Seaford Herald 05-15-2025

A blast from the past

The Seaford Harbor PTA hosted a ’90s-themed auction fundraiser at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall, in Wantagh, to help benefit Seaford Harbor Elementary School. Story, more photos, Page 3.

District proposes $85.1M spending plan

Budget vote set for Tuesday at Manor and Harbor schools

By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com

Residents of the Seaford Union Free School District will head to the polls next week to vote on a budget that includes facility upgrades, classroom renovations and infrastructure improvements, all without exceeding the state’s tax levy cap.

The $85.1 million spending plan, adopted last month, is 1.93 percent larger than the current budget and includes a tax levy increase of about 2.49 percent — well under the cap. According to Andrew Casale, the district’s assistant superintendent for business and operations, the levy is also lower than the average projected levy in

Nassau County, which is around 2.55 percent.

“We always try to provide taxpayers with the most relief possible,” Casale said at an April 9 Board of Education meeting, “and this year we are not maxing out our levy.”

State aid for the 2025-26 budget, according to Casale, is estimated to be around $19.4 million, an increase of roughly 0.7 percent over the current year.

Capital projects will include upgrades to playgrounds at Seaford Manor Elementary School such as artificial turf replacement and the addition of inclusive playground equipment. Additional projects include renovations to the Career Development/Life Skills Program classroom and

Planning to honor a friend gone too soon

By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com

In an effort to build a pair of artificial-turf fields in memory of William Desroches — the Wantagh High School student who died in a watercraft accident in 2023 — friends, family and supporters kicked off their first fundraiser on May 8.

Launched in January, the William Desroches Foundation was created to raise funds for new turf fields for soccer and lacrosse next to Forest Lake Elementary School’s baseball field. According to Donald Desroches, William’s father, his son played on the field at Forest Lake, inspiring him to approach the Wantagh School District about constructing and naming the new fields in his memory.

which raised around $12,000 toward the memorial fields.

For Desroches, the event was a great celebration to honor his son and to talk about what kind of person he was.

“I really felt grateful and appreciative that everyone took time out of their day to honor William and help with the fundraising cause,” Desroches said.

Assisting with the fundraiser was John Theissen, founder and executive director of the John Theissen Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit that aids sick and underprivileged children.

The foundation’s first fundraiser, held at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh, featured live music by the band Vinyl Revival, auctions and a raffle to support the project.

More than 150 people attended the fundraiser, Desroches said,

On Aug. 6, 2023, William, 15, and another teenager were riding personal watercraft on Crescent Lake in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. At some point, New Hampshire police said, one of the riders slowed down, and the other collided with him from behind. William was rushed to a hospital, where he died. The other teen was not hurt.

William’s mother, Kathryn

Continued on page 10

Holden Leeds/Herald

Honoring the legacy of historian Ed Smits

State Sen. Steve Rhoads presented the New York State Senate Commendation Award to the family of Ed Smits on April 12, recognizing his extraordinary contributions to preserving Nassau County’s rich history.

A Wantagh resident, Smits served as Nassau County Historian from the early 1980s until his retirement in 2024. He was the founding Director of the Cradle of Aviation Museum, creator of the Nassau County Museum System,

and past president of both the Nassau County Historical Society and the Levittown Public Library. He also served as vice president of the Agricultural Society of Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties.

A prolific historian and author, his works include Nassau – Suburbia USA, The Creation of Nassau County, and Long Island Landmarks. Rhoads expressed admiration for Smits’ lifelong dedication to honoring the past.

LWV to host First Amendment talk

The League of Women Voters of East Nassau will hold its general meeting on Wednesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. at the Levittown Public Library, 1 Bluegrass Lane.

The featured speaker will be Hon. Christine Quigley of the Nassau County Bar Association. Quigley will lead a discussion on the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, offering clarification and insight into its protections and current interpretations. The meeting is open to the public.

— Charles Shaw

Courtesy Office of State Sen. Steve Rhoads

State Sen. Steve Rhoads honored longtime Nassau County Historian Ed Smits with a New York State Senate Commendation Award for his decades of preserving and promoting local history.

Herald file photo

The League of Women Voters of East Nassau will host a public meeting at the Levittown Public Library on May 21 featuring Hon. Christine Quigley discussing the First Amendment.

HERALD neighbors

PTA throws it back to the ‘90s for fundraiser

The Seaford Harbor PTA hosted a 1990s-themed auction fundraiser on May 1 at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh. Attendees dressed in retro outfits and danced the night away to the sounds of DJ Savage. The evening featured a silent auction of autographed memorabilia and dozens of raffle baskets, all in support of the PTA’s ongoing efforts to benefit Seaford Harbor Elementary School.

— Charles Shaw

Worgul, left, with Mike

and Lauren

donned a grungeinspired look at the ‘90s-themed event at Mulcahy’s.

Holden Leeds/Herald photos

Stefanie Greco looking to win big prizes at the auction fundraiser.

Meghan Schaaf and Beth Gross placed their tickets in the bag to win baskets.

Crissie

Worgul

Hartmann

Seaford Harbor parents came out to Mulcahy’s in Wantagh to support the PTA fundraiser.

RichnerLIVE and Herald Gives Back

On April 8th the Herald and RichnerLIVE hosted the Top Lawyers of Long Island Awards Gala at the Heritage Club of Bethpage. The WE CARE Fund, the charitable arm of the Nassau County Bar Association, which supports a range of local nonprofits was the evening’s charity beneficiary and the recipient of $2000.

From left to right: Herald publisher and CEO Stuart Richner; RichnerLIVE executive director Amy Amato, Elizabeth Post, Jeffrey Catterson and Sandy Strenger of the Nassau County Bar Association.

Michael and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

A Forgotten American Treasure

Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac appeared from 1732 to 1758. Amongst other information, it provided pithy sayings and proverbs, many of which have withstood the test of time.

“An empty bag cannot stand upright.”

“Anger is never without a reason, but seldom a good one.”

“Anoint a villain and he’ll stab you: stab him and he’ll anoint you.”

“An old young man will be a young old man.”

“Don’t think to hunt two hares with one dog.”

“Eat few suppers and you’ll need few medicines.”

“Great almsgiving, lessens no man’s living.”

“Happy’s the wooing that’s not long a doing.”

“He that lies down with dogs, shall rise up with fleas.”

“If your riches are yours, why don’t you take them with you to the other world.”

“Lost time is never found again.”

“The noblest question in the world is, what good may I do in it?”

“They who have nothing to trouble them, will be troubled at nothing.”

“The sleeping fox catches no poultry.”

“The tongue is ever turning to the aching tooth.”

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Student café Nordic Nook opens at Seaford High School

Months of planning and construction was worth the wait at Seaford High School, as students and teachers are enjoying a new café, the Nordic Nook. The space was created from an old teacher cafeteria that had been used for storage in recent years.

Tucked between the junior/senior cafeteria and the kitchen, the modern space features an array of beverages and treats that are different from the regular cafeteria menu. There is coffee, tea and smoothies, pastries and graband-go salads and sandwiches. A hamburger, fries and drink special are already a popular item. Nordic Nook is run by Aramark, the district’s food service provider.

Principal Nicole Schnabel said that the idea came about last year as part of a desire to upgrade facilities in a 1950sera high school to appeal to today’s generation of students. Already, renovations have been completed to the auditorium, library, wellness center and upperclassmen cafeteria, with work on the other cafeteria slated for the coming summer.

“One of our goals is to create more enhanced spaces for our students to

come to and stay connected to our campus,” Ms. Schnabel said.

Nordic Nook is open on school days from 6:50 a.m. to 3 p.m. All students can go before and after school, while it is also available to juniors and seniors during their lunch periods. Additionally, 12th graders can go during their senior privilege periods, and faculty and staff can stop by any time. Recently, Schnabel hosted a South Shore principals meeting there.

“Good food and it looks nice,” was the feedback from ninth graders Dylan Lukas and Chase Coppola, who recently visited after school and enjoyed one of the Nordic Nook’s specialties – muffin tops.

Menu ideas came from a focus group that included students on the Shared Decision Making Committee, as well as junior and senior class officers. That group also came up with the name as an homage to the Seaford Vikings.

“It was a collaborative effort between our food service provider, the facilities department, students, administration and the community,” Schnabel said.

“The space is amazing and it brings our facilities to the next level.”

Courtesy Seaford School District

District administrators and the Board of Education had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Nordic Nook.

VALENTINA KESABIAN

Clarke Senior Lacrosse

IT’S BEEN AN IMPRESSIVE rise for Clarke’s girls’ lacrosse program since it endured a winless 2022 campaign, and Kesabian has been a major part of the turnaround. Last spring she helped lead the Rams to 10 wins, scoring 26 goals and earning All-Conference honors in the process. This season, both the third-year attack and the team continued to flourish. Kesabian finished with 39 goals and 13 assists, and Clarke won 12 of 15 games.

GAMES TO WATCH

Thursday, May 15

Softball playoffs: First round at higher seed ...................TBA

Boys Lacrosse: Freeport at Kennedy .........................5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Elmont at Lawrence ..........................5

Baseball: Elmont at West Hempstead

Baseball: Roosevelt at Uniondale .............................5

Baseball: G.N. South at V.S. Central ..........................5 p.m.

Friday, May 16

Boys Lacrosse: Garden City at Carey....................4:30 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Oceanside at Farmingdale................5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Plainedge at South Side ...................5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Massapequa at Syosset ...................5 p.m.

Saturday, May 17

Softball: Nassau quarterfinals at higher seed ................TBA

Monday, May 19

Softball: Nassau semifinals GM1 at higher seed ...........TBA

Tuesday, May 20

Softball: Nassau semifinals GM2 at lower seed.............TBA

Baseball: Nassau Class A quarterfinals GM 3 ................TBA

Baseball: Nassau Class B semifinals GM 2 ...................TBA

Baseball: Nassau Class AAA play-in games ...................TBA

Nominate a “Spotlight Athlete”

High School athletes to be featured on the Herald sports page must compete in a spring sport and have earned an AllConference award or higher last season. Please send the following information: Name, School, Grade, Sport and accomplishments to Sports@liherald.com.

MacArthur a tough playoff foe

By MARC BERMAN sports@liherald.com

The MacArthur girls’ lacrosse team’s regular-season record isn’t snazzy but feels it won’t be a pushover in the playoffs.

MacArthur finished the regular season at 7-8 – 3-7 in rugged Conference 2. The Generals suffered a heartbreaking double-overtime defeat to Calhoun, a one-goal loss to first-place Lynbrook and a 2-goal setback to Mepham.

Because of its powerful conference, MacArthur still qualified for the Class B playoffs and is seeded sixth, hitting the road Thursday for a 5 p.m. matchup with No. 3 Long Beach.

“I don’t think (the record) indicated how well we’ve been playing, how competitive we’ve been in the conference,’’ said MacArthur coach Dan Agovino, who stepped down as North Shore football coach but remained as leader of his alma-mater’s lacrosse squad. “We’ve been competitive - just a couple of things didn’t bounce the way we wanted them to.’’

There was one stirring highlight when the ball bounced fortuitously – a rousing comeback win over cross-town rival, Levittown Division. The Generals led at halftime but let go of the rope in the second half before their riveting finish.

Danielle Kupcs scored the tying goal with 2:05 left to tie it at 8 and Caileigh O’Shea scored the game winner with 10 seconds to go off a screen by Rylee Fanning.

“When they needed to step up at the end of the game, they did and didn’t panic,’’ Agovino said.

The team’s strength is in goal. Junior goalie Abby Clarkson continued to shine in what figures to be a second straight All-County season. Clarkson racked up 143 saves for a career tally of 434. She’s committed to Youngstown State.

“She’s lived up to the hype of what we expected of her and exceeded it,’’ Agovino said. “The bonus of what she does is she makes a lot of big-time pointblank saves. That’s such a momentum

as the No. 6 seed after a 7=8 regular season.

builder. She’s so quick to get it out and up the field. She’s creating opportunities on both ends of the field.’’

Clarkson credits her defense. “”People around me have allowed me to become better,’’ she said. “My best attribute is after making a save, I can make a clear outlet and get my team up for transition. We’re a real good transition team.’’

Surrounding Clarkson on defense is her twin sister, Olivia and Fanning, both top-notch defenders.

On a junior-dominated team that bodes well for 2026, Evie Larkin, a Drex-

el commit, leads the offense with 44 points (29-15). Junior attacker Kayleigh Huggard pitched in 22 goals, 14 assists, emerging as a potent lefty attacker with a polished finish.

“I thought our season was good,’’ Clarkson said. “Our record doesn’t define how good we are as a team.’’ No playoff foe scares the Generals. “One of the things that’s been our strong point is our girls really do compete regardless if we’re playing a traditional powerhouse,’’ Agovino said. “We’ll play to the final whistle.’’

Derrick Dingle/Herald

Kayleigh Huggard (22 goals, 14 assists), right, and the Generals enter the Nassau Class B playoffs

Budget includes roof, security upgrades

library at the middle school, renovations to high school cafeteria B, and the installation of a dust collection system in the high school’s woodshop.

In addition to the budget, voters will be asked to approve two propositions to use reserve funds for infrastructure, safety and security improvements. According to Casale, both propositions would come at no additional cost to taxpayers.

“This is money that we have saved,” he noted. “It’s not money that we have to go out and ask the community for or levy.”

