Map.

Application of Marrcon Development Corp., 8 Club Road, Sea Cliff, New York, for site plan approval pursuant to Village Code Chapter 107 to construct first and second floor additions. Premises are designated as Section 21, Block 50, Lot 306 on the Nassau County Land and Tax Map.

Application of 14 Bay Ave LLC, 14 Bay Avenue, Sea Cliff, New

York, for site plan approval pursuant to Village Code Chapter 107 to construct a new dwelling and site improvements and modifications, and for a wall permit pursuant to Village Code Chapter 64 to permit walls in excess of four (4) feet in height. Premises are designated as Section 21, Block F, Lot 89 on the Nassau County Land and Tax Map. At the said time and place, all interested persons may be heard with respect to the foregoing matters. All relevant documents may be inspected at the office of the Village Clerk, Village Hall, 300

Sea Cliff Avenue, Sea Cliff, New York, during regular business hours. Any person having a disability which would inhibit attendance at, or participation in, the hearing should notify the Village Clerk at least three business days prior to the hearing, so that reasonable efforts may be made to facilitate such attendance and participation.

Dated: June 24, 2025 BY ORDER

–Jack Schwed

Tim Baker/Herald photos

The performance took place

Juneteenth, a holiday celebrated to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. An Earth, Wind and Fire tribute band was set to perform, but the performances were cut short due to rain.

Earl Young, a drummer who is considered one of the leading figures in Philadelphi’a soul scene during the 1970s, on stage during the Trammps’ performance.

A crowd filtered into the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre on June 19 for a performance featuring jazz, soul and R&B icons.

The Trammps, a group know for songs including ‘Disco Inferno,’ which was included in the movie, ‘Saturday Night Fever,’ were part of the performances.

JULY

Your Health

This Your Health edition highlights mental health—an essential yet often overlooked part of wellness—offering expert advice, local resources, and real stories to support emotional well-being and manage stress, anxiety, and depression. JULY

Summer Dining

Explore the best of seasonal flavors with our Summer Dining special section—featuring local hotspots, refreshing recipes, outdoor eats, and tips for savoring summer bites.

to School

Get ready for a successful school year with our Back to School special section—featuring tips, supplies, schedules, local resources, and everything students need to thrive.

Great Homes showcases current listings, local realtors, and real estate services. Larger ads and targeted distribution make it the perfect way to grow your business.

OPINIONS

Remember those who gave their lives every day

This week America celebrated Memorial Day. I’ve always considered Memorial Day to be unique among American holidays. It is a celebration — and a commemoration — that extends beyond holiday bargain sales and backyard barbecues, as enjoyable and as much a part of Americana as they may be.

Amid the bargain-hunting and festivities there should be time devoted to sober reflection on the true meaning of this holiday — remembering the men and women in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice, who lost their lives defending our great nation.

I realize, of course, that how we celebrate Memorial Day, and how we acknowledge the courage of those who lost their lives in military service, is truly personal to each us. Parades and marching bands are wonderful tributes to the spirit and solemnity of the day, giving us the opportunity to personally

Ithank the veterans who march in those parades as representatives of those who never made it home from war. Memorial Day should remind all of us that freedom isn’t free. That without those who fought and died on violent battlefields, we would not be able to espouse and advocate for issues and causes that matter to us. Those heroes preserved our freedom to speak out for or against our elected officials and their policies without fear of government retaliation. Too many people, as they criticize government policies, don’t realize how similar behavior would threaten their liberty — and lives — in so many countries around the world.

them often among the loudest criticizing government policies.

There are also rights that we all assume as a matter of course, such as the freedom of movement and travel from town to town, city to city and state to state without having to get government approval or give any explanation.

n Congress I met people who had been denied rights Americans take for granted.

Among my outstanding experiences during my years in Congress was meeting and talking with people from so many countries where they had been denied rights we take for granted or don’t take full advantage of. There were people, for instance, who would risk everything to have the right to engage politically and enjoy free elections. Yet there are tens of millions of Americans who can’t be bothered to vote, many of

Perhaps the greatest tribute we can give to the memory of those who gave their lives is to do all we can to enhance the lives of veterans who survived the horrors of war, by ensuring that they receive the care and benefits they have earned and deserve. Veterans hospitals must be first-rate and readily accessible. Their heath care must include the full range of mental health care, especially the encouragement of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and programs for suicide prevention without fear of shame or embarrassment.

Similarly, no veteran should ever be homeless, and every effort must be made to provide specialized housing for disabled veterans, such as by supporting organizations like Tunnel to Towers.

Americans from all political persuasions should be proud of our nation and its history and heritage. We should be unabashedly patriotic. There is no country in the world that has done more for its own people, and the world’s, than the United States. And that is very much attributable to the men and women of our armed forces who have fought so bravely in our own Revolution and Civil War, in two world wars, in Cold War struggles like the Korean “police action” and Vietnam, in fierce Middle East struggles in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in numerous smaller but still deadly conflicts.

