Seaford Herald 05-07-2026

Remembering Lindsey Parke Community gathers for memorial tournament in E. Meadow

By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com

The sound of laughter, cheers and bats hitting softballs filled the air at Eisenhower Park last Sunday. It was a scene that felt familiar to the family of Lindsey Rose Parke.

But for them, the memorial tournament held in Lindsey’s honor was about more than a game. It was about remembering the kind of person she was and the impact she made.

“It’s kind of like a full-circle moment,” her brother, Timothy Sitzman, said. “Seeing everybody get involved, it shows the type of person she was — always being there to help somebody else.”

Parke, a 19-year-old firefighter from Levittown, died in January, a passenger in a vehicle that crashed on Old Country Road, whose driver, police said, was operating the vehicle recklessly, and was later charged. Her loss shook the community. In the

months since, her family, friends and fellow firefighters have worked to ensure that her memory lives on — not only through grief, but through action.

The outpouring of support, they say, mirrors the way she lived. “She never hesitated to help anyone,” her sister, Haley Parke, said. “So the fact that no one else hesitates to do for her now — that’s exactly who she was.”

For Lindsey, helping wasn’t just a habit — it was a personality trait. There were the everyday moments, like working with children at camp, where she would proudly tell her family about kids calling her “Dr. Lindsey” after she put bandages on their scrapes.

“She’d come home and say, ‘They’re calling me Dr. Lindsey, Mom,’” her mother, Annette Sitzman Parke, recalled. “She loved that — just helping them with a little BandAid and making them feel better.”

And then there were the moments that showed just how instinctive that drive was.

By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com

A yearslong effort to create a more inclusive recess experience for students at Seaford Manor Elementary School came to life on April 24, when the Seaford School District unveiled an adaptive playground for them to use.

District administrators, Board of Education trustees, teachers, parents and students gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony, held in conjunction with the district’s second annual Vikings United Day — a celebration of unity, belonging and respect for individuals of all abilities.

We are proud to open a space designed for play, exploration and connection to increase their confidence and try new things.

“This playground represents years of thoughtful planning, collaboration and a shared commitment to our children and our school community,” Mary Catherine Culella-Sun, the district’s executive director for student support services, said. “We are proud to open a space designed for play, exploration and connection to increase their confidence and try new things.”

MARY CATHERINE CULELLA-SUN Executive director

The new playground, located between two wings of the school, was designed to ensure that all children, including those who use wheelchairs or benefit from sensory-friendly equipment, can fully participate in outdoor play.

Culella-Sun said the idea dates back nearly eight years, when she recognized that some students were unable to access traditional playground equipment.

“We’re finally at that place where we were able to install a playground that provides access for every student,” she said.

“Whether they use a wheelchair, seek sensory input or are sensitive to noise and change, there’s activities for all. It gives every child an out -

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Courtesy Brandon Weissman, WeisFlicks

Lindsey Parke’s family and friends and other members of the Wantagh community took part in a memorial softball tournament at Eisenhower Park.

BELMONT PARK VILLAGE

STEPS FROM UBS ARENA

Spring Fling returns with food and fun

Seaford residents turned out in full force for the annual Spring Fling on May 2, enjoying a day packed with shopping, food and entertainment as the event returned with nearly 100 vendors and attractions for all ages.

Held just ahead of Mother’s Day, the popular street fair featured a bustling craft and vendor bazaar offering everything from handmade jewelry and soaps to custom clothing, wooden crafts, toys and specialty treats. Visitors browsed the booths throughout the day, picking up unique gifts while supporting local artisans and small businesses.

A highlight of the event was the food truck rally, which brought a wide range of dining options and drew steady crowds. Families also flocked to the kids fun zone, where inflatables, slides, obstacle courses and a towering rock wall kept younger attendees entertained.

Live music added to the festive atmosphere, with local band T Minus 10 taking the stage in the afternoon.

Community groups, including the Knights of Columbus, were also on hand, contributing to the event’s neighborhood feel. From shopping and dining to music and activities, the Spring Fling once again delivered a lively day in Seaford. The festivities will continue later this month, with the town’s three-day carnival scheduled for May 29 through May 31.

—Hunter Fenollol

Steve Sachs/Herald

Gathered at the Knights of Columbus booth, from left: Phil Schaaf, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce; Pete Griesbach, Faith Formation, Knights of Columbus; Nick Parson, president of the Chamber of Commerce; George Tebeau, warden; Bill Marra, chancellor; John Falco; and John Kaley.

The center stage at the event with musical band T Minus 10 performing top hits from today and years past.

A look at some of the kids fun zone rides and activities.

The food trucks proved to be a popular destination for attendees with a variety of bites to grab.

Belinda and Vishal enjoying some french fries during the show.

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Ettinger Law Firm Well-Being Tips

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“All life is an experiment and the more experiments the better”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it” – Brian Tracy

“Accept what is. All pain comes from resistance” – Zen saying

“Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die”

– Buddha

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” – Shakespeare

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, but the parent of all the others” – Cicero

“When you’re good to others, you are best to yourself” – Ben Franklin

“The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Who is rich? He that rejoices in his portion” – Ben Franklin

“Nothing in life is so hard that you can’t make it easier by the way you take it” – Ellen Glasgow

“Life appears to me to be too short to be spent in nursing animosity or regret” – Charlotte Bronte

“Not money, or success, or position, or travel, or love makes happiness - service is the secret” – Kathleen Norris

“To understand all is to forgive all” – Evelyn Waugh

ver the years, I have sat with many people in the darkest moments of their lives after a sudden loss, a shattered relationship, a diagnosis that changed everything overnight. And repeatedly, I have heard the same well-meaning words offered by the people who love them most: Stay strong. Look on the bright side. You will get through this.

I understand the impulse. When someone we care about is in pain, silence feels unbearable. We want to fix it. But these responses, however loving, often miss what is actually happening inside the person who is suffering. What I have come to understand is this: when crisis strikes, the mind does not fail. It shifts into survival mode. The part of the brain responsible for threat detection activates before rational thought can catch up. Language shuts down. Planning becomes impossible. What remains is instinct, raw, disorienting, and completely normal.

of how life is supposed to work. Crisis destroys that map. The disorientation that follows is not a sign that something is wrong with you. It is the mind doing the hard, essential work of adjusting to a reality it did not expect.

Grief is not linear. I have seen people laugh and mourn in the same hour, feel steady in the morning and undone by evening. This is not inconsistency, this is how healing actually works. The most harmful belief I encounter is that there is a correct way, or a correct timeline, for grief. There is not. Every nervous system moves at its own pace.

Recovery is not about returning to who you were before. It is about building a new internal story, one that can hold what happened without being destroyed by it. That requires honesty, patience, and the courage to let pain be present without rushing it away.

The confusion people feel in the early hours and days of crisis is not a personal flaw. It is neurology. Yet our culture so often treats it as weakness, pathologizing the very response that is keeping someone alive.

I have stood at gravesides where mourners could not speak, not because they felt nothing, but because what they were experiencing had not yet formed into words. And I have watched others rush to fill that silence with reassurance. It is an act of love. But silence, held carefully and without anxiety, is sometimes the most profound comfort we can offer.

Each of us carries an internal map

What helps most is surprisingly simple: one person who listens without trying to fix; one small daily routine that provides structure; moments of relief or even joy without guilt; and accepting help without interpreting it as failure. We recover more effectively when we are not alone.

Crisis is not outside of life. It is part of it. If you are in the middle of one right now: your mind is not breaking. It is adapting. And that adaptation, as painful as it feels, deserves to be respected, not rushed, not suppressed, and not mistaken for weakness.

Rabbi Moshe P. Weisblum, PhD is the Spiritual Leader of Congregation Beth Tikvah in Wantagh

Rabbi Moshe P. WeisbluM

Mery and Sindy always knew they wanted to open a spa to bring beauty to customers. Little did they know it would have the same effect on the community. And Business First was there. We provided $23,000 in grants to help with much-needed renovations so Mery and Sindy could bring their vision to life.* Now, not only does their spa impact clients in a beautiful way, it gives the community an economic lift as well.

grants, and savings will vary with every project.

Reflecting on 19-year-old’s legacy of generosity

In one instance, after a car flipped near her home, Lindsey ran toward the wreckage and helped pull a man from the vehicle.

“She pulled him out,” her sister said. “She was always the first one there. Always there to help somebody.”

Even before she joined the Levittown Fire Department, that instinct defined her. She became a Cadet at age 15. Once she earned her EMT certification and officially became a member of Ladder Company 6, that desire only grew stronger.

“She just couldn’t not help,” her sister said. “It takes a lot to jump into a situation that’s already bad, and she didn’t hesitate.”

Her best friend, Ryan McFarland, whom she met as a fellow Cadet, saw that same determination firsthand. “Lindsey was an unstoppable human being,” McFarland said. “Nothing stopped her. Nothing.”

At the firehouse, he said, she stood out not just for her drive, but for how she treated others. “She was the type of person to always help the new guy,” McFarland said. “There was nothing that girl couldn’t do.”

Aside from emergencies, she made an impact in quieter ways — in routines, friendships and small traditions that now carry new meaning.

“We were simple,” McFarland said. “Every single day started with a strawberry refresher from Dunkin’ Donuts. That was our thing.”

Over time, they became inseparable. “We became more like brother and sister,” he said. “She gave me that push I needed in life. Lindsey made me into the person I am today.”

At home, her energy was just as constant.

“Full of energy … fun and light-spirited. Always laughing,” her mother said. “I don’t think she was ever miserable.”

Lindsey loved to bake cupcakes and decorate for holidays months in advance. She spent hours creating handmade gifts with decorative rhinestone embroidery. One of her most treasured pieces was a fully bedazzled Islanders jersey that she hand-crafted over the course of several days.

“She made everything special, and added her sparkle to everything,” her mother said. “Your birthday was a whole month. There’d be balloons everywhere.”

More than anything, Lindsey brought people together. “She’d say, ‘Let’s carve pumpkins’ or ‘Let’s make gingerbread houses,’” Sitzman Parke said. “She was the life. She was the fun. She was the glue of our family.”

That spirit is what her family is now trying to carry forward. Last weekend’s softball tournament was one of several efforts tied to a foundation they are building in her name, focused on helping others — just as she did.

“We don’t want her to ever be forgotten,” her sister said. “We want to continue to help in her name and make a positive impact on the community.”

But for her family and friends, the hardest

moments come after the crowds leave. “After everything quiets down, it’s the loudest silence you’ll ever hear,” her brother said. “It’s a gut-punching, empty feeling.”

They described the loss not in milestones, but in the small, everyday absences. “It’s the little things,” Sitzman said. “Telling me to get my laundry out. Telling me to stop eating while she’s cooking. It’s everything.”