Proposition 2 would authorize the use of up to $1 million from the 2018 capital reserve fund for the installation of a door-ajar alarm system at the middle and high schools, districtwide security camera upgrades and additions and renovations to the high school elevator.

Proposition 3 would authorize the use of up to $6.5 million from the district’s 2024 capital reserve fund for roof improvements at the Harbor and Manor elementary schools. At the April 9 meeting, Casale displayed photos taken after a recent rainstorm that showed water pooling on the roofs of both schools.

“Water should not be puddling up and remaining on the roof,” he said. “It should be draining down our roof drains, and it’s not.”

Also included in Proposition 3 are improvements to address water and drainage issues in the high school courtyard, which have impacted the school’s wrestling room. Casale said the district is considering several

Seaford residents will vote next tuesday on an $85.1 million school budget that stays below the tax levy cap and includes funding for facility upgrades, classroom renovations, and infrastructure improvements through reserve funds.

water from entering the building, allowing the district to repave the courtyard and creating a potential outdoor seating area.

The spending plan also includes the first year of a new five-year transportation services contract cover-

Nine & Dine

Teeing Off for Change

At the April meeting, district Superintendent Adele Pecora described the budget as “robust,” noting that it balances facility upgrades and academic offerings while remaining within the tax levy limit.

“It provides our students with tremendous facilities,” Pecora said, “as well as academic programs,

The budget vote will take place on Tuesday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., at the Harbor and Manor schools. For

HONORING MEN & COMPANIES ADVANCING WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

Chalk S. State crashes up to bad judgment

By AINSLEY MARTINEZ amartinez@liherald.com

Second story in a series on the Southern State Parkway.

Ana Marte, 67, said that a fatal car accident on the Southern State Parkway in January changed her life.

Her grandson Anthonie Marte, 23, was severely injured in a one-car crash shortly after 11 p.m. on Jan. 12, in the eastbound lanes not far from Exit 30, near Farmingdale and Massapequa, according to the New York State Police.

Investigators said that the car in which Marte was a passenger, a black 2016 Dodge Dart, was traveling at a high rate of speed and weaving between lanes before the driver lost control and crashed into a tree.

Two rear-seat passengers, ages 23 and 21, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Jaden Dsouza, 19, of College Point, Queens, and Marte, of East Elmhurst, Queens, who was in the front passenger seat, were both extricated from the vehicle and transported to a nearby hospital in serious condition.

Marte’s grandmother said he suffered major head injuries, and she still takes care of him daily, feeding him and giving him pain medicine. He is slowly recovering, with doctors’ appointments and physical therapy. “He’s like a baby again,” she said. “He doesn’t want to go outside because he’s scared, and all he does is sleep.”

Marte does not remember the accident, his grandmother said.

Dsouza was later charged with one count of driving while ability impaired by drugs, second-degree manslaughter, first-degree vehicular manslaughter, second-degree assault and aggravated vehicular homicide, police said.

Crash data from the New York State Police shows a fluctuating, but persistent, pattern of accidents on the Southern State Parkway over the past six years, with the number of fatal crashes in a year reaching as high as six.

Crashes resulting in serious personal injury in Nassau have remained relatively low throughout the period, with no more than two reported in any given year.

While most incidents are non-fatal, serious crashes often involve an added risk: intoxication. Speed and distraction remain consistent contributing factors, but impairment by drugs or alcohol increases the potential for deadly outcomes.

“It’s on the driver for the most part,” State Police Capt. Mike Rhodes said. “If they’re inattentive, if they’re speeding, if they’re not following the vehicle and traffic law, they do not understand the severity of what could happen.”

Rhodes oversees 56 state troopers and eight sergeants, many of whom patrol the 25.3-mile long Southern State. Most accidents, he said, occur during peak congestion, at around 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Crash data from the state police show a fluctuating but persistent pattern of accidents on the parkway over the past six years, with fatal crashes increasing in 2024.

In 2019, there were 3,127 crashes on the Nassau County stretch of the parkway, including six fatalities. That number dropped to 2,331 in 2020, but rose again in subsequent years, reaching 2,716 in 2022 and 2,725 in 2023. In 2024, state police recorded 2,549 crashes and five fatalities. Thus far this year, there have been 328 crashes and one fatality.

“A lot of these things, they hit every single age category,” Rhodes said.

To combat the persistent problem, state police focus on enforcement and outreach. Not every traffic stop results in a citation; many serve as opportunities for education.

Personal injury attorney Stephen Cohen said that in his more than five decades of handling lawsuits, most of those that involve accidents on the Southern State involve intoxicated drivers.

Cohen, a partner at the law firm Cohen and Jaffe, in New Hyde Park, said that speed, intoxication and reckless driving continue to be the common factors in the region’s most serious accidents.

“I don’t believe road design is an issue at all,” Cohen said. “Posting more signs to slow down isn’t an answer, because when somebody is either speeding or just intoxicated, they don’t really care what the sign says.”

Many collisions during rush hour, he explained, stem from traffic congestion and insufficient braking distance. “People are gliding along, and they hit a certain spot, and all of a sudden they weren’t prepared, because they’re going 70 miles an hour,” Cohen said. “So you

see a lot of rear-end collisions, not necessarily death-related.”

Fatal crashes, he noted, often involve younger drivers, high speeds and intoxication or impairment.

“You don’t see fatalities at 11 o’clock in the morning,” Cohen said. “You just don’t. You may see them at 4 in the morning. When your ability to observe is not sharp because of either impairment or intoxication, the car is going to go airborne. And if there happens to be a tree there, that’s the next thing you’re going to hit.”

In his practice, Cohen said, the firm represents victims or passengers, but not intoxicated drivers.

Under state law, he noted, lawsuits require plaintiffs to meet the “serious injury” threshold defined in insurance law. In cases involving fatalities, death, families must petition a Surrogate’s Court to appoint a representative for the estate before filing a lawsuit. That process can take over a year, he said.

Insurance coverage limits often dictate how quickly a case can be resolved. “If somebody has — let’s say, the responsible party — has a $100,000 policy, that case is going to be over in two seconds,” Cohen said.

Efforts to reform wrongful death laws in New York have repeatedly stalled, despite advocacy from legal organizations.

Despite changes in laws and vehicle technology over the years, Cohen said, the root problems remain unchanged.

“It only seems to get worse because cars are faster than they were 20, 30 years ago,” he said. “There’s more people drinking or doing some sort of drugs. And that’s what you see in all horrific accidents.”

Additional reporting by Mohammad Rafiq.

Accident data from the New York State Police

2019 – Total: 3,987

(3,127 Nassau, 860 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury: 2 (Nassau)

Fatal: 8 (6 Nassau, 2 Suffolk)

2020 – Total: 2,977

(2,331 Nassau, 646 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury: 3 (2 Nassau, 1 Suffolk)

Fatal: 9 (6 Nassau, 3 Suffolk)

2021 – Total: 3,566

(2,782 Nassau, 784 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury: 1 (Nassau)

Fatal: 9 (6 Nassau, 3 Suffolk)

2022 – Total: 3,552

(2,716 Nassau, 836 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury:

5 (1 Nassau, 4 Suffolk)

Fatal: 13 (5 Nassau, 8 Suffolk)

2023 – Total: 3,500 (2,725-Nassau, 775-Suffolk)

Serious personal injury: 1 (Nassau)

Fatal: 6 (3 Nassau, 3 Suffolk)

2024 – Total: 3,405 (2,549 Nassau, 856 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury:

2 (1 Nassau, 1 Suffolk)

Fatal: 15 (5 Nassau, 10 Suffolk)

2025* – Total: 426 (328 Nassau, 98 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury: 0

Fatal: 3 (1 Nassau, 2 Suffolk)

* To date

Tim Baker/Herald

friends and family gathered at

Effort to build memorial fields moves forward

Walsh, and his father told the Herald in 2023 that their son was fiercely determined and excelled at numerous outdoor activities, including soccer and lacrosse.

Desroches said the foundation has received approval from John McNamara, the Wantagh School District’s superintendent, and school board to raise around $1.2 million for the project. He estimated it would take “a year or two” to raise the money.

“The fact that I’ll be able to have something here in his memory that will last for a while is really amazing to me,” Desroches said.

The planned state-of-the-art turf fields will serve students, local sports teams and the broader Wantagh community. Designed for soccer and lacrosse, the fields will offer a durable, weather-resistant surface that can be used year-round. According to the foundation’s website, the turf will also provide a safer playing surface engineered specifically for sports.

Raising money for the new fields will be a challenge, Desroches said, but friends and family are determined to create a lasting legacy for William that will benefit future generations.

He added that more fundraising events are in the works, including a one-hour “Launch-A-Thon” telethon on June 1, hosted by Leading Edge Fundraising, a national organization that supports such efforts. In the coming months, the foundation also plans to host a pickleball tournament, a 5K run, an outdoor field day and a rock concert featuring Wantagh High School seniors. Proceeds from the events will support the foundation’s effort to build the new turf fields in William’s memory.

During the foundation’s announcement at Forest Lake in January, State Sen. Steve Rhoads praised Desroches for launching the initiative and commended the family’s determination to

honor William’s memory.

“In the face of an incredible tragedy, (family members) have tried to use that loss as an opportunity to do something positive for future generations,” Rhoads said. “It’s really inspirational.”

Desroches added that he looks forward to providing a space where students and community members can engage in sporting events, especially when it becomes a place that memorializes his son.

“It’ll be an honor to have my son’s name on the field,” he said.

For more information and to donate to the William Desroches Foundation, visit williamunited.org.

rosalyn Steele, at rear, joined olivia and robert randazzo as they hoped for a win during the raffle fundraiser.

Continued from page 1

Holden Leeds/Herald photos

mulcahy’s to support the effort to build artificial-turf fields in memory of William desroches, a Wantagh High School student who died in a 2023 watercraft accident.

Holden Leeds/Herald

rock band Vinyl revival performed at the may 8 raffle fundraiser at mulcahy’s to support the effort to build the fields in memory of Wantagh High School student William desroches.

Water providers are tested in taste contest

By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com

What’s the best-tasting tap water on Long Island?

That was the question posed to students at Farmingdale State College during the Long Island Water Conference’s 37th annual drinking water tasting contest, held during National Drinking Water Week.

The conference, also known as LIWC, is made up of members of public and private water suppliers across Long Island. According to LIWC Commissioner Robert McEvoy, the event has taken place at the Farmingdale campus for the past four years, sparking student interest in water quality.

“It draws in a lot of the students,” McEvoy said. “They’re interested in where the water comes from, and if there’s any variance in taste. We also try to promote tap water as being the most regulated and tested, even more so than bottled water.”

The finals, held on May 7, featured 16 Long Island water providers competing for the title of best-tasting drinking water in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Students, faculty and staff on campus participated in a blind taste test, sampling water from each provider and casting their votes.

The Oyster Bay Water District won the Nassau County competition, while

the Greenlawn Water District took the top spot in Suffolk. Both districts will advance to the New York State Regional Metro Tap Water Taste Contest in New York City in August, where they will compete for a spot in the statewide competition held later that month at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse.

LIWC representatives at the event also took the opportunity to educate attendees about the water supplied to their homes, and assured them that Long Island’s drinking water remains of high quality.

McEvoy, who is also a commissioner

and the chairman of the Oyster Bay Water District, said that frequent testing is conducted by the state Department of Health to ensure the water’s quality.

“It’s safe, it’s highly regulated and it’s extremely affordable,” McEvoy said. “It’s something that should be utilized by the public, and it’s a far greater value than bottled water.”

Michael Rich, a commissioner and the secretary of the Oyster Bay district, has taken part in the competition for the past 10 years, educating the community about local water supplies.

“It’s great to come out to the commu-

nity and have everyone get involved with local water,” Rich said.

He noted that most people aren’t aware of where their water comes from. On Long Island, drinking water comes from an aquifer system, a naturally formed underground storage area.

In an aquifer system, unwanted chemicals are capable of seeping into the water supply. The LIWC urges residents to dispose of hazardous household waste properly at designated town drop-off sites and never pour it down drains, into storm sewers or on the ground.

“Anything that we put on the ground will ultimately find its way into the aquifer,” Rich stated.

Lawn irrigation, he said, accounts for much of Long Island’s water use. He urged residents to follow odd/even watering schedules, watering on days that match their house numbers. He also highlighted the importance of leak detection, noting that undetected leaks can waste hundreds of thousands of gallons each month, making it vital for both residents and water providers to monitor and address them.

Rich added that it doesn’t take much water to maintain a healthy lawn.

“You don’t have to water your lawn for a half-hour a day,” Rich said. “You’ll get the same results 15 minutes a day, so we try to stress that.”

For more information on the local water supply, visit liwc.org.

Attend Hofstra’s Virtual

GRADUATE OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, June 7, 2025 10 a.m.

At Hofstra University, graduate students grow the seeds to advance in their career. Hear from representatives across 200 programs that include business, communications, education, engineering, health sciences, nursing, and psychology, and learn all the ways your success can sprout at Hofstra University. Your future awaits.

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

Charles Shaw/Herald

Oyster Bay Water District Secretary Michael Rich, second from right, and Treasurer Nick Niznik offered samples to students during the Long Island Water Conference’s annual water tasting event at Farmingdale State College.