All veterans who have served in the military, as well as their families, have sacrificed; those who were in the caldron of combat, more so. But for those who never came home, who never lived to enjoy the fullness of life that their sacrifice made possible for the rest of us, theirs truly was the ultimate sacrifice. We must remember these brave Americans every day, but especially so during this week of Memorial Day. God bless America!

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.

We needed science when I was a kid, and we need it now

Idiscovered my love of science through the Long Beach Middle School science fair. Luckily for me, my grandfather was a federally funded researcher, and agreed to help me develop my project. He astutely recognized that I wasn’t excited about anything that would take time away from my new puppy, so together we raised the question, whose mouths are cleaner, dogs or humans?

We swabbed the mouths of the residents of East Penn Street and their dogs, spreading the samples in Petri dishes and tracking their growth with Polaroid pictures each day. I didn’t win the science fair, but the experience taught me that science could be fun, and a way to lean into my curiosity.

As I was growing up, a career in science is not where anyone thought I would end up. I wasn’t in advanced science or math classes, refused to dissect a frog, and broke a fair share of test tubes in chemistry. To be honest, my friends

and family were very surprised that I didn’t return to become the band teacher at Long Beach High School. Ever since I started playing flute at East School, music was my passion, my escape, and a major source of social connection.

TIt took me a lot of time and exploration to land on a research-focused career path. It wasn’t until college, when I was studying music education at SUNY Potsdam, that I realized I was passionate about supporting young people and their well-being through mental health care. I landed a summer internship at Northwell Health’s Zucker Hillside Hospital, in Glen Oaks, working on a mental health-focused clinical trial, and haven’t looked back since.

he National Institutes of Health is one of the agencies threatened by funding cuts.

accessible, culturally relevant and responsive to their needs. I’ve been privileged to receive over $1 million in NIH funding over the past 10 years to support my research, including through programs to help repay my educational loans. My work is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one of the 27 institutes and centers of the NIH, focusing on advancing science on the causes and consequences of substance use to improve individual and public health.

ing clinical trial, the new graduate seeking a job in the health care industry, and those living in areas where coastal erosion threatens our homes.

When I was growing up in Long Beach, summers for me meant spending long days on the east end beaches, riding bikes on the boardwalk and taking trips to Marvel. None of this would have been possible without science: the jetties to manage beach erosion, sunscreen to avoid serious sunburns, clean water to drink, and the list goes on. No matter your political party, we all benefit from scientific advances.

I now have a career as a clinical psychologist and a National Institutes of Health funded researcher, working to improve access to mental health and substance-use treatment for adolescents and families who are impacted by the legal and child welfare systems. Our Juvenile inJustice behavioral health team at the University of California, San Francisco, works directly with families to co-create interventions that are

My story isn’t unique. In 2024, NIH awarded $3.55 billion in grants and contracts that directly supported 30,522 jobs and $8.27 billion in economic activity in New York. Of these grants, over $157 million was awarded to institutions on Long Island. Federal funding has been vital to the Long Island economy.

Recent executive orders, however, are threatening to disrupt public agencies that fund research, like the NIH. The proposed changes and budgetary cuts have the potential to negatively impact all our health and well-being. This is an issue for all of us — for the cancer patient looking for a potentially lifesav-

Government funding is essential to support scientific progress. It allows us not only to make cutting-edge discoveries and gain global recognition, but also to strengthen communities like Long Beach. If you’re concerned about the harm that budget cuts to agencies like the NIH will have, please join me in taking action. Contact your representatives and tell them you oppose science budget cuts. The 5calls.org website and app make it easy by providing their phone numbers and sample scripts to follow.

I hope you will join me in being a science advocate.

Dr. Johanna Folk is a clinical psychologist on the faculty of the University of California, San Francisco.

PETER KING

JOHANNA FOLK

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HERALD

APrioritize water safety this summer

s summer approaches on Long Island, our communities eagerly embrace the joys of swimming, boating and waterfront leisure. From serene backyard pools to the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, aquatic activities are integral to our seasonal traditions.

With their pleasures, however, comes a paramount responsibility: ensuring water safety for all.

Effective Jan. 1, New York state mandated that all operators of motorized vessels, regardless of age, possess a valid boating safety certificate. The requirement, established under Brianna’s Law — named in memory of 11-year-old Brianna Lieneck, who lost her life in a 2005 boating accident in the Great South Bay — is intended to make our waterways safer.

To comply, boaters can enroll in approved safety courses, available both online and in-person. The BoatUS Foundation offers a free, state-approved online course, allowing participants to print a temporary certificate as soon as they complete it.