“It’s picking up your phone to text her and realizing you’re not going to get an answer back,” her sister added.

For McFarland, that absence is constant. “I’m still looking to see her car pull up,” he said. “I miss my best friend. I need my best friend. I’m lost without her.”

Still, Lindsey Rose’s family and friends say that continuing her legacy is what she would have wanted.

“It’s the least we can do for her when she’s done so much for us in just 19 years,” her mother said. They hope the community remembers not just how she died, but how she lived — through the small, meaningful acts that defined her.

“Effort goes a long way,” her brother said. “She put effort into everything and everyone.”

“I feel like people die twice — when they actually die and when you stop talking about them,” her sister said. “So we’re going to keep talking about her so that her spirit can live on.”

Courtesy Haley Parke photos

Lindsey Parke with trays of cupcakes. They were her favorite dessert to bake, and she made them often for the community.

Parke was a Levittown firefighter with Ladder Company 6 who always had a passion for helping others, made clear in her work with children.

Parke in her firefighting gear.

Bridges and bonding at Seaford Middle School

Seaford Middle School students built bridges, both literally and figuratively, during a teaming activity on April 16. Working in small groups, each team was tasked with making a bridge from wooden sticks and masking tape that could support a weight in the center.

The challenge was the fifth teaming activity of the year, during which students were put in random groups with other peers from their grade. The goal was for them to form new bonds with classmates while working together to problem solve.

After about a half hour of planning and building, teachers in each classroom brought a small weight to every group to test out their creation.

“The purpose of these teaming events is to provide students with opportunities to learn how to communicate effectively, network and connect with people they typically don’t work with,” Principal Raphael Morey said. “They learn that they can collaborate with others, and ultimately put into practice our Seaford Scholar traits. Those traits are part of Seaford’s “Habits of Mind’ way of thinking which helps students K-12 become more thoughtful and adaptable learners.

—Hunter Fenollol

Courtesy Seaford School District

Seaford Middle School students took part in a bridge-building challenge on April 16, the fifth teaming activity of the year that focused on collaboration and communication. 7

SEAFORD HERALD — May 7, 2026

New adaptive space removes play barriers

let where they can enjoy movement, while removing both physical and social barriers. When everyone can access every piece of equipment, there are no barriers.”

The space features a variety of specialized equipment, including a rampaccessible rocker, sensory swings and seated structures that rock and spin. A ground-level activity panel with gears and moving parts offers an option for students who prefer less motion.

Design considerations also included a smooth, rubberized safety surface for stability, as well as spacing that accommodates mobility devices and adult assistance.

Beyond accessibility, Culella-Sun emphasized the playground’s role in fostering inclusion.

“When we speak about inclusivity, it means you’re not identifying children by their abilities or inabilities,” she said. “It removes any stigma or lack of access socially. On some of the equipment, every child is using it the same way. Abilities become invisible, and they’re simply enjoying the experience together.”

Principal Joann Krudis said the playground reflects the school’s broader mission.

“Our new adaptive playground at Seaford Manor is more than just a

of

space to play,” Krudis said. “It’s a place where every child feels seen, included and empowered.”

Planning for the project began about a year ago, with district staff working closely with a playground vendor to select equipment that would meet a wide range of needs. Construction started in the fall and was funded through the district’s general budget, with the design allowing for future expansion.

The impact will be especially meaningful for students in the district’s self-contained classes, Culella-Sun said, giving them opportunities for movement, regulation and social interaction alongside their peers.

The ribbon-cutting was held during Vikings United Day, which included social-emotional learning activities across all district schools. As part of the celebration, three students were recognized for their designs in the dis

trict’s T-shirt contest. Seaford Middle School eighth grader Ryan Kind was declared the winner, while Maria Monteiro Hildebrand and Lucy Malone were named runners-up.

Looking ahead, district officials plan to assess other playgrounds across the district to identify opportunities to expand inclusive features.

“This is a starting point,” CulellaSun said. “We want to continue building on it.”

Courtesy Seaford School District

And the Experts Agree

At Mount Sinai South Nassau, patient safety isn’t just a priority— it’s a standard, one we work on every day. And the experts agree.

We’ve earned national recognition for patient safety, including an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group and the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award.

That means better outcomes for our patients with lower risk of infections or hospital acquired conditions.

When it comes to your health, nothing matters more than knowing you’re in a place where patient safety matters most.

Learn more at mountsinai.org/southnassau

Levittown music teacher Lisa Levenberg awarded

By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com

Lisa Levenberg, vocal music teacher at Division Avenue and General Douglas MacArthur high schools in the Levittown School District, has been selected to receive the Excellence in Innovative Theater Arts Education Award at the 16th annual Roger Rees Awards.

Mrs. Levenberg has served as a full time teacher for more than 30 years at MacArthur High School, where she directs the annual fall musical. Mrs. Levenberg also directs the spring musical at Division Avenue High School. She received applause from her current students and fellow faculty members when she was informed about the honor on April 24 by former students and Roger Rees Awards alumni Jake Schauder and Cassidy Baltazar during her choir class.

The award recognizes Mrs. Levenberg’s innovative leadership and highlights the unique role that theater and music educators play in their schools, communities and the Broadway industry. The Roger Rees Awards and the Broadway Education Alliance established the award in 2025, making Mrs. Levenberg the second educator to receive the recognition.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Levenberg said while reflecting on her role as a teacher. “To see where students start their journey, fueled by a spark and passion to perform that pushes them to become fantastic performers — it’s so rewarding.”

“Lisa is truly one of a kind — an extraordinary blend of problem solver, dedicated teacher and creative force,” said award cofounder and spokesperson

tives on April 24.

Jim Hoare, executive vice president of education and community initiatives at Theatrical Rights Worldwide. “She consistently delivers exceptional results on stage while motivating her students to grow into

their best selves both in and beyond the spotlight.” Mrs. Levenberg will be presented with her award at the 16th annual Roger Rees Awards talent showcase at Symphony Space in New York.

Seaford music program again recognized nationally

By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com

The Seaford School District has once again been nationally recognized for its music education program. For the seventh consecutive year, Seaford has been named one of the Best Communities for Music Education, a distinction awarded by the NAMM Foundation.

Now in its 27th year, the BCME program spotlights and celebrates school districts and individual schools across the country for their exemplary dedication to music education. Seaford builds the foundation with general music instruction that begins in kindergarten, and students can join the band and chorus in fourth grade. The high school offers several select vocal and instrumental ensembles in addition to concert groups. The music department is also featured at several community events such as the Hot Chocolate Run, Memorial Day parade and holiday lighting ceremony.

“There’s such a deep community commitment to our music program,” said Patrick Kennedy, coordinator of fine and applied arts. “From the staff to the students to the families, everyone in Seaford is invested in the continued success of music education.”

Recipients of the 2026 BCME awards were selected through a comprehensive application process that evaluates key indicators, including funding, instructional time, participation rates, facilities and community support. To uphold the program’s rigor and credibility, all applications were independently reviewed and verified by WolfBrown, a leading research and evaluation firm specializing in education and the arts.

Courtesy Levittown Public Schools

Levittown Schools vocal music teacher Lisa Levenberg, holding certificate, received the Roger Rees Awards’ Excellence in Innovative Theater Arts Education Award by former students, colleagues and organization representa-

Courtesy Seaford School District

Seaford Middle School band director Nicholas Coacci conducts his seventh grade ensemble.

CELEBRATING

ROOTED IN STRENGTH

CELEBRATING NURSES: MEET SOME OF OUR NURSE HEROES

ABIGAIL DUNNE, RN

Glen Cove Hospital

Northwell Health

Abigail Dunne’s path into healthcare began during her high school years in Locust Valley.

“I went to Locust Valley High School and I took an EMT course and I started volunteering in the Bayville Fire Department as an EMT,” Dunne, 23, says. “I decided that I really enjoyed helping people and I really liked being able to help people in ways that others couldn’t necessarily.”

Her experience in emergency medical services shaped her decision to pursue nursing, to provide what she described as a deeper level of care.

“So it was more than just offering emotional support, but now it’s like physical support and seeing people get better, get stronger. It’s just been something that’s always made me feel really good. I just love helping people.”

Dunne went on to attend nursing school while a nursing assistant at Glen Cove Hospital, where she has been employed since September 2022.

“I’ve worked at Glen Cove ... I was a nursing assistant during nursing school.”

She relates that her role as a nurse centers on compassion and service to others.

“I feel like being a nurse, it’s really just about being able to give to other people. We know people are sick and being able to help them definitely is very rewarding in itself.”

Healthcare runs in her family. Her sister works in EMS and as a nurse at Plainview Hospital, and her greatgrandfather was a doctor.

- As told to Roksana Amid

TAMEKA WALLACE, RN

Glen Cove Hospital Northwell Health

Tameka Wallace, 42, vice president and chief nursing officer at Glen Cove Hospital, did not initially plan a career in health care.

“My path was finance,” Wallace says, explaining that she once hoped to pursue her father’s career path. “I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. He worked on Wall Street, and I was always fascinated.”

Her trajectory shifted after she took a job in hospitality services at North Shore University Hospital at age 16. By 18, she had moved onto a Telemetry unit, where she discovered her passion for patient care.

“Once I was able to get on the first unit, I fell in love with patient care services.”

That experience, coupled with working alongside her mother, helped shape her future.

“I actually started nursing school with my mom. We did nursing school together, and we actually graduated together as well.”

Wallace, who has been with Northwell Health for 26 years and a nurse for more than two decades, shares that her work is rooted in advocacy and compassion.

“What nursing means to me is being the patient and caregiver’s advocate; making sure that they feel that they are at home, away from home. You want to put the patient at ease at a very tough time in their life.”

Now in a leadership role, Wallace aims to highlight the broader impact of the profession.

“My goal is to make sure that we get the word out on how special nursing is. It’s not just being at the bedside, we touch so many people in so many ways.”

- As told to Roksana Amid

EBONI NORVILLE, RN, NURSE MANAGER

St. John's Episcopal Hospital

Episcopal Health Services

As a child, I have always had a love for medicine. One of my first toys was a stethoscope, and I loved to play doctor and surgery on my dolls. My favorite television shows have been related to medicine. My late father would say “Medicine is in your blood! You’re born with it!”

One day, I could not help but to ask my father why he said this. He went on to explain that his aunt worked as an RN in England for over 20 years, and my grandmother worked as a CNA. As I thought about this, I realized that he was right! Some of my fondest memories as a child are of my family members caring for the elders.

Upon further reflection I realized my most cherished childhood memories involve my family instinctively knowing how to care for our elders, anticipating their needs for healing or comfort. As I matured, the realization struck me: the care, compassion, attentiveness, and nurturing instinct that is within me, is the core of nursing. Almost instinctively knowing what's needed to heal or cure others.