SEAFORD HERALD — May 15, 2025

A bipartisan effort to protect IVF access

Gillen leads push for bill safeguarding fertility treatments, hoping for congressional momentum

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen, a Democrat representing New York’s 4th Congressional District, and Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, of the 17th District, have reintroduced a bipartisan bill aimed at protecting access to in vitro fertilization across the country.

The Access to Family Building Act, which Gillen is shepherding with support from Lawler and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, seeks to federally codify the right to access IVF services. The legislation is in response to growing concerns that reproductive technologies like IVF are being threatened by recent state-level legal developments and court rulings.

During a virtual press conference on May 7, Gillen emphasized the importance of ensuring legal certainty for families relying on reproductive technology. Infertility, she said, is a widespread issue affecting Americans of all backgrounds, and she called for Congress to act swiftly to protect the procedure.

“We believe, like most Americans do, that the right to start and grow family through IVF should be protected,” Gil-

len said. “The Access to Family Building Act will simply ensure that IVF remains accessible to families in every state.”

Lawler echoed Gillen’s sentiments, sharing his own family’s experience with fertility challenges. He reaffirmed his support for protecting IVF access, calling it a nonpartisan issue with widespread public backing. Lawler also referenced other related legislative efforts he supports, including tax credits and insurance mandates to reduce the financial burden of IVF treatments.

“Access to IVF should not be a partisan issue,” he said. “We want to help people through this journey and certainly make sure that their right to IVF is protected.”

The press event also featured Barbara Collura, president and CEO of Resolve: The National Infertility Association, who stressed the emotional and financial toll of infertility and the need for guaranteed nationwide access to IVF.

“There are so many challenges that our communities face in building their families,” Collura said. “Our goal is to reduce and eliminate those barriers. We know firsthand that our communities want to know that IVF is protected in all 50 states.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IVF accounted for nearly 3 percent for U.S. births in 2022, with over 91,000 babies born through assisted reproductive technology.

Democrats that year introduced the Right to Build Families Act, to protect access to IVF and other fertility treatments amid concerns after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The bill was blocked by Senate Republicans.

The lawmakers emphasized the bipartisan nature of the new legislation, with Gillen noting that Republican support like Lawler’s is vital to passing it in the current Congress.

When the Herald asked about the path forward, both lawmakers said they planned to advocate within their parties and with the congressional leadership to advance the bill through committee and onto the House floor.

The legislation comes amid renewed national attention to IVF following recent court rulings in states like Alabama, where embryos created through IVF were legally recognized as children, prompting clinics to suspend services due to the legal risks.

“I think it’s really important to dem-

onstrate that this is not a partisan issue,” Gillen said. “This is an easy one for us to agree on. We want to support couples and individuals who want to bring a child into the world. IVF may be the only way that they can do that.”

Herald file photo

U.S. Representatives Laura Gillen and Mike Lawler announced bipartisan legislation to protect nationwide access to in vitro fertilization at a virtual press conference on May 7.

Focusing on

Yourconnectionmind-body

A balanced life starts with your emotional fitness

Some people think that only people with mental illnesses have to pay attention to their mental health.

But the truth is that your emotions, thoughts and attitudes affect your energy, productivity and overall health. Good mental health strengthens your ability to cope with everyday hassles and more serious crises and challenges. Good mental health is essential to creating the life you want.

It’s always important to take stock of your mental well-being and its connection to overall health. Just as you brush your teeth or get a flu shot or other immunization, you can take steps to promote your mental health. A great way to start is by learning to deal with stress.

How stress hurts

Stress can eat away at your well-being, like acid eating away at your stomach. Actually, stress can contribute to stomach pains and lots of other problems, like headaches, insomnia, overeating, back pain, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, irritability, vulnerability to infection, and poorer brain functioning.

Stress also can lead to serious mental health problems, like depression and anxiety disorders. If you think you have such a problem, get help. Of course you can’t magically zap all sources of stress. But you can learn to deal with them in a way that promotes the well-being you want — and deserve. You can figure out ways to cope better with whatever comes your way. And decades of research suggest which steps are most likely to work.

The evidence

The concrete steps mental health professionals suggest are not based on guesses, fads or advice from grandma (though she probably got a lot right). They represent hundreds of research studies with thousands of participants, often conducted over decades and backed by major universities or government agencies.

This research shows that how good you feel is to a fairly large extent up to you. No matter how stressful your situation, you can take steps to promote your well-being.

Focus on self-care

In order to maintain and strengthen your mental and emotional health, it’s important to pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Don’t let stress and negative emotions build up. Try to maintain a balance between your daily responsibilities and the things you enjoy. If you take care of yourself, you’ll be better prepared to deal with challenges if and when they arise.

Taking care of yourself includes pursuing activities that naturally release endorphins and contribute to feeling good. In addition to physical exercise, endorphins are also naturally released when we:

Do things that positively impact others. Being useful to others and being valued for what you do can help build self-esteem.

Practice self-discipline. Self-control naturally leads to a sense of hopefulness and can help you overcome despair, helplessness, and other negative thoughts.

Appeal to your senses. Stay calm and energized by appealing to the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Listen to music that lifts your mood, place flowers where you will see and smell them, massage your hands and feet, or sip a warm drink.

Engage in meaningful, creative work. Do things that challenge your creativity and make you feel productive, whether or not you get paid for it — things like gardening, drawing, writing, playing an instrument, or building something.

Make time for contemplation and appreciation. Think about the things you’re grateful for. Meditate, pray, enjoy the sunset, or simply take a moment to pay attention to what is good, positive, and beautiful as you go about your day.

Limit unhealthy habits like worrying. Try to avoid becoming absorbed by repetitive mental habits — negative thoughts about yourself and the world that suck up time, drain your energy, and trigger feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.

Sometimes it all seems too much to handle

Keep your ‘thought life’ healthy and your stress level low

Life gives people plenty of reasons to be stressed.

Relationship problems, child-rearing issues, job woes and a lack of money are just some of life’s complications that can weigh people down — and cause health problems.

In today’s society, stress and change often are thought of as the same thing. Stress is a physiological and psychological response to a change in a situation the body and mind find to be overwhelming.

With the fast pace of work and home, being constantly inundated with technology and still wanting to have time to connect with those around you, life can feel overwhelming and stressful at times.

“It’s difficult to stay healthy and energized when stress is a daily reality,” says Dr. Greg Wells. “Chronic stress can damage your body, threaten your mental health, put a strain on relationships, and take the joy out of life.”

But there’s no reason to surrender to stress, Wells, author of “The Ripple Effect: Eat, Sleep, Move and Think Better,“ says. He suggests some techniques that can help you have a healthier “thought life” and recover from chronic stress.

Move your body. Rhythmic, repeated motion is particularly soothing to the mind and body. A long walk, cycling, swimming, or running will all work, but any kind of movement relieves tension, improves circulation and clears your mind.

Get into nature. Head to the garden or the park to lower your blood pressure, strengthen your immune system, reduce tension and depression, and boost your mood. “It’s stunning how good it is for your health to be in nature,” Wells says. “And I recommend you leave the cell phone and earbuds at home.”

Practice yoga or Tai Chi. Therapy, yoga and Tai Chi are good ways to decrease stress and anxiety, increase energy and boost the immune system. They also give you more staminaand improve the quality of your sleep. Have perspective. Don’t be so quick to conclude that you “can’t handle” a stressful situation. “This is truly a mind-over-matter opportunity,” Wells says. “Believing that you are strong and resourceful actually makes you stronger and more resourceful.”

Change the nature of your response. Research indicates that taking an active, problem-solving approach to life’s challenges relieves stress and can transform it into something positive. If you withdraw, deny the problem, or spend all your time venting, you’ll feel helpless. Instead, be determined to make a change, put effort into it, and plan for better results.

Practice slow, deep breathing. Start applying the power of deep breathing each day. It will make a huge difference. Wells recommends you start small by taking three deep breaths each time you sit down at your desk — in the morning, after breaks, after lunch and so on. It will help you become more patient,

Block time for single-tasking. Each day, schedule time in your calendar for focusing exclusively on one task. This task should be something that is important to you. “People love to talk about multi-tasking, but while doing several things at once might make it seem as if you are working hard, it’s an illusion,” Wells says. Your body and mind are not designed to work that way and it causes extra stress.

“Ultimately, it’s important to remember that your thoughts have a strong influence over stress levels,” Wells says. “What you choose to think about, or not think about, dictates how your body and mind react to everyday life.”

Photo: Stressful experiences are a normal part of life, and the stress response is a survival mechanism that primes us to respond to threats. Some stress can be considered positive; but when a stressor is negative and can’t be fought off or avoided — such as layoffs at work or a loved one’s medical crisis — or when the experience of stress becomes chronic, our biological responses to stress can impair our physical and mental health.

Photo: Everything starts with the mind. Thoughts, beliefs, emotions and models of reality all influence and affect your biological chemistry. The words that you say to yourself have more of an impact on your health and well-being than you realize.

Mount Sinai South Nassau is Improving Health Care on the South Shore

The new Fennessy Family Emergency Department at Mount Sinai South Nassau doubles the size of our previous emergency department, o ering 54 private exam rooms with clear lines of sight for physicians, nurses, and support sta . Our new emergency department also o ers a separate triage area, dedicated areas for children and behavioral health patients, and has been designed to reduce wait times and improve patient outcomes.

The Fennessy Family Emergency Department is located within the new Feil Family Pavilion, opening later this year, which will have 40 new critical care suites and nine new operating rooms, designed to support the most complex surgeries on the South Shore.

To learn more visit www.mountsinai.org/feilpavilion

Alcohol and cancer — what will you do?

In a recent Mount Sinai South Nassau “Truth in Medicine” public health poll, 51 percent of metro area residents said they would consider drinking less as a result of the advisory by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, linking alcohol use to certain types of cancer.

According to the Surgeon General’s advisory, alcohol consumption contributes to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year in the United States. Studies show alcohol use increases the risk for breast, colorectal, liver, and esophageal cancer, as well as cancers of the mouth, throat, and voice box.

The poll, sponsored by Four Leaf Federal Credit Union, has sparked a debate over the benefits of reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption, highlighting the tough road ahead for public health experts trying to shift behaviors. Although 58 percent of respondents agree that alcohol can lead to overeating and smoking, fewer than half—46 percent—said they believe it increases the risks of cancer. Meanwhile, 58 percent believe there is a safe level of alcohol that can be consumed without raising one’s risk of cancer.

“Alcohol is a carcinogen, so the more alcohol a person drinks — particularly over time — the greater their risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer,” said Adhi Sharma, MD, President of Mount Sinai South Nassau. “It would be prudent to add the cancer risk to the warning label, which could have a dual effect of reducing alcohol-related accidents as well as a range of serious health complications, such as liver and heart disease, stroke, depression, and brain damage.”

Studies show that alcohol may increase cancer risk by disrupting cell cycles, triggering chronic inflammation, damaging DNA (which controls cell growth and function), and elevating hormone levels, including estrogen, which plays a role in breast cancer development.

“As a hepatologist and gastroenterologist, I remind my patients

that while complete abstinence is the safest path, reducing consumption (no more than 1 standard drink for women and no more than 2 for a man), staying hydrated, avoiding binge drinking, and supporting liver health with a balanced diet might help mitigate some of alcohol’s toxic effects,” said Pruthvi Patel, MD, Associate Program Director of Outpatient Hepatology, Division of Gastroenterology, Mount Sinai South Nassau, and Associate Professor of Medicine (Liver Diseases), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “But there’s no completely safe level when it comes to cancer risk.”

According to the American Association of Cancer Research’s 2024 Cancer Progress Report, 40 percent of all cancer cases in the United States are associated with modifiable risk factors like alcohol consumption. The Surgeon General affirmed in the advisory that, “The largest burden of alcohol-related cancer in the United States is for breast cancer in women, with an estimated 44,180 cases in 2019, representing 16.4 percent of the approximately 270,000 total breast cancer cases for women.”

Adding the cancer risk warning to alcohol labels may be the inspiration some need to quit drinking alcoholic beverages, as 54 percent of poll respondents say they generally trust warning labels on food and beverages. Seeing the warning in print could provide the motivation for the 20 percent (of those who said they drink alcoholic beverages) to act on their desire to cut back on alcohol.

“I strongly encourage everyone to make it a priority to consider whether they should reduce the amount of alcohol they drink,” said Aaron Glatt, MD, Chief of Infectious Diseases and Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau. “Additional benefits of drinking less include lowered blood pressure, weight loss, a healthier complexion, sharper mental clarity, balanced mood, reduced anxiety, and better liver function.”

Mount Sinai South Nassau has provided behavioral health and substance use disorder services to Nassau County residents for more than 50 years. The hospital is committed to providing the highest-quality treatment and support to children, adults, and

T:10.25"

A recent Mount Sinai South Nassau “Truth in Medicine” public health poll revealed that 51 percent of metro area residents said they would consider drinking less as a result of the advisory by former U.S. Surgeon General, linking alcohol use to certain types of cancer.

families with a wide variety of symptoms and diagnoses, from substance abuse to anxiety and depression to attention deficithyperactivity disorder and more.

The hospital counseling centers offer outpatient, in-person, and telehealth services in Baldwin and Hempstead; they accept a variety of payment options and use a sliding scale for uninsured patients. Treatment is provided in English and Spanish, as well as in more than 100 other languages via interpreter services. Call (516) 3775400 to schedule an appointment.