Additionally, the New York State Parks Adventure License program enables boaters to have an anchor icon added to their driver’s license, signifying the completion of the course and eliminating the need to carry a separate certificate.

Water safety obviously extends to backyard and public swimming pools and to Long Island’s many miles of beaches. Drowning remains a leading

LETTERS

It doesn’t sound like local voices really do matter

To the Editor:

Re Rory Christian’s op-ed, “Local voices matter, and the RAPID Act listens,” in the May 15-21 issue: The irony is hard to ignore. Indeed, local voices do matter — but clearly not to Mr. Christian. The proper channel for those voices is through local elected representatives at the county, town and village levels, yet his actions and advocacy say otherwise.

As chairman of the New York State Public Service Commission, Mr. Christian oversees the electric, gas, water and telecommunications sectors, with a staggering annual budget of $117.5 million and a staff of 528. Despite this immense responsibility, he chose to chastise town supervisors for voicing legitimate concerns about the Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment Act — a law that warrants scrutiny, not silence.

Contrary to Mr. Christian’s endorsement, the RAPID Act undermines the authority of

cause of accidental death among children.

To mitigate risks:

■ Always watch children closely when they’re in or near water. Avoid distractions, even if lifeguards are present.

■ Install fences with self-latching gates around pools to prevent unsupervised access. State law requires fences to be at least 4 feet high, and they must completely surround a pool and obstruct any access. The bottom of the fence cannot be more than 2 inches off the ground, and openings in the fence cannot exceed 4 inches.

■ Teach children to swim, learn yourself if you never have, and understand water safety rules.

■ Ensure that supervising adults are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, to respond effectively in emergencies.

■ State law stipulates that children under 12 must wear U.S. Coast Guardapproved life jackets on boats smaller than 21 feet. While adults on larger vessels can use their discretion, having accessible life jackets for all passengers is essential.

■ At public pools as well as at the ocean, pay attention to lifeguards, those sentinels of the water who are trained to keep swimmers safe from danger. They identify hazards such as the Atlantic’s rip currents — narrow, fast-moving channels of water moving directly away

from the beach that can form in a matter of seconds and carry even the strongest swimmers out with them.

When you arrive at the beach, ask the guards about areas where rips are likely to appear, and swim between the green flags; red flags mark the areas where swimming is prohibited.

If you get caught in a rip, stay calm and swim parallel to the shore, and in the short time it will take you to work your way out of it, a fast-stroking lifeguard will likely greet you with a rescue buoy, having seen your struggle begin from his or her perch on the beach.

Another danger is after-hours swimming. When lifeguards aren’t on duty, people who may be inebriated, or under the influence, or simply not good swimmers go un-monitored, and that’s when, predictably, most drownings happen. Finally, keep in mind that it will be weeks before the ocean warms up enough for comfortable swimming. In the meantime, cold water quickly saps energy, which creates another early-season hazard for swimmers. Know your limits as a swimmer, and keep the same in mind for your children.

Water safety is a shared duty. Whether you’re supervising a pool party, enjoying a day at the beach or navigating a motorboat, adherence to safety protocols protects lives. Let’s ensure that Long Island waters remain a source of joy, and not tragedy, and make this summer safe and enjoyable for everyone.

OPINIONS

Say goodbye to Joe and focus on the future

Somehow, all of the recent negative publicity about former President Joe Biden has brought to mind another Joe. Back in the 1920s, one of the bestknown baseball players in the business was Shoeless Joe Jackson. Jackson was an outfielder who had the fourthhighest batting average in baseball history. He got entangled in the infamous Black Sox Scandal in 1919, in which players on the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series. Jackson eventually traveled around the country on a rehabilitation tour, but wherever he went, someone in the crowd would yell out, “Say it isn’t so, Joe!”

Having been a friend and a longtime admirer of Joe Biden, the more I read about his final years in office, the more I want to say to him, “Say it isn’t so, Joe.” Biden took office in 2020 on the crest of a wave of voters who didn’t want to

give President Trump a second term. They admired Biden’s 40-plus years as a successful and admired public official. At the outset of his presidency, Biden was a strong and feisty leader, promising dozens of reforms that sounded very much like those of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. His predecessor had proposed that America rebuild its infrastructure, but somehow that promise never became a reality. But Biden kept it.

Biden kept many promises, but the record now shows he forgot one big one.

He kept many of his other promises, too, but the record now shows that he forgot one big one. At his inauguration, he pledged to be a “bridge to the future,” but as his days in office wound down, he wasn’t much of a bridge to anywhere. As a former elected official, I understand some of the hoopla that follows you when you hold any office. But a president gets to hear “Hail to the Chief” every time he enters a room and gets to use Air Force One, a gigantic flying White House. Being an American president is a very big deal.