Throughout my professional life, I have had the privilege of working in diverse settings, and those fundamental nursing principles have remained constant. Today, I am incredibly proud and grateful to be a registered nurse.

LUCKENDY CHERY, RN, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

St. John's Episcopal Hospital

Episcopal Health Services

My desire to become a nurse was shaped early in life, growing up surrounded by healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, physicians and a long line of nurses across various specialties. It felt like a path I was always meant to follow.

Although I briefly pursued a degree in business administration, it didn’t take long for me to return to my true calling. My journey began as an EMT, where I was known for going above and beyond in patient care, showing compassion, empathy and a commitment to doing my best. My curiosity led me to seek more than just immediate care. I wanted to understand what happened to my patients after I transferred them and how their care continued.

This curiosity led me to work as a Behavioral Health Technician for five years, where I supported patients on a Behavioral Health unit. There, I saw firsthand the profound impact nurses had through compassion, teaching and therapeutic interventions. I found fulfillment in reinforcing coping skills and lessons patients could carry back into their communities. Ultimately, my experiences, curiosity and support system guided me to nursing.

Now, after one year as a nurse, I embrace my role as an educator, advocate and leader entrusted with lives and responsible for making a meaningful difference. I chose nursing to be a positive force in the lives of patients and their families, to educate them in ways they can understand, and to serve as an example that empowers others to advocate for themselves and pursue nursing as well.

Excellence in All You Do! Thank You, Nurses.

At Mount Sinai, we proudly honor the strength, compassion, and expertise of our nurses, and recognize the essential role they play in caring for our patients and supporting the communities we serve.

Mount Sinai’s nursing team creates excellence together every day. Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside and Mount Sinai Queens have each earned the prestigious Magnet® Recognition three times consecutively, while The Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan has received this distinction five times in succession—an honor achieved by less than 3 percent of hospitals in the United States. This recognition reflects an unwavering commitment to exceptional patient care and consistently better outcomes.

As we celebrate Nurses Week, we proudly recognize the dedication and excellence of the nurses who make this achievement possible every day. mountsinai.org

CELEBRATING NURSES: MEET SOME OF OUR NURSE HEROES

JENNIFER ERDMAN PSINAKIS, BSN, RN, HNB-BC, PCCN

NYU Langone Hospital

Long Island

I have been a nurse at NYU Langone Hospital - Long Island for close to 15 years on a Surgical Telemetry unit specializing in cardiothoracic surgery patients. It is the first unit I started on, and I am still working on that unit to this day! It is a very special unit staffed with very special people, some who have grown to be my closest friends. I am on many hospital councils and committees, and am a boardcertified holistic nurse.

I became a nurse out of a deeprooted desire to care for others and to form meaningful human connections. From an early age, I was drawn to roles that allowed me to support, comfort and uplift those around me, and nursing provided a natural path to turn that passion into a profession. To me, nursing is far more than clinical skill or technical knowledge — it is the privilege of being present for individuals during some of the most vulnerable and significant moments of their lives.

My greatest fulfillment comes from building trust with my patients, understanding their stories and providing care that honors not only their physical needs but also their emotional and personal experiences. Nursing means advocating, listening and showing compassion in a way that helps patients feel seen, heard and valued. It is both a responsibility and a profound honor to walk alongside patients and their families, offering support, dignity and genuine human connections when it matters most.

ADRIENNE KINCH BSN, RN, CPAN, PGMT-BC

NYU Langone Hospital

Long Island

My career as a nurse has been deeply rewarding and a lifelong journey of learning. Nursing has been my profession for almost 48 years, and I cherish every experience — whether happy or sad.

As a teenager, I lost my grandfather to a heart attack, and I felt helpless. I began volunteering at a hospital, where I realized it was my life’s calling. It became very important to me to pursue a career that would allow me to make a difference in people’s lives and give me the opportunity to help others. Nursing was the perfect fit.

I have had the privilege of working at NYU Langone Hospital - Long Island for 36 years in the PACU. Prior to that, I spent 10 years as an ICU nurse and two years on a medical-surgical floor. I feel incredibly fortunate to have built such a fulfilling career at NYU Langone - Long Island and to have gained a second work family.

Helping new nurses grow and succeed is truly my passion. Teamwork and the ability to contribute to improving the quality of patient care have motivated me throughout the years. I credit my peers, my patients, and the support of leadership for helping me grow both professionally and personally.

Nursing has given me a profound sense of purpose and a lasting passion that has brought meaning to my life. If I can give hope to someone who is sick and see it in their eyes, then I am fulfilled. Sharing human experiences and showing kindness through serving others has made me a better person and helped me overcome some of my own life’s heartaches through the strength of those around me.

AMARPREET KAUR, RN Northwell

Long Island Jewish Valley Stream

Amarpreet Kaur began her nursing career at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream hospital last March, working on the hospital’s Medical-Surgical unit with a focus on older adult care.

Her path to nursing was shaped by early experiences after immigrating to the United States from India in 2008. As a child, she often assisted her father during medical appointments, translating and observing the role communication plays in patient care.

“It was their dream of {my brother and me] basically getting our degrees in the medical field, and then coming back and giving back to the community,” Kaur says. “That's something that we always do here and there. When we go back, we set up a camp back home. Even if it is just checking their finger sticks for blood sugar levels or their blood pressure in the community, it's so fascinating to them. That's not something that people often do there.”

Kaur pursued a degree in biology before completing her nursing education at LIU Brooklyn in 2024.

Kaur shares she was drawn to nursing to combine compassion, advocacy and clinical knowledge while supporting patients during vulnerable moments. Since starting at the hospital, she has completed a nurse residency program and taken on additional responsibilities, including serving as a diabetes resource on her unit. She has also contributed to initiatives focused on improving care for older adults and reducing complications such as falls and delirium.

Looking ahead, Kaur plans to pursue certification in gerontology and begin graduate studies in informatics, with the goal of enhancing patient care through both clinical practice and technology.

- As told to Angelina Zingariello

ELIZABETH MCGRATH, RN

Northwell

Long Island Jewish Valley Stream

Elizabeth McGrath has worked in nursing since 2010, building her career in high-acuity settings before transitioning to Long Island Jewish Valley Stream hospital to serve her local community.

A Franklin Square resident, she spent more than a decade working in Emergency and Intensive Care units in the Bronx before joining the Valley Stream hospital in 2022 as an Emergency Department nurse.

“I've always wanted to be a nurse,” McGrath says. “I've always had a passion for helping people since a very young age. I think my faith in Catholicism played a lot in wanting to provide equitable care, especially for underprivileged populations.”

After two years in the Emergency Department, she stepped into her current role as an associate educator, where she supports the development of new and experienced nurses. Her responsibilities include onboarding staff, leading training programs and coordinating educational initiatives tailored to the needs of the department.

“I'm the first nurse in my family on all sides,” McGrath says. “Actually, I am very happy to say my daughter wants to become an Emergency Department nurse, just like me. So, perhaps there will be a second nurse in the family one day.”

She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in nursing education through Jacksonville University and expects to graduate next year. McGrath relates tht teaching has been a long-standing goal, allowing her to share her experience while supporting the next generation of nurses. She remains closely connected to clinical work by assisting staff during critical situations and staying engaged in patient care environments.

- As told to Angelina Zingariello

Nursing at Adelphi: Top Rated, Top Salaries, Top Career Opportunities

Prepare for your healthcare career—or advance the one you have.

Adelphi is a U.S. News & World Report Best College for Nursing, offering:

• BS in Nursing

• Accelerated BS in Nursing*

We’re also a U.S. News & World Report Best Grad School for Nursing, offering:

• MS in Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

• MS in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

• MS in Healthcare Informatics

• MS in Nursing Education

• Master of Public Health

• PhD in Nursing

• DNP in Adult Gerontology Primary Care

• DNP in Psychiatric Mental Health

Clinical partnerships include Catholic Health, NYU Langone Health, Northwell Health, Mount Sinai Health System, New York-Presbyterian and New York City Health + Hospitals.

Visit adelphi.edu/nursingdegree

*Now offered in Garden City and Adelphi’s new Manhattan Center

CELEBRATING NURSES

NICOLETTE MASCIOLI, RN Northwell

Long Island Jewish Medical Center

Nicolette Mascioli spent eight days in March on a mission trip to Guatemala. It was not a glamorous, Instagram-worthy vacation. Instead, she and other volunteers — through her alma mater Sacred Heart University — provided care in remote villages. Anyone who knows the 24-year-old Farmingdale native would not be surprised.

MELISSA SMALL, RN Northwell

Long Island Jewish Medical Center

Melissa Small went away to college, a Jamaican immigrant living the American dream. But the leap proved too great financially and she was soon back in Brooklyn working a string of department store jobs. She even considered joining the U.S. military. Then a chance encounter with a nursing assistant who sold an alternative future pushed her into health care.

Take Your Place in Healthcare

Today Nicolette is a registered nurse at Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center in New Hyde Park, specializing in a Post-Surgical unit that handles everything from neurosurgery and plastic surgery to colorectal procedures and hysterectomies.

She started her volunteer streak at age 15 when she spent time with the child life program at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park by entertaining, playing and bonding with sick youngsters. She followed that up as an LIJ volunteer. Little did she realize that a career in nursing — let alone a staff role at LIJ — would be in her future. After all, no one in her family had pursued a career in health care.

Today Melissa, 40, of Jamaica, Queens, is a registered nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center — the last 13 years in the same unit. Eight Tower is LIJ’s surgical oncology floor, with a focus on abdominal, lung and pancreatic surgery patients.

Looking back, the climb up seemed improbable. She worked in a nursing home, then received certifications for phlebotomy and electrocardiogram testing. Her big break was landing a temp job at LIJ, which eventually grew into full-time employment.

“I would recommend health care if your heart is in it,” Melissa says. “I can’t imagine my life not being by the bedside. I like to be around people — our patients are like family — so nursing is great for that.”

Northwell helped fuel her growth. Aided by tuition reimbursement, she earned an Associate’s degree in Nursing followed by her Bachelor’s degree.

“I’m grateful to have made an impact on someone else’s life — even a little,” says Nicolette, the oldest of three sisters. “I feel like I do learn something new every day. I did not expect the opportunities that I’ve had through nursing.”

The Guatemala mission through her Catholic university was made possible by a donation from LIJ to cover her travel expenses. Nicolette brought back a greater appreciation of the need in the world and good she can do.

“It was life changing,” she says. “It really reshapes your perception.”

– As told to Jason Molinet

The leveling up of her career continues. Commuting part-time to New Jersey, she graduates from William Paterson University on May 20 with a Master of Science in Nursing, part of its family nurse practitioner program.

“Northwell has encouraged me to do more. The opportunity is there if it’s in you to do more."