One Healthy Way Oceanside, NY 11572 • 877-SOUTH-NASSAU (877-768-8462) • www.mountsinai.org/southnassau

Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

STEPPING OUT

Young imaginations shine

Little Learners Art Lab at Long Island Children’s Museum is filled with year-round creativity

By Danielle Schwab

Long Island Children’s Museum transforms into a colorful hub of creativity for some of its smallet visitors, every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. Its Little Learners Art Lab welcomes young artists — and the grownups with them — for a handson art adventure designed to spark curiosity and imagination.

Whether it’s painting, planting or playing with textures, sessions offer an inviting space where toddlers and preschoolers can explore the world through art. This is more than about creating something beautiful — it’s about growing minds and nurturing self-expression.

“We try to infuse in all of the themes different mediums, exposure to different artists and different approaches to art,” says Ashley Niver, the museum’s director of education.

Each week, children are introduced to artists, techniques, and styles through engaging projects and materials, led by museum educators. Parents and grandparents are welcome to join in the fun, making it a bonding experience that’s as enriching for adults as it is for kids. Through these immersive projects, the tots explore their creativity and even make new friends.

“Around a third of our visitors are under the age of five. It’s important for early childhood development to have activities that are process-focused to give them that expressive freedom [to create],” Niver explains.

In each class, young learners are encouraged to ask questions, try new things and take the lead in their creative journey. The program mixes play with gentle guidance, helping children explore big concepts in age-appropriate ways.

The activities act as a gateway to talk about new concepts for young learners as they discover the world around them, combining inquisitive thinking with instructional supervision. On the schedule, May 22, families can explore the lifecycle of a plant while decorating terracotta pots during Art In Bloom. Kids will plant seeds in those pots and take their tiny gardens home to watch, water and nurture as litle sprouts grow into blooming plants.

That’s followed by Crystallized Creations on May 29. The salt-based art project allows kids experiment with textures and observe how salt and paint interact — adding a rocky twist to their creativity.

“Science isn’t just happening behind the scenes. It can

‘Murr’ goes solo

Get ready to laugh — and laugh you will. Prepare for an unforgettable night filled with comedy, chaos and wild antics as Impractical Jokers’ James “Murr” Murray hits the stage on The Errors Tour. Known for his outrageous pranks, laugh-out-loud moments and unpredictable humor, Murr brings the party to you with a show packed full of hilarious stories, ridiculous mishaps and plenty of jaw-dropping moments. With his signature style of comedy and a few unexpected surprises, Murr will have you in stitches from start to finish. It’s surely a non-stop ride of comedy, antics and pure fun you won’t want to miss. For more than a decade, Murr and his lifelong Friends — Sal, Joe and Q — have been making audiences laugh across the country, and now he’s bringing the laughs to you. Murr Live is hysterical — of course, interactive — stand-up comedy, in true Impractical Jokers style. Hangout with Murr as he tells funny stories, shows off his own personal never-before-seen videos from Impractical Jokers and plays Jokers “live” on stage with the audience.

• Weekly Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-noon

• Admission: $18 adults and children over 1 year old, $16 for seniors, free to members and under one year; additional fees for theater and special programs may apply

• For more information, visit licm.org or call (516) 224-5800

happen when you’re mixing paint and looking at changes in color or how, for instance, the salt disperses the paint pigment,” Niver says.

Other sessions examine techniques like pointillism or even introduce self-portraits in a thoroughly kid-friendly approach.

“When the parents see these ‘sticky moments’ for younger kids where they’re ingrained in these memories and these experiences, they are right there for the ride,” Niver adds.“They’re going through it with their children, and seeing their children light up and experience joy and learning of these new concepts connects the parents to the activities.”

Of course, art doesn’t have to happen in a classroom or museum space, it can also be done right at home! Niver encourages families to use these classes as an accessible way to bring the creativity back to their households.

“We want to give the opportunity for parents to incorporate making art in easy forms at home that may be less daunting for them,” Niver says.

And often, the youngsters can try materials and methods they may not have access to elsewhere. The sessions offer an introduction to new media as well.

“We also try to balance with materials that maybe they wouldn’t be exposed to normally at home. We could bring in easels one day and have the kids do canvas painting,” she adds.

The fun doesn’t stop when class ends. The museum’s exhibits and upcoming events are often tied into the weekly themes. So, when the class concludes, there’s plenty more to explore!

For example, in celebration of National Zoo and Aquarium Month, in June, kids can make majestic underwater creatures using recycled materials and bubble wrap. This is a creative “sneak peek” teaser what’s to come as the museum prepares to open its newest permanent exhibit, “Saltwater Stories,” in October.

Accessibility is another important component of the museum’s approach to arts programming. Little Learners Art Lab provides families with high-quality early childhood education at a fraction of the cost of private art classes or specialized preschool programs, according to the leadership team. The program’s affordability ensures that all children in the community have access to enriching artistic experiences that contribute to cognitive, social, and emotional development.

“Our whole point is to bring people in, and celebrate and cater to the audience that is coming to us daily, and that is the early childhood audience,” Niver says.

“We hope that for years to come families will bring back other children in their family, as their family grows, and continue to value the museum.”

Photos courtesy LICM

Kids and their adult partners play and create together at the Art Lab. Artistic inspiration involves developing young motor skills as everyone fully engages in the moment.

Friday, May 16, 7 p.m. $65, $55, $45, $35. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny. com.

and Chad Hoopes

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Artistic Directors David Finckel (piano) and Wu Han (cello) have assembled a scintillating collection of works that reveal the joy and depth of the chamber music literature. Starting as frequent collaborators, Finckel and Han have been married since 1985. As a duo, they began to tour regularly while retaining residencies in New York. In this program, volin sonatas from the Baroque and Classical eras are performed by the young virtuoso Chad Hoopes, followed by Mendelssohn’s invigorating Second Sonata for cello and piano, a gem of the Romantic era. The art of romantic music hits a high point in the concluding work, in which all combine for a trio by the founder of Czech music, Bed�ich Smetana.

Sunday, May 18, 3 p.m. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or tillescenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

David Finckel, Wu Han

Your Neighborhood CALENDAR

MAY

15

Game time

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

• Where: Congregation Beth Tikvah, 3710 Woodbine Ave., Wantagh

• Time: Thursdays, noon-4 p.m.

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

Garden Days

Garden lovers, green thumbs and spring seekers: Old Westbury Gardens’ beloved Garden Days return. Four vibrant days are filled with plants, programs, and purpose, highlighted by the muchanticipated Plant Sale Preview Party on Friday evening. On May 16 (6-8 p.m.), guests are invited to sip, shop and stroll through the gardens during this exclusive first-look event, featuring live music, sweet and savory treats, and early access to a lush array of rare perennials and signature plants grown right here on Long Island. The two-day plant sale runs May 17-18, (10 a.m.-4 p.m.), where shoppers can select from a curated selection of garden favorites with expert guidance from the Gardens’ horticulture staff. Addition highlights include a panel discussion, Guided walks and garden tours and spring celebration chamber concert.

• Where: 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury

• Time: Ongoing, May 15-18

• Contact: Visit oldwestburygardens.org/2025garden-days for full schedule and ticket details

Hug a happy tree

K&A Tree Service offers free tree inspections throughout Long Island. Tree professionals will visit in person to inspect tree and provide free advice to help treat your tree right and make it happy.

• Time: Ongoing

• Contact: (516) 208-3131

On Exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, the original “Deco at 100” coincides with the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes) that publicly launched the movement. The direct followup to the well-received 2023 exhibit, “Our Gilded Age,” it comparably links the period’s signature innovation in the decorative arts, Art Deco, to the fine arts. On view through June 15.

MAY 24

Comedy legend Jon Lovitz brings his signature wit and unforgettable characters to the Paramount stage for a night of nonstop laughs. Best known for his Emmy-nominated run on SNL and roles in hit films like “A League of Their Own” and “The Wedding Singer,” Lovitz has been a staple of comedy for over 30 years. He got his start acting in high school productions, developing his skills at the University of California, Irvine where he earned a B.A. in Drama. He also studied acting with Tony Barr at the Film Actors Workshop. At the advice of Tony Barr, Jon decided to concentrate solely on comedy. From there his trajectory took off. He began taking classes with the famed improv comedy group The Groundlings in 1982. One year later, Jon got his first acting job on the television show “The Paper Chase: the Second Year.” Two years followed and then he was accepted into The Groundlings main company. In March 1985 The Groundlings appeared on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” where Jon premiered his character “Tommy Flanagan of Pathological Liars Anonymous. SNL and numerous other offers followed and Jon was on his, working non-stop since. Along with his comedy, Jon is well known for his distinctive voice. It has served him will in his varied TV and film career. He is one of the few performers to start as an actor and then become a stand-up comedian who successfully headlines venues nationwide. Jon’s humor is unique, which is attributable to his quirky personality, and he is sure to entertain. $59.50, $49.50, $39.50, $29.50.

• Where: 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor

• Time: Ongoing

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

‘Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!’

The beloved musical adventure, ripped from the pages of Mo Willems’ beloved award-winning, best-selling children’s books, is back on stage at Long Island Children’s Museum. Willems’ classic characters Elephant and Piggie storm the stage in a rollicking musical romp filled with plenty of pachydermal peril and swiney suspense perfect for young audiences.

• Where: Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: Also May 17 and May 20-22, times vary

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

MAY 17

Wantagh Spring Festival

Kiwanis Club of Wantagh hosts its ninth annual Spring Festival. With featuring over 80 vendors, a food truck show, kids fun zone, and live music.

Rain date is May 31.

• Where: Wantagh LIRR, between Beech Street and Oakland Avenue, Wantagh

• Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Contact: (516) 644-5615

Birdwatching at Bideawee

Bideawee hosts a peaceful, onehour birdwatching walk through its serene Pet Memorial Park in Wantagh, led by local birding enthusiast Patrick Shure. Free and limited to 10 participants. Rain date is May 18.

• Where: 3300 Beltagh Ave., Wantagh

• Time: 8-9 a.m., arrive by 7:50 a.m.

• Contact: Register by May 16 at noon at bideawee.org

Concert of Contrasts

Join the Long Island Choral Society and Music Director Michael C. Haigler for their final concert of the season. “From the Sublime to the Ridiculous”, offers the beautiful melodies of Johannes Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes as well as the ridiculous antics of P.D.Q. Bach’s Liebeslieder Polkas. Liebeslieder translates as Love Song and

MAY

21

Bingo at Temple B’Nai Torah

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

• Where: Temple B’nai Torah, 2900 Jerusalem Ave., Wantagh

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

• Contact: (516) 221-2370

MAY

Little Learners

Art Lab

22

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

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com

this concert will give two very different visions of musical expressions of love. Act I features Brahms lush waltzes, scored for 4-hand piano and sure to elicit emotions and romantic memories through its lush melodies and sublime poetry. Act II presents P.D.Q. Bach’s interpretation of love songs through energy driven polkas scored for 5-hand piano in such a manner as to create chaos, musical mayhem, visual hijinks and some seriously bad puns. $20, $10 youth. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at door.

• Where: Garden City Community Church, 245 Stewart Ave., Garden City

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: lics.org or call (516) 652-6878

Art Explorations

Converse, collaborate and create at Nassau County Museum of Art. Kids and their adult partners can talk about and make art together. Enjoy reading and play in the Reading Room, and contribute to The Lobby Project, a collaborative art installation. Registration required.

• Where: 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor

• Time: Noon-3 p.m.

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

Each week in this engaging workshop, participants are introduced to hands-on materials, artmaking, and inspiration from artists and techniques. Young kids, ages 2-5, build critical thinking skills, expand vocabulary, and support imaginations as they play, create and explore. This week, families This week, students will paint a terracotta pot, plant a seed, and watch their creations bloom over the next few weeks!. $4 with museum admission.

• Where: Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: 11:30 a.m.-noon

• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800

MAY 24

Jones Beach Air Show

The 2025 FourLeaf Air Show returns Memorial Day weekend at Jones Beach. Headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the event also features military and civilian aerial demonstrations. Free admission. $10 vehicle use fee per day.

• Where: Jones Beach State Park, Ocean Parkway, Wantagh

• Time: May 24-25, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Contact: fourleafairshow.com

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.

Pope Leo XIV is the first pope from the United States

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

Cardinals in the Vatican have selected Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Prevost, 69, who has adopted the papal name Pope Leo XIV, is the first pope from the United States. The conclave, comprising of 133 cardinal electors, reached the required two-thirds majority in just over a day, signaling their decision with the traditional white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney on May 8. Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago, and received a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University. A member of the Order of St. Augustine, he took his first vows in 1978 and his solemn vows in 1981. He earned a master’s degree in divinity in 1982 from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He has spent much of his career as a missionary in Peru, eventually becoming a naturalized Peruvian citizen and serving as Archbishop of Chiclayo. In 2023, he was appointed by Pope Francis to lead the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops, an important role in overseeing the selection of bishops around the globe.

Upon his first appearance as pope on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV greeted the thousands assembled with the words, “Peace be with you” in Italian and Spanish.

AP News reported that Pope Leo XIV was formerly the leader of the Order of St. Augustine, formed in the 13th century as a

community dedicated to poverty, service and evangelization.

Pope Leo XIV is expected to continue efforts toward modernization and inclusivity within the Catholic Church.