These days, it seems that everyone in the national media is busy making a fast

LETTERS

local governments by stripping them of the ability to conduct rigorous planning and environmental reviews of energy storage projects, including battery energy storage systems. While the state regulates major energy infrastructure through the Article VII process, the RAPID Act creates a back door: If a BESS project is collocated with an existing transmission facility or renewable energy installation, it can bypass local oversight entirely.

This fast-tracking mechanism denies communities any meaningful environmental review — ignoring cumulative impacts and serious risks. Local governments are on the front lines, assessing how these projects affect neighborhoods, schools, sole-source aquifers, waterways, and public health and safety. Their role is indispensable.

In Oyster Bay, several stand-alone BESS projects have been proposed. Fortunately, they’re currently on hold due to the town’s prudent decision to enact a moratorium. But it wouldn’t surprise anyone if those proposals are quietly withdrawn, repackaged and collocated with projects like Propel or offshore wind facilities — effectively circumventing local review by exploiting the RAPID Act. Energy storage systems come with serious risks — long-term and cumulative. Fires involving lithium battery units are notoriously difficult to extinguish. High-voltage underground cables from projects like Propel emit electromagnetic fields and carve through residential neighborhoods. These are not abstract concerns. They are real and

buck by reciting Biden’s psychological lapses and the lies of his staff members. Just like the president and his family got caught up in the experience of being the big boss, so did the staff, all of whom wanted to stay close to the center of world power. If there is anyone to blame for the Biden fiasco, there are countless people who qualify for that selfish dishonesty.

If you listen to all the talking heads on television, you’d be forgiven for believing that Biden was the first president who wasn’t playing with a full deck. Few ever mention President Woodrow Wilson, who had a stroke while in office and turned over the running of the country to his wife. I loved Ronald Reagan, but it was no secret that his wife, Nancy, wouldn’t let him take any serious official action unless his horoscope permitted it. Most of his physical failings occurred after he left office, but watching his final days was at times a painful experience.

pressing, and local governments are best positioned to evaluate them thoroughly and responsibly.

Mr. Christian accuses town supervisors of undermining progress. In reality, they are fulfilling their duty: protecting their communities. It’s the PSC that has consistently failed to listen — to local officials, to residents, and even to members of the State Legislature. Mr. Christian’s invitation to “sit down and talk” rings hollow, because his agency has repeatedly ignored local input.

Worse still, the PSC makes it prohibitively difficult for communities to participate. Take the current Propel application: Intervenor funding under Article VII is woefully inadequate, failing to cover the expert analyses necessary for proper review. If that project opts into RAPID, there will be no intervenor funding at all — just an accelerated timeline with even fewer opportunities for public engagement.

At a February PSC hearing, an administrative law judge stated that the RAPID Act is designed to “simplify and accelerate” renewable energy development. But speed must not come at the expense of safety, transparency and sound planning. Convenience for developers cannot outweigh community well-being.

Mr. Christian claims that the PSC values transparency and community input. But the agency’s history — especially regarding LIPA, PSEG-LI, American Water and Liberty Water — tells a very different story. Long Island may indeed need to diversify its energy sources, but how and where that happens must be

I still remember listening to my close Republican friends after President Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace. They went into a state of mourning, but after a relatively short period of time they elected two members of the Bush family to sit in the Oval Office.

I enjoy watching politics for so many different reasons. One of them is that the average voter has a very short memory and holds a grudge for a very short time. The coming of every new year is a time when voters are capable of making a 360-degree turn, and if you’re the incumbent party, you’d better be prepared for not only the unexpected, but the unimaginable. So I wish Joe Biden the best possible recovery, and urge all the partisans to hold off on their predictions for at least the next six months.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. Comments about this column? jkremer@ liherald.com.

In recent days, anyone with a political opinion has been bashing the Democratic Party and predicting its doom. It may be the case that many of the party’s current leaders failed us, but the real Democratic Party is alive and well, and its leaders are looking forward to the midterm elections next year.

FRAMEWORK

decided locally, by the people and their elected representatives. That’s what democracy demands.

The RAPID Act is nothing less than an end-run around local government. It invites the state to override zoning laws, environmental protections and planning procedures. And the ripple effect won’t stop at energy — it opens the door to growth-inducing developments of every kind, from commercial sprawl to

high-density housing, all at the expense of the very communities the law purports to serve.

Local voices do matter. But actions speak louder than headlines.

The

by Tim Baker

At the Porchfest kickoff party — Long Beach

MICHAEL MONTESANO Glen Head

author represented the 15th Assembly District from 2010 to 2022.

JERRY

KREMER

A heartfelt congratulations to the North Shore High School graduating class of 2025! You’ve accomplished so much, and we’re excited to see what the future holds for you. Whether you’re heading off to