– As told to Jason Molinet

Dedicated to our communities. ,

Always leading. Always caring. Always learning.

They comfort, advocate, heal and inspire — often all in the same shift. Nurses bring skill, compassion and unwavering dedication to every patient encounter while helping shape the future of healthcare through leadership, education and innovation.

During National Nurses Week, we pause to recognize the extraordinary professionals who stand at the heart of our healthcare system. From routine visits to life-saving emergencies, from welcoming new beginnings to offering comfort in life’s most difficult moments, nurses are there through it all.

Their work demands resilience, expertise and endless empathy. We depend on their steady presence and commitment every day. Simply put, healthcare would not function without them.

In this special photo essay by Photo Editor Tim Baker, we celebrate these everyday heroes through images that capture their care, courage and commitment — and the countless ways they make a difference in our communities. We thank you. We celebrate you. We see you.

1 3 5

Photos by Tim Baker/Herald

1. At Glen Cove Hospital: Carla Joseph, RN, and Akeesha Sheriff, RN, confer in Endoscopy.

2 At work in Glen Cove Hospital's Brain Injury Unit with Nicole Caravella, RN, and Cindia Cisneros, RN

3. Lisa Pino, RN, and Hannah Russel, RN, with a newborn in Mercy Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

8.

4. Lindsay Bodner, RN, and Kayla Lewis, RN, go about their shift in Surgery Oncology at Mercy Hospital.

5. Christopher Kelly, RN, and Torey Bender, RN, staff Outpatient Dialysis in NYU Langone –Long Island’s Emergency Department.

6. At Long Island Jewish Valley Stream: James Arxer, RN, and Tania Francois, RN, in the Emergency Department.

7. Wayne Lee RN, is a Transfer Nurse in Admission and Discharge at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream

The team in Surgical Step-down at Mount Sinai South Nassau includes Anne Quinn, RN, Jimmy Hernandez, RN, and Lauren Cuevas, RN, Assistant Nurse Manager. 9

9. Portia Javillo, RN, and Pamela Piyavunno, RN, at work in Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Family Medicine Department.

17 SEAFORD HERALD — May 7, 2026

CELEBRATING NURSES: MEET SOME OF OUR NURSE HEROES

MITCHEL MARAVILLA, BSN, RN-BC

Mount

Sinai South Nassau

Becoming a nurse has been my dream since childhood. This aspiration began when I had to care for my father at a very young age. Sadly, he passed away shortly after I graduated from nursing school, but his memory continues to inspire my passion for this profession.

Nursing is a noble calling. The ability to care for others and help save lives is both a privilege and a gift — one that I carry with deep pride. For the past 25 years, I have dedicated myself to this profession, including 13 meaningful years at Mount Sinai South Nassau.

Throughout my career, nursing has taught me far more than clinical and technical skills. It has instilled in me the values of compassion, dedication and selflessness. In this profession, I learned that true fulfillment comes from serving others with a selfless heart. Helping without expecting anything in return and choosing to do what is right even when no one is watching.

Currently I work on F3, the Oncology Med-Surg/Telemetry unit, where teamwork and service are at the heart of everything we do. I work with amazing colleagues where we do more than just care for patients; we care for one another. We stand side by side like a family, lifting each other up and sharing both the burdens and the victories.

Over the years, MSSN has faced many changes and challenges. Yet, one thing has remained constant: our deep sense of belonging. We do not simply work here; we consider this institution our second home and continue to serve with compassion and purpose.

IVAN TAGLORIN, MSN, RN

Mount

Sinai South Nassau

Born in South Nassau, raised in the Oceanside community and now serving patients within it, my journey into nursing has truly come full circle. I began my nursing career in 2016, driven by a passion for helping others. A passion instilled in me early on through the values of my parents, who were both nurses.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of growing within the profession, starting as a bedside nurse, advancing to Assistant Nurse Manager, and now serving as a Nurse Informaticist. Each role has shaped my perspective and strengthened my commitment to patient care. While my responsibilities have changed, the core of why I chose nursing has remained the same.

To me, nursing is more than caring for the illness in front of me. It is about recognizing the individual behind the diagnosis. It is about understanding that every patient has a story, a family, a life beyond the hospital room. Nursing means showing up for people during some of their most vulnerable moments and providing not only clinical care, but also compassion, dignity and support.

In my current role, I contribute to patient care on a broader level by improving systems and implementing technologies that empower nurses and enhance the care experience for patients. Supporting nurses in delivering safe, efficient and high-quality care is just as important as the outcomes themselves, as it ultimately shapes every patient's interaction. No matter the setting, my goal remains the same: to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

I am grateful for the opportunities that have brought me to this point and for the ability to continue serving others through nursing.

BETHANY LAWSON, RN Catholic Health Mercy Hospital

Bethany Lawson’s path to nursing began with a simple instinct: to care for others. Growing up, she was drawn to comforting people in difficult moments, a trait that steadily evolved into a calling.

Today, Lawson is a medical-surgical nurse at Mercy Hospital, where she has worked for 13 years, first as a patient care assistant before earning her nursing degree.

Her role is wide-ranging, from caring for psychiatric and elderly patients to performing IV therapy and phlebotomy. The variety keeps her engaged, but it is her mindset that defines her work. She approaches every patient as if they were family, a perspective that guides her through long hours and difficult days.

“What keeps me going is I come to work every day, and I always treat my patients like they're my mom, my sister, my brother, my grandparents. The fulfillment I get from knowing I've done my part is unmatched, and it continues to motivate me to show up every day with the same passion and dedication.”

Lawson relates her decision to advance in the field came early in her career, when she realized she wanted to do more for her patients. That drive pushed her back to school and ultimately into nursing, where she could expand her skills and impact.

She credits the supportive, familyoriented environment at Mercy Hospital for helping her grow, noting that colleagues encourage one another to improve and deliver the highest level of care to the community they serve each day.

“Nursing means helping others when they're unable to help themselves, putting my patients' needs at the forefront, and caring for them the way I would care for myself or my loved ones.”

- As told to Brian Kacharaba

GABRIELLE DEL GATTO, RN Catholic Health Mercy Hospital

Gabrielle Del Gatto discovered her calling in nursing after initially pursuing a career in education, ultimately realizing she wanted to serve people more directly in their most vulnerable moments.

Drawn to the emotional and clinical demands of patient care, she entered the nursing profession in December 2024 and quickly found meaning in the fast-paced, high-responsibility environment of the hospital setting.

On a Medical-Surgical unit, she cares for a diverse mix of patients, managing multiple assignments per shift while striving to improve each patient’s experience through attentive care each day on the unit.

“Honestly, I'm very religious, so I always wanted to work for Catholic Health hospitals because they just align with my values,” she says. “But for me, God is my never-ending motivation. Every single patient that has stood in my path, I know that they're sent to me from God. So even if things seem like they're not going the way they're meant to be, I know it's all part of the plan, and I don't question it.”

Early in her career, Del Gatto found affirmation after forming a strong connection with a patient and family, an experience that led to a Daisy Award nomination just five months after practicing independently and reinforced her sense of purpose.

“My favorite part is when a patient looks me in the eye and tells me that they appreciate everything [I’ve done for them]. It is the best feeling in the whole entire world.”

She credits Mercy Hospital’s supportive culture and teamwork for helping her grow, noting the hospital’s shared commitment to compassionate care and the opportunity to learn and develop as a new nurse at Mercy.

- As told to Brian Kacharaba

Middle School raises money for clean water

By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com

Wantagh Middle School seventh graders are doing their part to help others across the world by raising more than $2,000 for clean water.

The fundraiser was spearheaded by librarian Amelie Weber along with English language arts teachers Christina Bewick and Anna Schiebelhuth. This spring, students are reading “Long Walk to Water,” a book by Linda Sue Park that highlights current issues people are facing in Sudan, particularly a lack of access to clean water.

Ms. Bewick’s and Ms. Schiebelhuth’s students participated in the Iron Giraffe Challenge, an international initiative to raise money to help provide clean water for the people of South Sudan. The fundraiser included a letter-writing campaign in February, during which students sent letters to family members, friends and neighbors asking for $5 donations, by check or digitally. Students also entered for a chance to win a spot on “Shadow a Teacher Day.” This year, 28 teachers volunteered to participate, and students could buy raffle tickets for a chance to be a teacher’s helper for the day.

Collectively, the two fundraisers generated $2,104 for the Water for South Sudan charity, which coordinates the Iron Giraffe Challenge. The organization funds the drilling and access to clean water in South Sudan, as well as education on how to use clean water for hygiene, sanitation and more. Schools that raise at least $1,000 are entered for a chance to win a visit from the “Long Walk to Water” author or main character, who is a real person.

Courtesy Wantagh School District

The $2,104 donation from Wantagh Middle School will help provide access to clean water to people in Sudan.

SEAFORD HERALD — May 7, 2026

STEPPING OUT

By Nick Mongiovi

Long Island has been home for the Ducks for 26 seasons in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), and who better to add to a successful organization than a former CY Young Award winner?

Trevor Bauer signed with the Ducks on April 2, after pitching the last five years in Japan and Mexico. Long Island went 72-54 in 2025, as it looks to build upon last year’s success with speed and dominant pitching.

“When we signed guys, we were looking for guys that wanted to win, wanted to be here and further their careers,” says third-year manager Lew Ford, the franchise’s all-time hits leader. “They’re going to play hard. I think the fans enjoy that and that’s the kind of baseball we want to play.”

Last year’s Ducks led the league in pitching, finished in second in both fielding and hitting, and broke a team record for most stolen bases in a season with 239. Before last season, Ford emphasized speed, reiterating “The game is moving a lot towards speed.”

“We’re very happy with all these guys,” he says “They can still run, hit and play defense. We have a good mix of veterans and younger guys, too.”

Bauer is the name that’ll bring the reigning No. 1 pitching staff to the next level. He received the nod from Ford to be the team’s Opening Day starter on April 21 against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars. The 10-year MLB veteran struck out eight but surrendered five hits, three walks and two runs in four innings of work in the 7-0 loss. Bauer, who followed his Ducks debut with a dominant no-hitter, makes his return to the United States to pitch on American soil for the first time since 2021 with a “hate to lose” mentality.

“They’ve had a lot of good players here,” Bauer says, on why he chose the Ducks. “A lot of guys have come through here and then signed elsewhere, kind of elevated their careers. All the guys who have been here and have had a really good time here, so that’s part of it. They win. I don’t like losing.

create buzz with Bauer signing

Infielder Wilmer Difo brings MLB experience.

creation to be featured on his and the team’s social media and streaming outlets.