As well-wishes poured in from global and local leaders, The Most Reverend John Barres, Bishop of Rockville Centre, said: “With my brother bishops, the clergy, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, I give thanks to the Almighty God for the gift of our new Holy Father, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.

“As the 267th Successor of Saint Peter, we pray Pope Leo XIV will receive every grace to strengthen the Church in unity and peace, preach Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and confirm the Faith.

“With years of global missionary experience in Peru and leadership in his Augustinian community here in the United States, we pray, too, that his evangelizing pastoral charity and wisdom will guide the mission of the Church he now serves as Supreme Pontiff.”

County Executive Bruce Blakeman said: “Congratulations Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope and proud son of Chicago. His election marks a new chapter of hope, unity and spiritual leadership for Catholics around the world.

“As we celebrate this milestone, we pray for Pope Leo XIV as he begins his sacred mission to guide the Church with wisdom, compassion and strength.”

Courtesy Press Office of the Holy See

After a conclave that lasted just over a day, Robert Francis Prevost, 69, from Chicago, was selected as the next pope. He selected the papal name Pope Leo XIV.

May 15, 2025 —

LEGAL NOTICE

Public Notices

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, -againstJOHN DUNNE, 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 April 19, 2018, wherein BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION is the Plaintiff and JOHN DUNNE, 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 3, 2025 at 2:00PM, premises known as 3884 FRANKLIN AVENUE, SEAFORD, NY 11783; and the following tax map identification: 52-291-932-934.

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT SEAFORD (UNINCORPORATED AREA) IN THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 003770/2016. Ellen Durst, 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. 153243

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in

the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on The 27th day of May, 2025, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 202-1 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” at the following locations:

OCEANSIDE

WOODS AVENUE (TH 142/25) North SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the west curbline of Apking Street, west for a distance of 33 feet.

WOODS AVENUE (TH 142/25) South SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the apex of Woods Avenue/Davison Avenue east for a distance of 73 feet.

WOODS AVENUE (TH 142/25) South SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the west curbline of Lincoln Avenue, west for a distance of 42 feet.

SEAFORD

SIDNEY COURT (TH 159/25) West SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the north curbline of Marilyn Drive, north for a distance of 25 feet.

SIDNEY COURT (TH 159/25) East SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the north curbline of Marilyn Drive, north for a distance of 25 feet.

SIDNEY COURT (TH 159/25) East SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the south curbline of Marilyn Drive, south for a distance of 25 feet.

SIDNEY COURT (TH 159/25) West SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the south curbline of Marilyn Drive, south for a distance of 20 feet.

MARILYN DRIVE (TH 159/25) North SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from thewest curbline of Sidney Court, west for a distance of 30 feet.

MARILYN DRIVE (TH 159/25) North SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the east curbline of Sidney Court, east for a distance of 30 feet.

MARILYN DRIVE (TH 159/25) South SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the west curbline of Sidney Court, west for a distance of 30 feet

MARILYN DRIVE (TH 159/25) South Side -

NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the east curbline of Sidney Court, east for a distance of 30 feet.

UNIONDALE TULSA STREET (TH 168/25)

South Side - NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the east curbline of Uniondale Avenue, east for a distance of 30 feet.

TULSA STREET (TH 168/25) North SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the east curbline of Uniondale Avenue, east for a distance of 30 feet.

WANTAGH FIR STREET (TH 179/25) East Side - NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the north curbline of Merrick Road, north for a distance of 30 feet. ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: May 13, 2025 Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor

KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 153508

Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

LEGAL NOTICE TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE WANTAGH FIRE DISTRICT:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a resolution was duly adopted by the Board of Fire Commissioners of the WANTAGH FIRE DISTRICT, Town of WANTAGH, County of NASSAU, State of New York, on the 28th day of April, 2025, subject to permissive referendum as provided for by the Town Law. An extract of the resolution is as follows: THE WANTAGH FIRE DISTRICT SHALL SELL A 2010 CHEVY BRAUN AMBULANCE NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR THE DISTRICT’S USES AND PURPOSES VALUED AT MORE THAN TWENTY THOUSAND

($20,000.00) DOLLARS, BUT LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND ($100,000.00) DOLLARS, SUBJECT TO MARKET FORCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS UNDER SECTION 176 SUBDIVISION 23 OF THE TOWN LAW.

Sale of said vehicle is subject to a permissive referendum as required under Section 176 subdivision 23 of the Town Law and in accordance with procedures for permissive referendums as described in the General Municipal Law. Dated: April 28th 2025 BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS WANTAGH FIRE DISTRICT TOWN OF WANTAGH ATTEST: Brendan J. Narell Superintendent 153513

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES…

To place a notice here call us us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com

LEGAL NOTICE TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE WANTAGH FIRE DISTRICT: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a resolution was duly adopted by the Board of Fire Commissioners of the WANTAGH FIRE DISTRICT, Town of WANTAGH, County of NASSAU, State of New York, on the 28th day of April, 2025, subject to permissive referendum as provided for by the Town Law. An extract of the resolution is as follows: THE WANTAGH FIRE DISTRICT SHALL SELL A 2009 CHEVY BRAUN AMBULANCE NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR THE DISTRICT’S USES AND PURPOSES VALUED AT MORE THAN TWENTY THOUSAND

($20,000.00) DOLLARS, BUT LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND ($100,000.00) DOLLARS, SUBJECT TO MARKET FORCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS UNDER SECTION 176 SUBDIVISION 23 OF THE TOWN LAW. Sale of said vehicle is subject to a permissive referendum as required under Section 176 subdivision 23 of the Town Law and in accordance with procedures for permissive referendums as described in the General Municipal Law. Dated: April 28th 2025 BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS WANTAGH FIRE DISTRICT TOWN OF WANTAGH ATTEST: Brendan J. Narell Superintendent 153514

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF ANNUAL

SCHOOL DISTRICT AND LIBRARY ELECTION

SEAFORD UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SEAFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that voting upon the estimated expenses for school and library purposes for the Seaford Union Free School District (the “School District”) and the Seaford Public Library (the “Public Library”), for the school year 2025/2026, the election of members of the Board of Education and Library Board of Trustees, Proposition No. 1 (School Budget 2025/2026), Proposition No. 2 (Expenditure of Money from Capital Reserve Fund 2018), Proposition No. 3 (Expenditure of Money from Capital Reserve Fund 2024), and Proposition No. 4 (Public Library Budget 2025/2026), as follows, will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 in each of the school election districts heretofore established:

PROPOSITION NO. 1

SCHOOL BUDGET 2025/2026

RESOLVED, that the proposed 2025/2026 Budget providing for the appropriation of the necessary funds to meet the estimated expenditures of the School District for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, as presented by the Board of Education of the Seaford Union Free School District at Seaford, Nassau County, New York, at the Public Hearing, be approved and the Board of Education be authorized to levy the necessary tax therefor.

PROPOSITION NO. 2

EXPENDITURE OF MONEY FROM CAPITAL RESERVE FUND 2018 RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Seaford Union Free School District be authorized to expend up to $1,000,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund established on May 15, 2018 for the purpose of performing the following projects: District-wide Safety and Security Upgrades and Seaford High School Elevator Upgrades, all of the foregoing to include all labor, materials, equipment, apparatus and incidental costs related thereto.

PROPOSITION NO. 3

EXPENDITURE OF MONEY FROM CAPITAL RESERVE FUND 2024 RESOLVED, that the

Board of Education of the Seaford Union Free School District be authorized to expend up to $6,500,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund established on May 21, 2024 for the purpose of performing the following projects: (1) Roof Replacement at Seaford Manor School; (2) Roof Replacement at Seaford Harbor School; and (3) Seaford High School Sitework, Foundation work and Courtyard Renovations, all of the foregoing to include all labor, materials, equipment, apparatus and incidental costs related thereto.

PROPOSITION NO. 4

PUBLIC LIBRARY BUDGET 2025/2026 RESOLVED, that the library budget in the amount of $2,627,022 for the year 20252026 proposed by the Board of Trustees of the Seaford Public Library and the levy of a tax therefor in the amount of $2,411,009 in accordance with the Education Law shall be approved. VOTING will be by ballot on voting machines in the schoolhouses designated in each of the separate school election districts heretofore established and the polls will remain open from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., and as much longer as may be necessary for all voters then present to cast their votes.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the electors have previously adopted a proposition providing that vacancies upon the Board of Education shall not be considered separate specific offices and that the nominating petitions shall not describe any specific vacancy upon the Board of Education for which the candidate is nominated.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the election of members of the Board of Education shall be as follows: Two (2) members of the Board of Education each for a full term of three (3) years, commencing July 1, 2025.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the election for one (1) member of the Board of Trustees of the Seaford Public Library shall be as follows: One member for a five (5) year term commencing July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2030 (incumbent Catherine DiPietro).

NOMINATIONS OF CANDIDATES: Candidates for the

office of member of the Board of Education shall be nominated by petition. Each petition for candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education shall be directed to the Clerk of the School District (“the District Clerk”), in the Seaford Manor School, Washington Avenue, Seaford, New York, shall be signed by at least thirty (30) qualified voters of the School District, shall state the residence of each signer, and shall state the residence of the candidate. To nominate a candidate for the Public Library Board, the petition must be signed by at least thirty (30) qualified voters of the School District. Vacancies on the Board of Trustees are not considered separate specific offices; candidates run at large. Nominating petitions shall not describe any specific vacancy upon the Board for which the candidate is nominated. Each petition shall be filed in the District Clerk’s Office between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and by not later than 5:00 p.m. on April 21, 2025.

SCHOOL ELECTION DISTRICTS: The boundaries of the following School Election District shall be as heretofore determined and published by the Board of Education and the place in each election district for registration and voting shall be as follows:

a) FIRST SCHOOL ELECTION DISTRICTRegistration and voting at the Seaford Manor School, Washington Avenue, Seaford, New York. Community members who reside within the geographic boundaries of the Manor Elementary School shall be required to cast their ballots at the Manor Elementary School.

b) SECOND SCHOOL ELECTION DISTRICT - Voting at the Seaford Harbor School, Bayview Street, Seaford, New York. Community members who reside within the geographic boundaries of the Harbor Elementary School shall be required to cast their ballots at the Harbor Elementary School.

The geographic boundaries for these attendance zones are set forth on the transportation map contained within the office of the Assistant Superintendent for Business and may be

reviewed upon request.

PERSONAL REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

All qualified voters of the School District must be registered in the School Registration books in order to vote at such election on 2025/2026.

The following persons shall be eligible to vote: All persons who shall have presented themselves personally for registration in accordance herewith and all persons who shall have previously registered hereunder for any annual or special meeting or election and who shall have voted at any annual or special meeting or election held or conducted during the four calendar years prior to 2025 (i.e., 2020-2024). In addition, all persons who are registered to vote pursuant to the provisions of section three hundred fifty-two of the Election Law of the State of New York shall be eligible to vote. Registration of voters not previously registered and eligible to vote shall continue to take place until May 13, 2025, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in the District Clerk’s office.

The District Clerk shall prepare the Register of the School District on the dates and times above specified, and any person shall be entitled to have his/ her name placed upon such Register provided that at that time, he/ she is then or thereafter entitled to vote at the school meeting or election for which such register is prepared.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that the District Clerk shall also be present during the annual School District and Public Library election at each schoolhouse where voting shall take place for the purpose of preparing a register for School District and Public Library elections held subsequent thereto.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Register of Voters so prepared as aforesaid shall be filed in the District Clerk’s Office upon its completion where it shall be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the School District, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and on each of the five days prior to the date set for the election except for Sunday, and it shall also be open for

Public Notices

inspection on Saturday, by appointment.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that there will be a Public Hearing on the proposed School District budget on Wednesday May 7, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. in the Seaford High School Auditorium, 1575 Seamans Neck Road, Seaford, New York.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a public hearing will be held by the Board of Trustees of the Library, for the purpose of discussion of the expenditure of funds and the budgeting thereof for the Seaford Public Library for the fiscal year 2025-2026. Said hearing will be held on Monday, May 12, 2025, at 7:00 P.M. in the Seaford Public Library, Valentine Meehan Meeting Room, 2234 Jackson Avenue, Seaford, New York.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that copies of the proposed 2025/2026 School District budget, as prepared by the Board of Education and the Public Library budget, will be available on request to the taxpayers and be obtained at any school house in the School District between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on each day other than a Saturday or Sunday or holiday and at the Seaford Public Library, Jackson Avenue, Seaford, New York, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, on each day other than a Sunday or holiday, during the fourteen (14) day period preceding the annual meeting and election.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a Real Property Tax Exemption Report prepared in accordance with Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law will be annexed to any tentative/preliminary budget as well as the final adopted budget of which it will form a part; and shall be posted on District bulletin board(s) maintained for public notices; as well as on the District’s website.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER

NOTICE Application for absentee and early mail ballots for the school district and public library election may be made at the District Clerk’s office on Mondays through Fridays, excluding holidays, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and

4:00 p.m. Applications for absentee or early mail ballots must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than thirty (30) days before the election. Furthermore, such application must be received by the District Clerk at least seven days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter or his/her designated agent. Upon receiving a timely request for a mailed absentee or early mail ballot, the District Clerk will mail the ballot to the address set forth in the application by no later than six (6) days before the vote. No absentee or early mail voter’s ballot will be canvassed unless it has been received in the office of the District Clerk not later than 5:00 P.M. (prevailing time) on the day of the election.