“We are excited to welcome Trevor to Long Island,” Ducks President/CBO Michael Pfaff says. “His talent and knowledge will be important additions to our ballclub, and we are happy to offer him this opportunity to showcase his talents to MLB clubs while giving fans unprecedented access to Ducks baseball. We felt that was a unique and interesting approach. He’s got very unique content, and his approach is overwhelmingly positive.”

Along with Bauer, the Ducks’ starting rotation features Island Park native Ryan Sandberg, who was the team’s most reliable and dominant starter, Nolan Clinton, Harrison Francis and Michael Dominguez. Sandberg pitched to a 3.82 ERA in 91.2 innings of work, striking out 73 batters,

Familiarity returns in the bullpen for Long Island as Jacob Asa, Garrett Crowley, Tanner Jacobsen, Ryan Langford, Michael Reed and Ramon Santos all return.

“Most of these guys came halfway through the year; they had a lot of success here,” Ford adds.

“Ramon Santos, being our closer, had under a one ERA, did a very good job for us.”

Dix Hills native Matt Hogan is the starting center fielder.

Ben Folds & A Piano

Ben Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of his generation is joined by multitalented actress-singer-composer Lindsey Kraft. Known for pushing genre boundaries, Folds first rose to prominence with Ben Folds Five before launching a wide-ranging solo career that blends sharp lyricism, piano-driven melodies and orchestral ambition. His recent work reflects his deep engagement with orchestral music, including a live album featuring an olrchestral performance of his hits recorded just before concluding his eight-year tenure as Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center — an appointment that marked a first for the role. Today, he continues to move fluidly between pop tours and performances with leading orchestras worldwide, while also developing new work for film, television and theater.

Friday, May 8, 8 p.m. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or tillescenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

“Teams I’ve been on have been in the playoffs the last decade, except for 2019, when I was traded. “So I want the chance to be in the playoffs and play for something meaningful at the end of the year. Checks that box here. Great market, big in New York, with a huge baseball market. There are a lot of things that are important to me that go on here.”

meaningful at the end of the year. Checks that box are

Additionally, Bauer will be “Mic’d Up” for all games and practices for the purposes of content

He possesses “a lot of speed and defense,” Ford says. It’s a “full-circle moment” for Hogan, who grew up attending Ducks games.

“I remember I sat up in that box up there with my aunt and uncle,” Hogan says, reminiscing on his time as a kid coming to Ducks games. “So coming here and being able to enjoy the time here and have my family come to games. It’s my first time playing on Long Island in about eight years. It’s humbling, it feels good. I’m excited to be here and really play with this team.”

Tickets can be purchased online at LIDucks.com, by calling (631) 940-TIXX, or in person at the Fairfield Properties Ballpark box office in Central Islip. All games will be streamed on HomeTeam Network (HTN) with a paid subscription.

Some promotions include fireworks at all Saturday home games, sunglasses to the first 1,500 fans May 17, and Bark in the Park with Ducks patriotic hats July 1.

here and being able to enjoy the time here and have my family come to with

Big band energy meets Jamaican soul. The unique 20-piece band blends the exuberant musical layers of the jazz Big Band era with Jamaican roots music. Their sound is powered by a passionate team of talented musicians, each bringing unique energy and expertise to create an unforgettable experience. Led by trumpeter and vocalist Kevin Batchelor, and featuring Jamaican music legend 87-year-young celebrated percussionist/vocalist Larry MacDonald on congas and vocals, and Jamaican master drummer Carl Wright, band creates and perform lush original compositions and arrangements of classic songs from the rich and culturally iconic Jamaican music of ska, mento, rock steady, reggae, and jazz from the 1950s, ’60s and ‘70s.

Friday, May 8, 8 p.m. $91, $42, $37. andmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Tickets available at landmarkonmainstreet.org or (516) 767-6444.

NYC Ska Orchestra

Courtesy Danielle Huebner

Courtesy L.I. Ducks

Quackerjack always gets Ducks fans hyped.

Courtesy L.I. Ducks Closer Ramon Santos was dominant in 2025.

Your Neighborhood CALENDAR

Almost Queen

MAY

8

Almost Queen brings a high-energy tribute to the legendary band Queen, to Mulcahy’s delivering iconic hits and an electrifying live performance that captures the spirit and sound fans love. An unforgettable night of classic rock awaits with powerful vocals, dynamic stage presence, and all the timeless favorites.

• Where: 3232 Railroad Ave., Wantagh

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: mulcahyslongisland.com

Family theater

Long Island Children’s Museum stages “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!,” back at the museum by popular demand. With a script written by Mo Willems, the creator of the award-winning “Pigeon” picture books, and featuring music by Deborah Wicks La Puma (Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!), this show is even more fun than staying up late and having a hot dog party! It’s not easy being the Pigeon since you never get to do anything. But when the Bus Driver has a crisis that threatens to make her passengers (gasp!) late, maybe that wily bird can finally do something. Featuring an innovative mix of songs, and feathers, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! is sure to get everyone’s wings flapping. $11 with museum admission ($9 members), $15 theater only.

• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City

• Time: 10:15 a.m. and noon.; also May 13-14

• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800

MAY 9

Mother’s Day Brunch Workshop

Join Chef Barbara Sheridan to learn the art of “brunches” at Wantagh Public Library. The traditional brunch menu has been deliciously expanded to include quiches, frittatas, mimosas and chicken dishes. Whether your mom’s into sweet, savory, or a wonderful combination of the two, the Mother’s Day Brunch menu will cover all the bases during this class. Registration required with $5 fee.

• Where: 3285 Park Ave, Wantagh

• Time: 2 p.m.

• Contact: wantaghlibrary.org

The Wallflowers

• Where: 2900 Jerusalem Ave., Wantagh

• Time: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; Thursdays, 7:15-10 p.m.

• Contact: (516) 221-2370

Game time

MAY

14

Play Mah Jongg and Canasta every Thursday at Congregation Beth Tikvah. Snacks and drinks are provided. $5 contribution.

• Where: 3710 Woodbine Ave., Wantagh

• Time: Noon-4 p.m.

• Contact: mahjonggCBT@ yahoo.com or (516) 785-2445

MAY

The Warped Tour Band

‘The Enchantment of Strings’

Visit Old Westbury Gardens for an evening of chamber music

The Wallflowers mark the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough album “Bringing Down the Horse” on their latest tour, with a special full-album performance at the Paramount, presenting the record in sequence from start to finish. Originally released in 1996, the album became a defining success of the decade, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and going quadruple platinum. It produced a string of major hits, including “6th Avenue Heartache,” “The Difference,” and the Grammy-winning “One Headlight,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of the era’s most recognizable rock singles. Led by songwriter Jakob Dylan, the band draws on classic American rock influences such as The Band and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — a legacy echoed in the tour’s additional tribute segment to Petty, including a full performance of the 1982 album Long After Dark. Over the years, Dylan has remained a consistent figure in rock music, collaborating widely and appearing in projects such as Echo in the Canyon alongside artists including Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Beck, Norah Jones and others. The Wallflowers also recently supported Eric Clapton on his 2025 U.S. tour, continuing their long-standing presence on major stages.

as presents in the intimate and elegant Red Ballroom. Ensemblein-residence Poetica Musica Quartet featuring Eric Wyrick, violin; Eugene Moye, cello; and guest artists Janey Choi, violin; and Michael Roth, viola, performs a captivating program including works by Ravel, Mendelssohn, and Dvorák

• Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury

• Time: 8 p.m.

• Contact: oldwestburygardens. org or call (516) 333-0048

Eisenhower Park Craft Fair

Check out the many craft vendors at Eisenhower Park.

• Where: Eisenhower Park, Field 8

• Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. also May 10, weather permitting

• Contact: NassauCountyFairs.com

MAY

‘Inside Out’ Memory Orb Families are invited to Long Island Children’s Museum for a drop-in program themed around the Disney/Pixar film. In “Inside Out” memories are represented by glowing orbs of various colors based on the emotions

tied to the memories. Design and decorate your own memory orb to represent a special memory or feeling. Free with museum admission.

• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City

• Time: 1-3 p.m.

• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800

MAY

11

Wantagh Chamber of Commerce

Annual Charity Golf Outing

Wantagh Chamber of Commerce holds its annual golf outing, taking place at the scenic Bethpage State Park Red Course. Golfers and sponsors are invited to enjoy a full day of play, networking, and community support, with registration beginning at 10 a.m. and a shotgun start to follow. The event features contests, raffles, food, and a post-round cocktail hour and dinner, all benefiting local initiatives and business development.

• Where: Bethpage State Park, 99 Quaker Meeting House Rd. Farmingdale

• Time: 10 a.m.

• Contact: wantaghchamber.com

• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington

• Time: 8 p.m.

• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com

Roberto Fabbri

MAY

13

The Internationally acclaimed classical guitar virtuoso brings his signature blend of precision and expressive artistry to the Madison Theatre stage. A prolific performer and educator, Fabbri has built a global reputation that extends well beyond the concert hall. His more than 40 guitar publications — translated into five languages, including Chinese — have reached an audience of over 300,000 readers worldwide, underscoring his influence on both aspiring musicians and seasoned players Fabbri is a frequent guest at leading international guitar festivals and has performed in many of the world’s most renowned concert venues, where he also conducts masterclasses. His recording career has further expanded his reach.

• Where: Madison Theatre, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: madisontheatreny.org or (516) 323-4444

Bingo at Temple B’Nai Torah

Temple B’nai Torah hosts weekly bingo with prizes, progressive games, and refreshments every Wednesday and Thursday.

16

Catch The Warped Tour Band delivering a tribute to your favorite emo and pop-punk hits at Mulcahy’s. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the show kicking off at 8 p.m. for a full night of nostalgic anthems from bands like Brand New and Fallout Boy. This is a 21+ event. Grab tickets from $19.36 and celebrate the golden era of poppunk.

• Where: 3232 Railroad Ave., Wantagh

• Time: 8 p.m.

• Contact: mulcahys.com or call (516) 783-7500

Nature Connects

Old Westbury Gardens welcomes internationally acclaimed artist Sean Kenney and his Nature Connects exhibition. Explore 17 larger-than-life sculptures inspired by the wonders of the natural world — each built from over 300,000 LEGO® bricks. Vibrant and imaginative, these creations blend art, science, and nature, offering visitors of all ages a playful new way to experience the gardens. Opens May 16 and is on view through Sept. 7. Tickets required.

• Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury

• Time: Ongoing

• Contact: oldwestburygardens. org or call (516) 333-0048

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.

MacArthur names top students of Class of 2026

By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com

General Douglas MacArthur High School and the Levittown School District has announced the top students of the Class of 2026. Senior Meaghan Campbell has been named valedictorian, and Sara Duda is this year’s salutatorian.

Meaghan, who sports a GPA of 105.2, has seen a high level of success in athletics as a three-sport player. Meaghan is a star basketball player and was named a Scholar Athlete, a Newsday top player, earned All-County and All-Conference honors and scored her 1,000th point this year. As a player on the varsity volleyball team, Meaghan helped lead them to success as conference championship winners. She has also earned AllConference honors in flag football and assists her peers as a buddy for the Challengers basketball team.

Outside of the school, Meaghan teaches basketball and volunteers at various programs for St. Bernard’s Church. In the Science Research program at MacArthur, Meaghan has conducted projects that observe human behavior and social conformity and presented her work in the Long Island Science Congress, Northwell Medical Marvels and the IACS Women in STEM competitions. In the National, Math and World Language honor societies, Meaghan tutors peers. She will attend Vassar College to study neuroscience and behavior and to continue her basketball career.

Sara, who attained a GPA of 104.8, is medal-winning member of the Science Olympiad team and competes with the mathletes team. In Science Research, Sara has studied both social sciences and plant life, notably by simulating lunar conditions to see if coffee grounds or coconut husks can help a plant grow. She was an early entrant into the AP Physics program during her sopho-

more year and the AP Calculus program in her junior year.

Sara is also passionate about community service. At Camp Anchor, a Town of Hempstead program, Sara volunteers to assist campers in daily activities and actively

volunteers as an assistant teacher at the Polish Supplementary School of Long Island. She will attend SUNY Farmingdale to study nursing, aligning with her passion of helping others. She hopes to eventually obtain a doctoral degree and become a CRNA.

Courtesy Levittown Public Schools

General Douglas MacArthur High School seniors Meaghan Campbell and Sara Duda are the Class of 2026 valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING, ELECTION AND PERSONAL REGISTRATION, LEVITTOWN UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK.

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN, that the Annual Meeting of the School District, the vote on the School District budget and election of candidates for the School Board of Levittown Union Free School District, Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, and the vote on the Public Library budget and election of a candidate for the Board of Trustees for the Levittown Public Library, will be held in the several election districts of the School District at the voting places designated below on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 between the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM, to vote by ballot on voting machines on the proposition or propositions set forth below, as well as any other propositions which may properly come before the electorate, and to elect members of the Board of Education and to elect a member of the Library Board of Trustees.

Shall the following resolutions be adopted:

PROPOSITION NO.

1 SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET

BE IT RESOLVED, that the School District budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027, as presented to the Board of Education, in the amount of $284,420,293 approved and the necessary taxes be levied therefore on the taxable real property of the district.

PROPOSITION NO. 2

EXPENDITURE OF THE 2023 CAPITAL RESERVE FUND AND UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE FOR SCHOOL BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Levittown Union Free School District be hereby authorized to appropriate the balance of the District’s Reserve Funds as follows: 2023 Capital Reserve in the amount of $4,600,000 In addition, the Board of Education is hereby authorized to appropriate up to the

sum of $10,400,000 in unassigned fund balance. So that the total appropriation in an amount not to exceed $15,000,000 is hereby approved for purposes of performing school building improvement projects, including Districtwide electrical system upgrades; District-wide roof reconditioning and replacement; District-wide interior and exterior masonry restoration; District wide athletic facilities including the addition of restrooms at our high school athletic fields as well as playground reconstruction and indoor practice facilities; District-wide asbestos abatement

projects; District-wide roadway reconstruction and site improvements; District-wide bathroom reconstruction; Districtwide instructional space renovations, and for any similar projects as contained in the District’s five year Capital Facilities Plan adopted by the Board of Education on March 25, 2026. Expenditures from the Capital Reserves will not increase the tax levy.

PROPOSITION NO. 3

LIBRARY BUDGET RESOLVED, that the Public Library Budget for the fiscal year 20262027 proposed by the Library Board of Trustees of the Levittown Public Library heretofore filed pursuant to law shall be approved and the necessary taxes be levied therefore on the taxable real property of the district.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education and for the office of member of the Library Board of Trustees must be filed with the District Clerk between the hours of 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM Monday through Friday but no later than between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. on April 20, 2026. Forms of the petitions may be obtained from the District Clerk.

The following vacancies are to be filled on the Board of Education: Three (3) members each for the term of three (3) years, commencing July 1, 2026 and expiring June 30, 2029.

A separate petition is required to nominate a candidate for

member of the Board of Education. The three candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected. Each petition must be directed to the District Clerk, must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District, or 2% of the voters who voted in the 2025 election, whichever is greater, and shall state the residence of each person who signed, must state the name and residence of the candidate and the length of the term of office. This year all nominating petitions must include 41 signatures.

The following vacancies are to be filled on the Library Board of Trustees: One (1) member for the term of five (5) years, commencing July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2031.

A separate petition is required to nominate a candidate for member of the Library Board of Trustees. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be elected to the term which ends June 30, 2031. Each petition must be directed to the District Clerk, must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District, or 2% of the voters who voted in the 2025 election for members of the Library Board of Trustees, whichever is greater, and shall state the residence of each person who signed, must state the name and residence of the candidate and the length of the term of office. This year all nominating petitions must include 38 signatures.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that a statement of estimated expenses for the 2026-2027 school year will be presented at a Public Hearing on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 7:30 PM in the Board Meeting Room of the Levittown Memorial Education Center and copies of such statement, as well as the statement of the amount of money required for the 20262027 fiscal year of the Public Library, will be made available on the District’s website and at each schoolhouse and library in the District during the hours of 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM on each day other than a Saturday, Sunday

or holiday during the fourteen (14) calendar days immediately preceding the election together with the text of any resolution which will be presented to the voters.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law, personal registration of voters is required and only those persons whose names appear on the register of the said school district, or who are registered pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law, shall be entitled to vote at said meeting and election.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that all qualified voters who have previously registered for any annual or special meeting or election and have voted at any annual or special election held or conducted at any time within four (4) calendar years prior to this year are not required to register with the Board of Registration for this meeting.

All other persons who wish to vote must register. A voter may register at the office of the District Clerk of the Levittown UFSD between the hours of 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM on school days provided that such registration is effected no later than May 14, 2026.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that said register will be filed in the office of the District Clerk and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District on each of the five (5) days prior to the day of the election, except Sunday, between the hours of 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, on Monday through Friday and on Saturday May 16, 2026, by prearranged appointment in the office of the District Clerk and at each voting place on the day of the election.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that absentee ballots for those eligible pursuant to the provision of Section 2018a of the Education Law are available, and that applications for absentee ballots may be applied for at the office of the District Clerk. A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots have been issued will be available in the office of the Clerk on each of the five (5) calendar

days prior to the day of election except Sunday, between the hours of 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM on Monday through Friday and on Saturday May 16, 2026, by prearranged appointment. in the office of the District Clerk. Such application must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) calendar days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter or by the day before the election if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. No absentee voter’s ballot will be canvassed unless it has been received in the office of the District Clerk not later than 5:00 PM on the day of the election.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that pursuant to Section 2018-e of the Education Law, applications for early mail ballots may be obtained at the Office of the District Clerk of the School District, during all days in which the School District is in session. Completed applications must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than April 20, 2026 and by May 12, 2026, if the early mail ballot is to be mailed to the voter. If the early mail ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter at the Office of the District Clerk the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later than May 18, 2026. No early mail voter’s ballot will be canvassed unless it has been received in the Office of the District Clerk of the School District no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 19, 2026. A list of all persons to whom early ballots have been issued will be available in the Office of the District Clerk’s office during office hours on and after May 13, 2026 until May 19, 2026, except on Saturday May 16, 2026, by prearranged appointment. A challenge to an early voting ballot may not be made on the basis that the voter should have applied for an absentee ballot.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that during the voting hours on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM, in the various election districts, the Board of Registration will meet to receive registrations for subsequent elections. During the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM on

voting days, the District Clerk shall be in her office at the Levittown Memorial Education Center, 150 Abbey Lane, Levittown, NY 11756.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law requires the District to attach to its proposed budget an Exemption Report. Said exemption report, which will also become part of the final budget, will show how the total assessed value of the final assessment roll used in the budgetary process is exempt from taxation, list every type of exemption granted by statutory authority, and show the cumulative impact of each type of exemption, the cumulative amount expected to be received as payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) and the cumulative impact of all exemptions granted. In addition, said exemption report shall be posted on any bulletin board maintained by the District for public notices and on the District’s website.

FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to Education Law §2018-d, Military Voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the District by submitting a Military Voter Registration Application to the District Clerk, no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 23, 2026. A copy of the Military Voter Registration Application is available both by contacting the District Clerk by email at vesposito@ levittownschools. com and online at the District’s website located at <http://www. levittownschools.com/>. Military voters who are qualified voters of the District may submit an application for a military ballot. A Military Voter is entitled to designate a preference to receive a Military Voter Registration Application, Military Ballot Application or Military Ballot by mail, facsimile or electronic mail. Such designation will remain in effect until revoked or changed by the voter. If no preference is designated, the District will transmit the Military Voter Registration Application, Military Ballot Application or Military Ballot by mail. Military Voter Ballot Application forms must be received by the District Clerk no later

than 5:00 p.m. on April 23, 2026. Military Ballots will not be canvassed unless they are received by the District Clerk on or before 5:00 p.m. on May 19, 2026.

SCHOOL ELECTION DISTRICTS:

The boundaries of the school election districts and the place of each election district for voting and registration shall be as follows:

ELECTION DISTRICT #1 - GARDINERS AVENUE

SCHOOL

Beginning at Wantagh Parkway and Chase Lane; east on Chase Lane to Center Lane, thence south to Prairie Lane; thence east to Gardiners Avenue; thence south to Slate Lane; then east and north to Swan Lane; then east and north to Grey Lane; continuing east to Wantagh Avenue; thence south on Wantagh Avenue to Jerusalem Avenue; thence west to Oakfield Avenue; continuing north to Old Jerusalem Road; thence east on Old Jerusalem Road to Wantagh Parkway Line; north along Line to the point of beginning.

ELECTION DISTRICT #2 - EAST BROADWAY

SCHOOL

Beginning at north side of Southern State Parkway and east side of Wantagh Avenue; north on Wantagh to Miller Place; thence east to Exit Lane; thence south to Elm Drive; thence west to Elbow Lane; thence southwest to End Lane; south to End Lane and Elm Drive East to Pope Street; thence east to District Line; thence south to Regent Lane; thence east to Red Maple Drive; thence northeast, and south to Regal Lane; east on Regal Lane and Cordwood Lane to Arlington Drive; thence southeast to Town Line; thence south to Southern State Parkway; west along Parkway to point of beginning. Beginning at south side of Southern State Parkway and west side of Town Line; south on Town Line to Jerusalem Avenue; thence west to Wantagh Avenue; thence north to Southern State Parkway; thence east to point of beginning.