A list of all persons to whom absentee and early mail ballots shall have been issued will be available in the District Clerk’s office on Mondays through Fridays, excluding holidays between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., until the day of election.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the school district. Military voters who are qualified voters of the school district may submit an application for a military ballot. Military voters may designate a preference to receive a military voter registration, military ballot application or military ballot by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail in their request for such registration, ballot application or ballot. Military voter registration forms and military ballot application forms must be received in the Office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 24, 2025. No military ballot will be canvassed unless it is (1) received in the Office of the District Clerk before the close of the polls on election day and showing a cancellation mark of the United States postal service or a foreign country’s postal service, or showing a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States government; or (2) received by the Office of the District Clerk by

no later than 5:00 p.m. on election day and signed and dated by the military voter and one witness thereto, with a date which is associated to be not later than the day before the election.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER

NOTICE that the Board of Education shall convene a special meeting thereof within twenty-four hours after the filing with the District Clerk of a written report of the results of the ballot for the purpose of examining and tabulating said reports of the results of the ballot and declaring the result of the ballot.

The Board of Education hereby designates itself to be a set of poll clerks to cast and canvass ballots pursuant to Education Law, Section 2019-a subdivision 2(b) at said special meeting of the Board.

Dated: April 3, 2025

By Order of the Board of Education Seaford Union Free School District Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York Carmen T. Ouellette District Clerk 152440

Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232

LEGAL NOTICE AVISO DE ELECCIÓN ANUAL DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR Y BIBLIOTECA DISTRITO ESCOLAR SEAFORD UNION FREE Y BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA DE SEAFORD, MUNICIPIO DE HEMPSTEAD POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA que la votación sobre los gastos estimados para fines escolares y bibliotecarios para el Distrito Escolar Seaford Union Free (en adelante, el “Distrito Escolar”) y la Biblioteca Pública de Seaford (en adelante, la “Biblioteca Pública”), para el año escolar 2025/2026, la elección de los miembros de la Junta de Educación y la Junta de Fideicomisarios de la Biblioteca, la Propuesta No. 1 (Presupuesto escolar 2025/2026), la Propuesta nº 2 (Gasto de fondos de la reserva de capital 2018), la Propuesta nº 3 (Gasto de fondos de la reserva de capital 2024), y la Propuesta nº 4 (Presupuesto de la biblioteca pública 2025/2026), como se indica a continuación, se celebrarán el martes 20 de mayo de 2025 en cada uno de los distritos electorales escolares aquí establecidos:

PROPUESTA NO. 1

PRESUPUESTO ESCOLAR 2025/2026 SE RESUELVE, que la propuesta de Presupuesto 2025/2026 que prevé la asignación de

los fondos necesarios para hacer frente a los gastos estimados del Distrito Escolar para el año fiscal que comienza el 1º de julio de 2025, tal como fue presentada por la Junta de Educación del Distrito Escolar Seaford Union Free en Seaford, Condado de Nassau, Nueva York, en la Audiencia Pública, sea aprobada y la Junta de Educación sea autorizada a recaudar el impuesto necesario para ello.

PROPUESTA NO. 2

GASTOS DE FONDOS DE RESERVA DE CAPITAL 2018

SE RESUELVE, autorizar a la Junta de Educación del Distrito Escolar Seaford Union Free a gastar hasta $1.000.000 del Fondo de Reserva de Capital establecido el 15 de mayo de 2018 con el propósito de realizar los siguientes proyectos: mejoras en la seguridad y protección en todo el distrito y modernización del ascensor de la Escuela Secundaria de Seaford, incluyendo todos los costos asociados de mano de obra, materiales, equipos, aparatos e incidentales relacionados.

PROPUESTA NO. 3

GASTO DE DINERO DEL FONDO DE RESERVA DE CAPITAL 2024

SE RESUELVE, autorizar a la Junta de Educación del Distrito Escolar Seaford Union Free a gastar hasta $6.500.000 del Fondo de Reserva de Capital establecido el 21 de mayo de 2024 con el propósito de realizar los siguientes proyectos: (1) Reemplazo del techo en la Escuela Manor de Seaford; (2) Reemplazo del techo en la Escuela Harbor de Seaford; y (3) Trabajos en el sitio de la Escuela Secundaria de Seaford, trabajo de los cimientos y renovaciones del patio, incluyendo todos los costos relacionados con mano de obra, materiales, equipos, aparatos e incidentales.

PROPUESTA NO. 4

PRESUPUESTO DE LA BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA 2025/2026

SE RESUELVE que el presupuesto de la biblioteca para el año 20252026, por un monto de $2.627.022, propuesto por la Junta de Fideicomisarios de la Biblioteca Pública de Seaford, así como la recaudación de impuestos correspondiente por un monto de $2.411.009, conforme a lo dispuesto en la Ley de Educación, sean aprobados.

La votación se llevará a cabo mediante boletas en máquinas de vo-

tación en los edificios escolares designados en cada uno de los distritos electorales previamente establecidos. Las urnas permanecerán abiertas desde las 7:00 a. m. hasta las 9:00 p. m., extendiéndose según sea necesario para permitir que todos los votantes presentes emitan su voto.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que los electores han aprobado previamente una propuesta que establece que las vacantes en la Junta de Educación no se considerarán cargos específicos y que las peticiones de nominación no deberán referirse a una vacante específica en la Junta de Educación para la cual se postula un candidato.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que la elección de los miembros de la Junta de Educación se desarrollará conforme a lo siguiente: dos (2) miembros de la Junta de Educación serán elegidos para un mandato completo de tres (3) años, con inicio el 1º de julio de 2025.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que la elección para un (1) miembro de la Junta de Fideicomisarios de la Biblioteca Pública de Seaford se llevará a cabo como sigue: un (1) miembro será elegido para un mandato de cinco (5) años, con inicio el 1º de julio de 2025 y finalización el 30 de junio de 2030 (titular: Catherine DiPietro).

NOMINACIÓN DE CANDIDATOS: Los candidatos al cargo de miembro del Consejo de Educación serán nominados por petición. Cada petición de candidatos para el cargo de miembro del Consejo de Educación deberá dirigirse al Secretario del Distrito Escolar (“el Secretario del Distrito”), en la escuela Manor de Seaford, Washington Avenue, Seaford, Nueva York, deberá estar firmada por al menos treinta (30) votantes registrados del Distrito Escolar, deberá indicar la residencia de cada firmante y deberá indicar la residencia del candidato.

Para nominar a un candidato a la Junta de la Biblioteca Pública, la petición debe estar firmada por al menos treinta (30) votantes registrados del Distrito Escolar. Las vacantes en la Junta de Fideicomisarios no se consideran cargos específicos separados; los candidatos se presentan en general. Las peticiones de nominación no describirán ninguna vacante específica de la Junta para la

que se nomine al candidato. Cada petición deberá presentarse en la Secretaría del Distrito entre las 9:00 a.m. y las 4:00 p.m., y a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. del 21 de abril de 2025. DISTRITOS ELECTORALES ESCOLARES: Los límites de los siguientes Distritos Electorales Escolares serán los determinados y publicados por el Consejo de Educación y el lugar en cada distrito electoral para el registro y la votación será el siguiente: a) PRIMER DISTRITO ELECTORAL ESCOLAR - Inscripción y votación en la escuela primaria Seaford Manor, Washington Avenue, Seaford, Nueva York. Los miembros de la comunidad que residan dentro de los límites geográficos de la Escuela Primaria Manor deberán emitir su voto en la Escuela Primaria Manor. b) SEGUNDO DISTRITO ELECTORAL ESCOLAR - Votación en la Escuela Primaria Harbor de Seaford, Bayview Street, Seaford, Nueva York. Los miembros de la comunidad que residan dentro de los límites geográficos de la Escuela Primaria Harbor deberán emitir su voto en la Escuela Primaria Harbor. Los límites geográficos de estas zonas de asistencia se establecen en el mapa de transporte que se encuentra en la oficina del Superintendente Adjunto de Negocios y pueden revisarse previa solicitud.

REGISTRO PERSONAL DE VOTANTES Todos los votantes registrados del Distrito Escolar deberán estar inscritos en los libros de Registro Escolar para poder votar en dichas elecciones de 2025/2026. Las siguientes personas serán aptas para votar: Todas las personas que se hayan presentado personalmente para registrarse de conformidad con el presente documento y todas las personas que se hayan registrado previamente en virtud del presente documento para cualquier reunión o elección anual o extraordinaria y que hayan votado en cualquier reunión o elección anual o extraordinaria celebrada o llevada a cabo durante los cuatro años naturales anteriores a 2025 (es decir, 2020-2024). Además, podrán votar todas las personas que estén registradas para

votar de conformidad con las disposiciones de la sección trescientos cincuenta y dos de la Ley Electoral del Estado de Nueva York. El registro de votantes no registrados previamente y con derecho a voto continuará realizándose hasta el 13 de mayo de 2025, entre las 9:00 a.m. y las 3:00 p.m. en la oficina del Secretario del Distrito. El Secretario del Distrito preparará el Registro del Distrito Escolar en las fechas y horas arriba especificadas, y cualquier persona tendrá derecho a que su nombre sea incluido en dicho Registro siempre que en ese momento tenga derecho a votar en la reunión o elección escolar para la que se prepare dicho registro.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS, que el Secretario del Distrito también estará presente durante la elección anual del Distrito Escolar y de la Biblioteca Pública en cada escuela donde se lleve a cabo la votación con el propósito de preparar un registro para las elecciones del Distrito Escolar y de la Biblioteca Pública que se lleven a cabo posteriormente.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que el Registro de Votantes así preparado como se menciona anteriormente se archivará en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito una vez terminado, donde estará abierto para su inspección por cualquier votante calificado del Distrito Escolar, entre las horas de 9:00 a.m. y 3:30 p.m. y en cada uno de los cinco días anteriores a la fecha fijada para la elección, excepto el domingo, y también estará abierto para su inspección el sábado, previa cita.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que habrá una Audiencia Pública sobre el presupuesto propuesto del Distrito Escolar el miércoles 7 de mayo de 2025 a las 7:30 p.m. en el Auditorio de la Escuela Secundaria de Seaford, 1575 Seamans Neck Road, Seaford, Nueva York.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que la Junta de Fideicomisarios de la Biblioteca celebrará una audiencia pública con el propósito de debatir el gasto de fondos y la presupuestación de los mismos para la Biblioteca Pública de Seaford para el año fiscal 20252026. Dicha audiencia se celebrará el lunes, 12 de mayo de 2025, a las 7:00 P.M. en la Biblioteca Pública de Seaford, Sala de Reuniones

Valentine Meehan, 2234 Jackson Avenue, Seaford, Nueva York.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que las copias del presupuesto propuesto para el Distrito Escolar 2025/2026, según lo preparado por la Junta de Educación y el presupuesto de la Biblioteca Pública, estarán disponibles a petición de los contribuyentes y se podrán obtener en cualquier escuela del Distrito Escolar entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 4:00 p.m. todos los días que no sean sábado, domingo o festivo, y en la Biblioteca Pública de Seaford, Jackson Avenue, Seaford, Nueva York, entre las 10:00 a.m. y las 6:00 p.m. los lunes, martes, jueves y viernes, entre las 1:00 p.m. y las 6:00 p.m. los miércoles, y entre las 10:00 a.m. y las 5:00 p.m. los sábados, todos los días que no sean domingo o festivo, durante el período de catorce (14) días anterior a la reunión y elección anual.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que un Informe de Exención del Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles, elaborado de conformidad con la Sección 495 de la Ley de Impuestos sobre Bienes Inmuebles, será anexado a cualquier presupuesto tentativo o preliminar, así como al presupuesto final aprobado, del cual formará parte. Dicho informe también será publicado en los tablones de anuncios del Distrito destinados a avisos públicos y en el sitio web del Distrito.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que las solicitudes de boletas de votación anticipada y por correo para la elección del distrito escolar y la biblioteca pública podrán presentarse en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito, de lunes a viernes (excepto festivos), en horario de 9:00 a. m. a 4:00 p. m. Las solicitudes deberán presentarse con al menos siete días de antelación si la boleta debe enviarse por correo al votante y hasta el día previo a la elección si la boleta será entregada personalmente al votante o a su representante designado. El Secretario del Distrito enviará la boleta a la dirección indicada en la solicitud a más tardar seis (6) días antes de la votación. Ninguna boleta de votación anticipada o por correo será contabilizada a menos que sea recibida en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito antes de las 5:00 p. m. del día de la elección. Una lista

15,

Public Notices

de todas las personas a quienes se les hayan expedido boletas estará disponible en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito, de lunes a viernes (excepto festivos), en horario de 9:00 a. m. a 3:30 p. m., hasta el día de la elección. SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS QUE LOS VOTANTES MILITARES QUE NO ESTÉN REGISTRADOS ACTUALMENTE PUEDEN SOLICITAR REGISTRARSE COMO VOTANTES CALIFICADOS DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR. Los votantes militares que cumplan con los requisitos para votar en el distrito escolar pueden presentar una solicitud de papeleta militar. Los votantes militares pueden designar una preferencia para recibir un registro de votante militar, una solicitud de papeleta militar o una papeleta militar por correo, transmisión por fax o correo electrónico en su solicitud de dicho registro, solicitud de papeleta o papeleta. Los formularios de registro de votantes militares y los formularios de solicitud de papeleta electoral militar deben recibirse en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito no más tarde de las 5:00 p.m. del 24 de abril de 2025. No se escrutará ninguna papeleta militar a menos que (1) se reciba en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito antes del cierre de las urnas el día de las elecciones y muestre una marca de cancelación del servicio postal de los Estados Unidos o del servicio postal de un país extranjero, o muestre un endoso fechado de recepción por otra agencia del gobierno de los Estados Unidos; o (2) se reciba en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. del día de la elección y firmada y fechada por el votante militar y un testigo de la misma, con una fecha que se asocia que no es posterior al día anterior a la elección. SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS de que la Junta de Educación convocará una reunión especial dentro de las veinticuatro horas posteriores a la entrega al Secretario del Distrito del informe escrito con los resultados de la votación. El propósito de dicha reunión será examinar, tabular y oficializar los resultados electorales. Por medio del presente aviso, la Junta de Educación se designa a sí misma como el cuerpo encargado de la emisión y escrutinio de los votos, en conformi-

dad con lo establecido en la Sección 2019-a, subdivisión 2(b), de la Ley de Educación, en la mencionada reunión especial.

Fechada: 3 de abril de 2025

Por orden del Consejo de Educación Distrito escolar de Seaford Union Free Ciudad de Hempstead, condado de Nassau, Nueva York

Carmen T. Ouellette Secretaria de distrito 152442

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 20, 2025 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, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026, as presented to the Board of Education, in the amount of $274,120,957 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 is hereby authorized to expend the following remaining balances of the District Reserve Funds listed below: 2023 Capital Reserve in the amount of $18,000,000 In addition the Board of Education is hereby authorized to expend up to the sum of $4,000,000 in unassigned fund balance, so that the total expenditure in an amount not to exceed $22,000,000 is hereby approved for purposes of performing school building improvement projects, including District-wide safety system upgrades, District-wide electrical system upgrades; District-wide roof reconditioning and replacement; Districtwide HVAC upgrades and replacements; District-wide interior and exterior masonry restoration; Districtwide asbestos abatement projects; District-wide athletic field renovations and tennis court lighting; 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 19, 2025. Expenditures funded from the Capital Reserves and unassigned fund balance will not increase the tax levy.

PROPOSITION NO. 3

SALE OF SEAMANS NECK SCHOOL BUILDING BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Levittown Union Free School District (the “District”) is hereby authorized to sell the premises known as the Seaman’s Neck Road School, excluding the athletic fields which shall remain owned by the District, located at 1100 Crestline Place, Seaford, New York 11783, at a price of Seven Million Two Hundred Sixteen Thousand Dollars ($7,216,000) to Nassau BOCES, pursuant to the terms of a certain Contract of Sale dated as of February 25, 2025, which contract is available for review at the office of the District Clerk, 150 Abbey Lane, Levittown, New York 11756, and on the District’s website: www.

levittownschools.com.

PROPOSITION NO. 4

AUTHORIZING

TRANSPORTATION TO STUDENTS WITHIN THE CHILD SAFETY ZONE

Shall the Board of Education of the Levittown Union Free School District be authorized to provide transportation to those students attending District schools and residing in the Child Safety Zone established by the Board of Education, area bounded by the following: South of the Southern State Parkway, North of Jerusalem Avenue, West of Wantagh Avenue and East of Wantagh State Parkway; plus the area known as Lea Ann Terrace, and such transportation shall be provided by the District, starting in the 20252026 school year, for an estimated annual cost of $25,000.

PROPOSITION NO. 5

LIBRARY BUDGET

RESOLVED, that the Public Library Budget for the fiscal year 20252026 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 but between the hours of 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on April 21, 2025. Forms of the petitions may be obtained from the District Clerk. The following vacancies are to be filled on the Board of Education: Two (2) members for the term of three (3) years, commencing July 1, 2025 and expiring June 30, 2028.

A separate petition is required to nominate a candidate for member of the Board of Education. The two 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 2024 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 44 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, 2025 and ending June 30, 2030; one member for a term commending July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2028; and one member for a term commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026.

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, 2030. The candidate receiving the second highest number of votes will be elected to the term which ends June 30, 2028. The candidate receiving the third highest number of votes will be elected to the term which ends June 30, 2026. 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 2024 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 44 signatures.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that a statement of estimated expenses for the 2025-2026 school year will be presented at a Public Hearing on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 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 20252026 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 15, 2025.

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 by appointment on Saturday ( May 17, 2025), 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 by appointment on Saturday (May 17, 2025), 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 21, 2025 and by May 13, 2025, 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 20, 2025. 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 20, 2025. 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 14, 2025 until May 19, 2025, except on Saturday May 17, 2025, 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 20, 2025, 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.

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 24, 2025. 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 24, 2025. Military Ballots will not be canvassed unless they are received by the District Clerk on or before 5:00 p.m. on May 20, 2025.

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:

HERALD SchoolS

Scholarly summers planned for Seaford students

Several Seaford High School students will be taking part in summer experiences, from college programs to internships, that will allow them to further their educations.

Sophomore Kiley Heaslip was accepted into an online program that will pair her with current students in Harvard University’s pre-medicine program. She will spend four hours a day for a week in

August participating in virtual conferences with other aspiring medical professionals. Kiley wants to be an obstetrics nurse and said that being a part of Harvard’s Summer Academy will allow her to better understand what a college premed program is like.

Michelle Evangelista will attend a premedicine program through Harvard with a focus on human anatomy and physiolo-

Public Notices

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 2025 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION LEVITTOWN UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK 152588

gy. The junior will be there for a week in July and will learn how to read CT scans and MRIs, analyze blood work and participate in an emergency room simulation. Michelle and other students will take on the role of doctors for a case study, and also attend lectures by medical professionals.

“I want to understand what doctors do,” she said. “To be able to learn more about the medical field would be very beneficial to me and would help prepare me for college.”

Kiley and Michelle both learned about the program from their science teacher, Lilly Alaimo. Also pursuing a pre-medicine summer program is sophomore Mya Reeves, who will spend three days a week at Adelphi University for three weeks. The aspiring trauma surgeon said she will attend biology classes and go on field trips on her way to earning three college credits.

“They have a really good pre-med program,” she said. “I’m really going for the experience, seeing what college life is like and getting a head start on my education.”

Emily Bauman, a junior, will attend a four-day summer program in July through the Zarb School of Business. She will get an introduction to several areas of business including accounting, finance and marketing. It will expand on the knowledge she has already gained through an internship at a local business.

“I’ll get a view into all different aspects of business and hopefully I’ll decide what I want to do in college,” Emily said. “I’m trying to get a background in business because there are multiple parts of it.”

For 14 days beginning in late June, junior Jackson Garland will attend a

business-focused summer program at Marist University. He will learn from professors in the business department with full days of classes and meet other students with similar interests. Jackson, who would like to do advertising, marketing or website management as a career, said he looks forward to spending two weeks in a college setting.

“I’m hoping to gain some hands-on knowledge and experience, and to make connections,” he said.

Junior Matt Kind will attend the weeklong Summer Leaders Experience hosted by cadets at the West Point Military Academy. It will include keynote speakers, academic workshops, leadership sessions and physical training. Closer to the program he will find out the specific focus of the program, which could include biological science, engineering and more.

“There’s so much structure so the whole day is planned,” Matt said. “I hope to excel further in my leadership capabilities. I’ll be attending with people all around the nation.”

Junior Kayla Frank will intern for a week with UMFS, a nonprofit organization based in Richmond, Virginia that serves high-risk children and families, as well as foster children. Her aunt, a former Seaford resident, now lives there and runs one of the locations. Kayla’s passion for community service prompted her to explore this opportunity and help others, while also seeing if social work might be a possible career path.

Guidance counselor Suzanne Cosenza said it is great to see so many students taking advantage of summer opportunities so they can strengthen their college applications and begin to establish connections that could help them in the future.

Courtesy Seaford School District

Seaford High School students, from left, Jackson Garland, Matt Kind, Michelle Evangelista, Kayla Frank, Emily Bauman, Kiley Heaslip and Mya Reeves all have summer learning experiences planned.

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Redoing a basement, Part 3

Q. We bought our home three years ago, and are finally ready to finish our basement to make a family room, guest bedroom and a bathroom while enclosing our laundry. Right now it’s just a big open space with a lot of columns. The ceiling is low, and we’ve had estimates to cut down the basement floor. It seems like a lot of money to do all these things at once, but we understand that we need to do it before the prices for materials, as we’ve been warned, go a lot higher. We want to know what needs to be done if we want to lower the floor, take out two columns so our recreation room is bigger, and put in a bathroom. Is there any way to save money?

A. This third column ties together the previous two to state that, basically, you get what you pay for, and sometimes less. I explained that basement bathrooms may not be allowed to have a bathing fixture, tub or shower, depending on the municipal requirements, and that many communities also won’t allow a bedroom in a basement, for safety reasons. I also outlined the process for figuring out beams so that columns can be removed, and that while “guessers” may save you some money up front, repairs can erase the savings.

Now we’re up to lowering the basement floor. “Saving money” and “lowering a basement floor” should rarely be in the same sentence, except for when writing an answer as to why. In general, you want more living space, structurally sound and waterproof. Both of those needs are hard to achieve if any part of the process is left out.

It’s always best to gain the most amount of interior space, and I can often tell when either saving money was the focus or amateur work was done when I see a foundation wall projecting into the basement like a concrete bench. To avoid this look and to get the most use out of the space, you have to start with knowing where the underground water table is. Unless you dig a hole or order a soil-boring test from a professional company, you may soon find out why the floor wasn’t lower to begin with. This test could save you great expense.

The process of correctly supporting the exterior concrete foundation walls is called “underpinning.” The excavation can be done from the interior side of the foundation wall if the exterior isn’t accessible. Either way, the underpinning process must be done in sections, not all at once. There would be complete collapses of walls and floors above if entire foundations were removed at one time. When this is done, it usually causes tremendous damage, possible death and news coverage.

Engineered sections, with waterproofing to the exterior, have to be planned. The old sections are carefully cut out, and then replaced several feet apart before the next sections are removed. Good luck!

© 2025 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.

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Local voices matter, and the RAPID Act listens

Last month, a handful of Nassau County town supervisors stood in front of a firehouse on Barnum Island and took the low road, whipping up fear, distorting facts and conflating fallacy and fantasy with reality to try to block progress. Their target was the Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment, or RAPID, Act, a new state law designed to streamline the approval process for large-scale renewable energy and electric transmission projects.

The RAPID Act creates a more efficient and transparent process for reviewing the major infrastructure projects we desperately need. If we’re serious about clean energy, grid reliability and energy security, this is our path toward resiliency and sustainability. It’s good for consumers and developers because the streamlined process reduces costs, making investments in the grid more affordable. Unfortunately these days, facts don’t seem to matter much to some. But here are the facts.

Before the RAPID Act became law in April 2024, New York state had a patchwork of laws that made siting energy

projects difficult, confusing and expensive. Today there is a clear, easy-to-follow, streamlined system under the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission. The new system saves time and money, increases consistency, and gives communities a meaningful voice from the very beginning.

Here’s how it works.

Before even submitting an application, developers are required to consult with local officials. Throughout the process, the public is invited to comment. Each project must have meaningful community outreach in which residents are invited to participate, along with ORES.

Tfor clean, reliable energy.

The reality is that most projects comply with local laws almost entirely, and the few disputes thus far have largely been resolved through mutual agreement. Waivers aren’t done casually. They must be fully justified. And towns can challenge them. As of last month, only five towns in the entire state had appealed such rulings, and all five rulings were upheld.

here have been over 50 energy project siting hearings across the state.

To date, there have been over 50 hearings across the state. That’s not secrecy. That’s real public engagement. Your comments have been heard, as have developers — who often modify projects in response to public feedback.

Another fallacy is how the RAPID Act treats local laws. It did not create new authority for the state to waive local laws — that ability has been part of the siting process in New York for decades. The act was designed to make those waivers less likely by addressing points of conflict early. And the law allows ORES to waive those laws only when they are unreasonably burdensome and conflict with the state’s goals

If that sounds like a heavy-handed state bulldozing towns, you might want to check the script the town supervisors are reading from, because it’s fiction. What we saw last month was not thoughtful concern for our future infrastructure needs. It was a political strategy that assumes that every environmental policy from Albany is a threat, every clean-energy initiative a conspiracy and every step forward something to block. Lumping everything together and crying foul to whip up outrage doesn’t benefit the New Yorkers that we public servants are here to serve. Meanwhile, our infrastructure is aging, and doing nothing is no longer an option. The RAPID Act moves us forward. It helps make sure our homes have power during extreme storms. It helps reduce pollution. It helps create good-paying jobs in clean energy. That

should be something we can all get behind.

If the supervisors want to sit down and talk seriously about how to improve the process, our door is always open. But yelling about non-existent dangers doesn’t help anyone. It misleads the public. It slows progress. And it makes it harder to build the kind of energy future Long Island deserves and desperately needs.

We believe in transparency, community input and in building a future in which Long Island is stronger, safer and cleaner. The RAPID Act is a big step in that direction.