ELECTION DISTRICT #3LEVITTOWN MEMORIAL EDUCATION CENTER

Beginning at east side of Wantagh Parkway and south side of

Hempstead Turnpike; east on Hempstead Turnpike to Silver Lane; thence south to Forge Lane; thence east to Cotton Lane; thence southeasterly to Wantagh Avenue; then south to Grey Lane; thence west to Swan Lane; then southwesterly to Slate Lane; then south to Gardiners Avenue, thence north to Prairie Lane; thence west to Center Lane; thence north to Chase Lane; thence west to Wantagh Parkway Line; north along Line to point of beginning.

ELECTION DISTRICT #4DIVISION AVENUE HIGH SCHOOL

Beginning at north side of Hempstead Turnpike and west side of Jerusalem Avenue; west on Hempstead Turnpike to District Boundary Line at Wantagh State Parkway; thence northeast to northerly border of School District; east on Boundary Line (Flamingo Rd., Magpie Lane, Blacksmith Rd) to Jerusalem Avenue; thence south to point of beginning.

Dated: Levittown, New York March 2026

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION LEVITTOWN UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK 159201

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

COUNTY OF NASSAU

WILMINGTON

SAVINGS FUND

SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT AS TRUSTEE FOR PRETIUM MORTGAGE ACQUISITION TRUST, -against-

LAURIE K. VON GLAHN

A/K/A LAURIE VON GLAHN, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on November 13, 2025, wherein WILMINGTON

SAVINGS FUND

SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT AS TRUSTEE FOR PRETIUM MORTGAGE ACQUISITION TRUST is the Plaintiff and LAURIE K. VON GLAHN

A/K/A LAURIE VON GLAHN, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the

Public Notices

undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on May 19, 2026 at 3:30PM, premises known as 3970 DARBY LANE, SEAFORD, NY 11783; and the following tax map identification: 65-252-17.

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND

SITUATE LYING AND BEING AT SEAFORD, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 615237/2022. Paul L. Meli, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 159614

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU

BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, -againstMICHAEL MARRON, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on March 28, 2024, wherein BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION is the Plaintiff and MICHAEL MARRON, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on June 2, 2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 2608 ISLAND CHANNEL ROAD, SEAFORD, NY 11783; and the following tax map identification: 63-261-604 & 805.

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN SEAFORD, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 609978/2022. Jane P. Shrenkel, Esq.Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 159904

LEGAL NOTICE REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR SG MORTGAGE SECURITIES BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-FRE2, Plaintiffagainst - SUZANNE M. BRADY, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on March 15, 2019. 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 the 2nd day of June, 2026 at 2:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Wantagh, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York. Premises known as 3677 Smith Street, Wantagh, NY 11793. (SBL#: 57-89-105)

Approximate amount of lien $614,197.89 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

Index No. 010340/2015. John G. Kennedy, Esq., Referee. McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840 New York, NY 10170

Tel. 347/286-7409

For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832

Dated: March 31, 2026

During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. 159843

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice

May 2026 Meeting Date Change Notice is hereby given that the Seaford Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners of the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, New York, will hold its regular Monthly Meeting for the month of May 2026, on the Fourth Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 7:00 P.M., at the Seaford Fire Headquarters, 2170 Southard Avenue, Seaford, New York 11783-2544. All meetings of the Seaford Fire District are open to the public.

===============

By order of: Board of Fire Commissioners Seaford Fire District

Dated: April 27, 2026

Michael R. Foran, Secretary 160027

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 05/20/2026 at 9:30

A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30

A.M.

1181/26. SEAFORDSeaford Chamber of Commerce, Amusement Rides (Special Event) duration May 29, 2026 - May 31, 2026 with tents., N/W cor. Sunrise Hwy. & Jackson Ave., a/k/a Town of Hempstead Parking Lot S-5W.

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 Seaford 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.

160020

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD LOCAL LAW NO. 42-2026

Endless curiosity at Seaford Harbor STEAM Night

STEAM Through the Seasons” was the theme on the evening of April 23, as more than 100 Seaford Harbor Elementary School students returned after hours to indulge their curiosities. The annual STEAM Night featured lively presentations and hands-on exploration.

In a Mad Science presentation, attendees learned about the world around them as they watched several experiments with flash paper and dry ice. There were programs for grades K-2 and 3-5.

Half of the gymnasium was transformed into an escape room. Students had to solve puzzles related to the seasons and would earn a prize if they completed all four. Teachers also organized

craft activities, such as building a jellyfish out of a cupcake wrapper, ribbon, googly eyes and a domed plastic lid. In the ski jumper activity, the young scientists attached a paper skier to a milk shake straw, slid it onto a regular straw, then blew to try and hit a target on the wall.

STEAM Night was coordinated by Principal Jennifer Bisulca and Assistant Principal Tara Savage, with support from numerous teachers and staff. National Honor Society volunteers from Seaford High School assisted at the craft and escape room stations.

—Hunter Fenollol

Dated: April 28, 2026 Hempstead, New York

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that, pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing was duly called and held on the 28th day of April 2026, by the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead, on the proposed adoption of Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 42-2026, and following the close of the hearing the Town Board duly adopted Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 42-2026, to amend Section 197-5 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, to include “ARTERIAL STOPS” at various locations

Courtesy Seaford School District

At one station, children made flower pots with small cups, paper flowers and pipe cleaners.

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Stunning to Behold

This breathtaking property is a masterfully crafted home set on a sprawling threequarter acre corner lot, where elegance, space, and thoughtful design come together. From the moment you step inside, the superior craftsmanship and refined interior design make an unforgettable impression. Rich wood flooring flows seamlessly throughout, grounding every room with warmth and character. The soaring vaulted ceiling of the magnificent living room creates an airy,

How early do I get the interior designer involved?

Q. I’ve been interviewing architects and want your opinion on the issue of interior design. I have no sense of space, color or furniture. I’m getting mixed ideas from the architects about having an interior designer involved at the beginning, and I’m wondering what to do. Should I have the interior designer do the space plan first, and then hire the architect, or should I get the interior designer involved more toward the middle, before plans are done?

A. This is a touchy subject that often leads to frustration, mostly because the tasks of each are not always understood. There’s an old saying, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” An interior designer on my projects has always been requested to work after the building is designed, from the beginning to the end. The reasons for this are the differences in our knowledge of laws, engineering qualifications and responsibilities.

An interior designer doesn’t have a license, qualification or, generally, the education to perform the integrated services of an architect or an engineer. The reason that’s a frustrating answer is that I like working with interior designers personally, when the enhancement of the building’s finishes come into play, after the building has met the requirements of being able to stand, shed light to spaces, allow for all the safety requirements and myriad codes that must be followed. Unfortunately, clients often see that as being egotistical, overly sensitive or domineering, and that’s due to the lack of education as to what each person’s role is in construction. It’s no different than when a carpenter tells a homeowner that the structure could have been thinner and would have saved the owner money. The carpenter may not understand that the structure has to be sized for insulation thickness to meet energy codes before voicing their perspective. I’ve had multiple experiences that turned out very well because it was understood, from the project beginning, that the architect wasn’t there just to draw what they were told to draw. At times, issues needed to be discussed, and changes were necessary to accommodate the material thickness.

For example, stairways have a minimum width, and you can’t arbitrarily add a thick stone surface to the side walls that would reduce the clear width. It might be beautiful, but imagine having the inspection fail for safety reasons. In that instance, the plans could have been discussed or the material selection could have been revised.

I once had an interior designer repeatedly changing the shape of spaces, requiring the arbitrary removal of columns. A building won’t stand without columns, and moving them is like pulling one card out of a house of cards, literally and figuratively. A great design starts with great communication and a clear understanding of each person’s responsibilities and boundaries, both legal and by the project team as a whole. As a team, you will be successful if you and every team member understand this. Good luck!

© 2026 Monte Leeper

Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

Ask The Architect

Monte Leeper

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OPINIONS

I have more than enough words for a memoir

Recently I entered into an agreement with noted editor Peter Ginna to put my 140,000-word memoir manuscript into final form to be presented to publishers. That will probably result in the reduction of at least 30,000 words and some reformatting. The final product, though, will be mine.

This project began five years ago. After I retired from Congress in January 2021, I started to assemble my thoughts, news stories, photos and memorabilia from 28 years in office in an attempt to make some sense of, and put in some perspective, my experiences. The more I assembled, the more I realized how long and unlikely the journey had been — and how fortunate I had been.

Particularly helpful to me in collating so much of the memories and information was Anne Rosenfeld, who worked in my district office, in Massapequa Park, for all of those years, including the last 20 as district director. Melissa Zimmerman was one of the Nassau County Police Department

detectives on my congressional security detail. Having retired shortly before I did, she agreed to be my post-congressional security director. As she learned what I was doing and heard my discussions about my experiences, she urged me to put it all into a memoir. And she didn’t let up until I started the process.

As I began to write, I realized that the story would have to begin where it all began, on the bluecollar sidewalks of Sunnyside, Queens, and then St. Albans.

If not a ragsto-riches tale, my life has certainly been an improbable journey.

My grandparents were Irish immigrants. My father was a World War II veteran and an Army Reserve major who served for three decades in the New York City Police Department, rising to the rank of lieutenant as commanding officer for physical training and head of the department’s first Ceremonial Unit, which he formed. My mother, a product of the Depression, had to turn down a college scholarship and take a job instead.

My younger brother, Kevin, and I attended St. Teresa’s grammar school, in Woodside, where there were 70-plus kids in a classroom, with no concern for feelings or sensitivity. Tuition was 25 cents a week. After that it was Brooklyn Prep and then St. Francis College, while

TI worked full-time at the Railway Express freight yards on Manhattan’s West Side as a junior and senior. After that I was unexpectedly accepted by Notre Dame Law School, where I made friendships that would last a lifetime. At neighboring St. Mary’s College I met Rosemary, who has been putting up with me for a lifetime.

All of this somehow led to experiences with an eclectic mix of people and events that made for an interesting, never boring, life, as I navigated the minefields of New York and Washington politics and government. I dealt with tragedies such as Sept. 11 and its lasting aftermath, which included fighting for health care benefits for its survivors and first responders. I was one of only two members of Congress in history to vote against the impeachment of two presidents. I faced challenges as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, holding controversial hearings into Islamic radicalization and ensuring that New York and Long Island received the funding necessary to defend against future terrorist attacks.

Over the years in New York, Washington and overseas, there were dealings with Presidents Clinton, Bush,

Obama, Trump and Biden; British Prime Minister Blair and Irish P.M. Ahern; Israeli leaders Rabin, Peres and Netanyahu; and meeting foreign leaders and dignitaries such as Russia’s Yeltsin, Poland’s Walesa and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth. There were New York leaders, characters and personalities including Cardinal John O’Connor, Al D’Amato, Ed Koch, Rudy Giuliani and Roy Cohn. There was also the almost surreal experience of being the grandson of Irish immigrants and having a great uncle who was in the IRA and imprisoned during the Irish War of Independence in the 1920s — and working with Clinton, Blair, Ahern and Irish Republican leader Gerry Adams to bring about the historic 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended the centuries-old, bloody struggle between the British government and the people of Ireland.

My life has not been a rags-to-riches tale, but it has certainly been an improbable journey, beyond what I ever could have dreamed of or imagined. It has indeed been what my book title describes, “The Road to God Knows Where — From the Blue Collar Sidewalks of Queens to the Halls of Congress.”

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

We all need friends, and NATO is our best one

he older you get, the more you need to have some friends. While we should always be lucky to have a family that cares for us in good times and bad, we still have to have friends. A little research showed me that there are more songs about the value of friends, and the need for them, than about independence or going it alone.

I’m sure many readers are familiar with the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends.” Or Dionne Warwick’s “That’s What Friends Are For,” or Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend,” Or Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.” I could list another dozen songs that capture the importance of having a friend. Which brings us to the subject of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Somehow, President Trump has advanced the distorted idea that America can go it alone in the world without the help of our overseas allies. Long before NATO came into existence in 1949, our European friends were fighting with us in World War II, losing thou-

sands of young men to keep democracy alive.

When NATO was founded, its membership comprised Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. It now includes Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. It is a powerful union of allies who all have economic and strategic relationships with the United States.

There is no way the United States could go it alone with these allies.

has always stood by us since then. Trump alleges that Iran was almost ready to attack the United States and Israel, but it did not launch an attack on our country. Being a “threat” to a NATO ally isn’t the same as attacking it. On 9/11, the NATO countries immediately declared their support for the United States and provided numerous forms of assistance, both technical and economic.

territory.) Russia could mount an attack on our country in minutes if it ever served their purposes.

What gets lost in the debate about NATO’s obligations to intervene in the war with Iran is that NATO was never consulted before the war began, and no member country was attacked by Iran. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty says that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all members, which is not what happened in the war with Iran.

The first time the NATO charter was invoked was when America was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. The alliance

To this day, NATO members continue to offer us strategic advice about actions around the world that may be a threat to America. They provide us with warnings about weather patterns and environmental events that are a threat to our region of the planet. And most of all, they buy billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment and other products that make our manufacturers healthy and wealthy.

Whether the president admits it or not, our two biggest enemies are China and Russia. In the case of Russia, it is worth noting that it is less than 60 miles from Alaska. (And actually, Big Diomede Island, in Russian territory, is just 2½ miles from Little Diomede Island, in U.S.

As for China, even with some severe economic problems, it is capable of causing major upheaval for the U.S. if it chooses. Should it invade Taiwan, America would lose its major supplier of the semiconductor chips that companies like Nvidia and Apple use for advanced computing. Other chips are used in automobiles and a wide variety of products, and we can’t afford to lose that supply.

There is no way that the United States could go it alone without its NATO allies. We can’t protect our country from the world’s two worst predators without those allies on our side. Breaking up that alliance would be strategic and economic suicide. Talk is cheap, so the president has every right to pick occasional spats with NATO, but he can’t afford to abandon it. To do so would create chaos for generations to come.

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.

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Small Business Week, with eyes wide open

Small Business Week, which runs from May 3 to 9, will bring the usual round of proclamations, ribbon-cuttings and feel-good photo ops. Local entrepreneurs deserve every one of them. They also deserve the truth: The Main Streets of Long Island are under siege, and a week of celebration cannot paper over what the rest of the year has made painfully clear.

Walk down Park Avenue, in Long Beach, or Merrick Avenue, or any commercial corridor from Lynbrook to Glen Cove, and the strain is visible. For Lease signs have not come down in months. Restaurants have cut hours because they can’t find or afford the staff to stay open. Family-owned shops that survived the pandemic now wonder whether they will survive the aftermath. The business owners who anchor our downtowns aren’t asking for sympathy. They are asking, quietly and increasingly, whether the math still works.

The pressures are no secret. Rents for Long Island commercial space have climbed steadily. Costs have skyrocketed, outpacing what owners can charge without losing customers. Wages have risen, as they should, but for thin-margin businesses, every raise is a calculation about how many shifts can be staffed next month.

Energy bills and insurance premiums keep grinding higher. And looming over all of it is the e-commerce machine — Amazon, Temu, Shein and a growing list of online giants whose business model depends on undercutting the shop down the block, capturing the sale, and sending the profit somewhere far from Long Island.

The numbers tell a more complicated story than the celebratory ones we usually hear. In Nassau County, the U.S. Small Business Administration backed more than $207 million in loans last year, supporting roughly 500 businesses and helping create or sustain 2,850 jobs. That is real and meaningful. But SBA lending is also a barometer of need. A community in which hundreds of businesses require government-backed credit just to keep their doors open is not a community where small business is thriving on its own. It is a community where small business is fighting to hold ground.

Matt Coleman, the SBA’s regional administrator, has said that anyone who wants to understand the local economy needs to look past the financial markets and pay attention to those small businesses, embedded in our communities. He’s right. And what those businesses are telling us, if we listen honestly, is that the ground beneath them is shifting faster than they can adapt.

Federal tax relief on tips and overtime will help some workers. Modest tax reductions for small-business owners will help some operators. Neither will reverse the structural forces reshaping retail, hospitality and local service. The playing field is not level, and pretending otherwise does our merchants no favors.

What small businesses can offer is what e-commerce cannot: presence, accountability and a stake in the community. The pizzeria in East Rockaway that sponsors the Little League team. The diner in Seaford that hosts the volunteer fire department’s monthly breakfast. The florist in Oyster Bay that decorates the village gazebo for the holidays.

None of those things show up on a balance sheet. All of them disappear when the storefront goes dark.

The Herald takes pride in standing alongside local businesses every day of the year. Our reporters tell their stories — the grand openings, the second-generation handoffs, the milestone anniversaries, the moments when local owners step up to feed first responders during a storm. Our advertising and marketing teams work shoulder to shoulder with owners to help them reach customers and grow their brand across print, digital and social channels. We do this because we believe local journalism and local commerce rise and fall together.

Honesty about the challenges is not pessimism. It is the precondition for a serious response. Policymakers should be looking hard at commercial rent pressures, at the unequal tax treatment that favors online sellers, at workforce housing that should allow people to actually live near where they work. Residents have a role, too — a more direct one. Every dollar spent locally is a dollar that stays here, resulting in sponsors for Little League teams, donors for nonprofit events, tenants for local storefronts, and more.

So this week, before clicking “buy now” online, walk into the shop down the block. Order takeout from the family-run restaurant in Island Park. Book the local landscaper from Malverne. Tip generously. The Main Streets of Long Island are not guaranteed. They are chosen, one transaction at a time, by the people who live here — and that choice has never mattered more.

OPINIONS

The cost of waste, and the price New Yorkers pay

Waste in government doesn’t stay on paper. It drips through budgets, spreads through layers of bureaucracy, and ultimately lands on the kitchen table of every working family. It’s the leaky roof you can’t ignore and the faucet left running in a home already struggling to stay afloat. In New York, that leak has become a flood.

This year, New York’s state budget will approach $270 billion — a 62 percent increase since one-party Democratic rule came to Albany in 2019. That’s an extra $5,000 per year for every man, woman and child in the state.

While all concede that affordability is a massive problem, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats continue to hold New York families’ heads under water — and the water’s getting deeper every day. While the Democrats debate how much more to tax, spend and give away to cover the socialist agenda of New York City’s new mayor, the most urgent question is being ignored: Where is the fiscal discipline?

Medicaid spending has surged to $120 billion, nearly 45 percent of the entire

state budget. A recent study by the Empire Center found that Medicaid rolls contain as many as 3 million New Yorkers who don’t qualify, costing taxpayers $20 billion annually. An audit by the state comptroller found that taxpayers spent another $1.2 billion on Medicaid for nonresidents, raising serious questions about eligibility, oversight and improper payments. Hochul’s response? Crickets.

TThe MTA continues to provide substandard service while its capital debt load is expected to double to $88 billion by 2034. Operating deficits continue to climb. While refusing calls for a forensic audit, Hochul and Albany Democrats search for the latest gimmick — like congestion pricing — to put a Band-Aid on the gaping wound of fiscal mismanagement and abuse.

year.

Nearly 300,000 regulations drive up the cost of housing, energy and doing business. One New Yorker leaves the state every 2 minutes and 23 seconds. Those aren’t just statistics — they’re a signal that the American Dream is no longer affordable here due to Albany’s failed leadership.

he state budget has increased by 62 percent since Democrats took control in 2019.

Young families are priced out of homeownership. Small-business owners struggle to survive. Retirees watch costs rise faster than fixed incomes can keep up. From housing to auto insurance to health care and child care, the cost of living continues to climb at rates far higher than the national average.

the millionaire threshold. This plan would give up to $5,000 a year back to working families — not as a one-time rebate, but as lasting, meaningful relief — while forcing fiscal discipline by making Albany abide by the same spending cap it imposes on schools and municipalities.

But tax relief alone isn’t enough. We must fix the system that creates the burden.

These are not isolated incidents. They are a “check engine” light that Albany Democrats simply ignore and just keep driving. Meanwhile, New Yorkers are paying the price. New York ranks No. 1 in overall tax burden and No. 4 in cost of living. Forbes ranks the state’s business climate the second worst in America, and the Tax Foundation ranked New York dead last in tax competitiveness for the third straight

FRAMEWORK by Tim Baker

Yet Albany under one-party rule continues to act as if government spending has no consequences. But that money comes from somewhere — the father working two jobs, the mother taking on extra shifts, the young adult trying to get started, the small-business owner working to stay afloat.

Solutions exist. In February I introduced legislation to deliver the largest tax cut in state history, eliminating income tax on the first $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for couples, reducing middle-class rates to 4 percent, and capping the top rate at 5 percent below

That’s why I’ve supported efforts to strengthen oversight and accountability by reforming Medicaid audit standards, requiring eligibility verification, auditing the MTA and mandating independent reviews of state-funded programs. I’ve co-sponsored legislation to strengthen Medicaid payment integrity through routine verification, targeted audits and safeguards to ensure that payments are accurate and transparent. I’ve worked with stakeholders to crack down on SNAP fraud and modernize benefit systems so they serve those truly in need. These reforms aren’t radical. They are responsible, and should be bipartisan. You don’t fix a leaking roof by repainting the ceiling — you fix the leak.

Until Albany confronts that reality, the cycle will continue: higher taxes, higher costs, fewer opportunities and more families leaving.

Steve Rhoads represents the 5th State Senate District.