It’s time to stop the political games. Time to stop pretending that doing nothing is somehow safer. I know firsthand that Long Islanders care about their communities, and the environment. They’re smart enough to see through rhetoric designed to instill fear, and they deserve better: They deserve leadership that tells the truth about the very real needs and demands of our infrastructure and its impacts on growing our economy. As I’ve said in countless hearings and committee meetings, the RAPID Act isn’t about taking power away from towns. It’s about keeping the lights on, making sure everyone has a seat at the table, and making sure we’re ready for the future.

Let’s move forward together.

Rory Christian is chairman of the New York State Public Service Commission.

Companies that produce packing waste must recycle it

Consumers have changed our shopping habits across New York state. The transition to online shopping has significantly increased plastic, paper and cardboard packaging waste. Those materials go to Reworld, which takes our trash, and are turned into ash. The ash needs to go somewhere, but where?

On Long Island, most of the ash goes to Brookhaven Landfill, but that clock is ticking. The Brookhaven facility will soon reach its capacity for ash, and that means it will close in the next few years, leaving towns such as Hempstead and North Hempstead with no ash-disposal options on Long Island. As packaging waste increases, recycling rates remain lackluster, which adds to our solid-waste burden. The good news is that we can reduce packaging waste and increase recycling rates to help address this challenge. Citizens Campaign for the Environment

chairs a statewide coalition of environmental leaders, local governments, stakeholders and elected officials who have joined to back state legislation called the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. This important bill is urgently needed.

p ass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act!

New York is experiencing a solid-waste crisis, with skyrocketing costs to municipalities, abysmal recycling rates, and plastic pollution littering our communities and waterways. Our state generates more than 17 million tons of municipal solid waste annually. Long Island is responsible for 1.6 million tons per year, 205,000 tons of which go to landfills off Long Island, and 1.4 million tons are sent to waste-toenergy facilities, resulting in 400,000 tons of ash that must be landfilled. There is currently no plan to manage this ash once the Brookhaven landfill is closed. The one wise choice everyone agrees on is to reduce our waste stream, and this legislation would do just that.

The financial burden of managing recyclable waste falls on local taxpayers. Municipalities are struggling with

recycling costs and outdated infrastructure that significantly limits the volume of materials that are recycled. It is estimated that local governments statewide spend more than $200 million each year to keep local recycling programs going. That is not sustainable.

The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act would revolutionize New York’s approach to solid waste by shifting the responsibility of managing plastic, paper and packaging waste to corporations, not taxpayers and local governments. Those that put packaging into the waste stream are best positioned to reduce the amount of packaging that’s created in the first place.

The measure would require large corporations to reduce consumer packaging by 30 percent in 12 years, increase post-consumer recycled content in packaging and invest in new reuse/ refill infrastructure. The bill includes strong oversight and enforcement provisions to ensure that corporations comply.

Other states, including California,

Colorado, Maine and Oregon, have passed such laws, and similar policies have been in effect in parts of Europe and Canada for over 30 years. Where fully implemented, recycling rates exceed 70 percent, and the cost of consumer goods has not increased one penny.

It is time for corporations take out their own trash! Each year, companies ship billions of products with excess packaging, exacerbating the solid-waste crisis, yet they bear no responsibility for managing the waste they create. This sensible legislation promises to save money for municipalities and taxpayers, remove toxic substances from packaging, increase recycling and require producers to reduce waste.

We need to modernize New York’s recycling system and make producers take responsibility for managing their packaging waste. We need the governor, the State Senate and the Assembly to support this critical bill and get it signed into law this year. Every year we do nothing is another year we waste money, and allow our solid-waste management problem to grow.

We can do this!

RoRY CHRisTiAn

Adrienne Esposito is executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

We must restore Musk’s cuts of the 9/11 health fund

it is essential that Congress do all it can to fully restore the World Trade Center Health Program. I commend Long Island Congressmen Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota for leading a bipartisan effort to undo the damage, intentional or not, to this program by Elon Musk’s chainsaw cuts of government health programs.

During my years in Congress, no issue was more vital or intensely personal to me than ensuring that all of the surviving victims of the attacks of Sept. 11 — police officers, firefighters, emergency responders, construction workers and civilians — receive the care they require and deserve for the illnesses caused by the toxins they breathed in at ground zero in the days, weeks and months afterward.

It wasn’t until several years after 9/11 that evidence emerged of a growing number of blood cancers and lung and breathing disorders suffered by 9/11 first responders and nearby residents and students. The concern was bipartisan. Democratic Representatives Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney and

ARepublicans Vito Fossella and I were the original prime advocates. We introduced legislation in 2005 and again in 2007 to establish and fund a 9/11 illness detection and treatment program.

ed a rare and fatal blood cancer after working together at ground zero. The chances of this being a coincidence were infinitesimal. And there were countless similar situations.

session, our efforts paid off: Zadroga passed both the House and Senate.

TToday we know that more people have died from 9/11 illnesses than from the attacks, but in those early years, the numbers of victims weren’t yet especially high, and there was no proof of direct linkage to 9/11, which made it difficult to generate strong interest or support outside the New York and New Jersey congressional delegations.

hey’re causing many of the 9/11 doctors and experts to be terminated.

Soon enough, however, there was too much evidence to ignore. Anecdotally, I would see FDNY and NYPD neighbors who had worked at ground zero wearing oxygen masks as they watched their kids’ Little League games or stopped by 7-Eleven for coffee. Those scenes were repeated across Long Island and the entire downstate region, and there would eventually be victims among rescue workers who had come to New York from almost all 50 states. To make our case, we asked 9/11 heroes to visit Congress to make direct appeals to individual members. I particularly recall NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly sitting in my Washington office telling me about two cops who contract-

The enormity of what was becoming a 9/11 health crisis could no longer be denied. In 2008, we thought our legislation — named the Zadroga Bill, after James Zadroga, who was believed to be the first NYPD officer to die from a 9/11 illness — would be included in a large year-end package of legislation agreed on by Congress and the White House. Unfortunately the combined tumult of a Presidential election and a stock market collapse prevented it from coming to a vote, and there was no opportunity to salvage it.

After close but disappointing nearmisses over the next two years, primarily because of opposition from Republicans in Southern and Western states, I and others fought furiously to get Zadroga passed. I had no tolerance for opposition from the crowd who primarily represented states and districts that received disproportionate levels of federal assistance at the expense of donor states like New York, which effectively subsidized them. Finally, on Dec. 22, 2010, the last day of the congressional

Unfortunately the bill had a five-year limit, so we had to wage the fight again in 2015. This time the struggle wasn’t as difficult, and Zadroga was extended. But then, in 2019, we learned there were many more victims than expected, and the fund was running short. With the bipartisan support of Democrats like then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and House Republicans like then Whip Steve Scalise and Representatives Doug Collins and Mike Johnson, Zadroga was extended to the end of the century. I was proud to be with President Trump when he signed this legislation at a ceremony on the White House lawn.

Now the fund is seriously threatened by Musk’s misplaced cuts, which, probably made unknowingly, are causing many of the 9/11 doctors and experts to be terminated, including program Director Dr. John Howard.

Though the White House has promised to fully reinstate the program, so far it has not been done. Victims are being denied necessary testing. This insanity must end. Our nation’s commitment to the victims of 9/11 must be honored!

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

The new state budget is a victory for Hochul

merica is fixated on picking winners and losers. We use that term every day, applying it to sports, the stock market and every other field of endeavor. I heard it during the trial of O.J. Simpson, and I remember hearing it as far back as the 1960s, when, following a massive snowstorm, some parts of Queens were the last neighborhoods in New York City to see snowplows. Winners and losers are proclaimed extensively in politics, because politicians are tested on an almost daily basis.

Which leads to a discussion of the long-delayed New York state budget. Over the years, when there was an agreement between the three leaders — the governor, the leader of the State Senate and the Assembly speaker — they would all show up at a much-heralded news conference, at which each would take credit for some portion of the budget bill. For the past few years, that practice has changed, because the only person who has been taking the

media spotlight is Gov. Kathy Hochul. Before talking about winners and losers, it’s worth looking at this year’s budget process. The new spending plan budget is the latest to be finalized since 2010. Since the April 1 deadline, there have been 11 legislative extensions, which assures state employees that they can collect their paychecks.

LCould the governor have refused to delay the passage of an agreed-on budget and submitted her own spending plan on a take-itor-leave-it basis? The answer is yes. During the administration of Gov. David Paterson, the courts decided that if the Legislature can’t agree on a budget by March 31, the governor can force a vote on his or her own plan with no further delays.

cation, housing, mental hygiene and tax reform. When the dust settled, the two leaders got their asks, but the governor got the lion’s share of what she proposed back in January.

ooking to next year’s election, she set aside money for every region of the state.

But in the spirit of harmony, succeeding governors have chosen to go through the arduous process of countless meetings and formal extensions until all of the parties sign on to a final accord. This year, Hochul made it clear that she had a long list of priorities, and had no plans to give in on them. She presented the Assembly and Senate with a long list of programs covering criminal law, edu-

With an eye on next year’s election, Hochul set aside money for every region of the state. She addressed subway crime, and sided with the state’s district attorneys on their demand for reforms that will allow them to prevent the dismissal of pending cases. Taxpayers can anticipate expansion of childcare tax credits and many other goodies, including $400 checks for families on limited incomes. School districts will get a hefty increase in education aid, and students won’t be unable use their cellphones from the first school bell to the last.

During a typical give-and-take that is part of the negotiating process, each of the parties shows some willingness to bend on their key issues. But this time, the governor stuck to her guns and yielded on very few issues. Facing what could be a very tough re-election campaign next year, Hochul dug in on almost every proposal she made and

gave little ground, which added to the delays. Albany insiders were surprised at her insistence on winning on so many issues, but she has powers, and used them.

An outsider might wonder why budgets take so long these days, compared with the process 20 and 30 years ago, when spending plans were adopted days and weeks before the deadline. Once upon a time, the state budget was strictly a numbers game. The leaders would promote their pet programs, and possibly sneak in a new program or two. But in the late 1980s, the leaders began to introduce items that were controversial and had little to do with the budget. Wrapped up in one big bill, these nonfiscal items would pass, because the members would have no choice but to swallow the whole document.

Is there a chance that state budgets will once again become just a numbers package? That’s highly unlikely, because all of the leaders have developed an appetite for inserting proposals in the budget that would have no chance of passing as stand-alone bills.

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

E-mail:

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Incorporating

Welcoming home your freshman

as college dorm rooms empty across the nation, millions of parents are preparing for a significant homecoming. Your freshman is returning — perhaps changed, certainly tired, and undoubtedly with more laundry than you thought humanly possible. This transition marks the beginning of a new chapter in your family story, one that requires delicate navigation, open communication, and occasional deep breaths as you adjust to your evolving relationship.

The transformation that occurs during college’s freshman year is nothing short of remarkable. The timid student who needed reminders about deadlines may return with strong opinions about political systems you’ve never discussed. The picky eater might come home raving about kimchi or curry. The once-shy teenager might stride through your door with newfound confidence and independence. Your child has spent months making independent decisions, forming new social circles, and discovering aspects of themselves that may surprise you — and them.

What parents sometimes fail to acknowledge is that we’ve changed, too. We’ve adjusted to quieter evenings, reclaimed bathroom counter space, and perhaps discovered new routines or even aspects of our identities that had been subsumed by active parenting. Your student’s return disrupts not just their new normal, but yours as well.

The first summer home represents uncharted territory for both generations. Your student has grown accustomed to complete autonomy — deciding when to eat, sleep, study and socialize without consultation or explanation. Meanwhile, you’ve maintained a household with certain rhythms and expectations. Within the first few days of your college student’s homecoming, have a detailed conversation with them about expectations to prevent misunderstandings.

What routines did they develop at college? What do they need to feel comfortable at home? How will household responsibilities be shared? This opens the door to compromise rather than confrontation.

For many freshmen, college is their first opportunity to define themselves beyond their family context or high school reputation. They’ve experimented with new identities, beliefs and social circles. Coming home can feel like stepping backward, especially if you still see them as the person they were before they left.

This identity navigation works both ways. Your student may struggle to integrate their college self with their home self. They might seem different with college friends than with family. They might challenge family traditions or political views that once went unquestioned. These explorations, while sometimes uncomfortable, represent healthy development and should be met with curiosity rather than defensiveness.

Don’t be surprised if your student spends the first week home sleeping extraordinary hours, eating everything in sight, or displaying emotional volatility. Freshman year is physically and emotionally exhausting — particularly its conclusion, with final exams, packing and goodbyes to new friends. The transition home often reveals the school year’s toll. Students maintain a frantic pace during the semester, running on adrenaline and caffeine. When they finally reach the safety of home, their bodies and minds demand recovery time. Parents should view excessive sleeping or emotional sensitivity as necessary healing, not regression or laziness.

The social landscape for your adult child has likely shifted dramatically as well. High school friendships that once seemed permanent may have drifted. New romantic relationships may have formed. Your student might spend little

time at home as they reconnect with local friends or process the changes in these relationships. Alternatively, they might seem isolated if their primary social connections now exist at school. Both scenarios require your patience and understanding.

And while your instinct might be to recreate family traditions exactly as they were before, this summer presents an opportunity to develop new ways of connecting that honor your student’s developing adulthood. Ask them to teach you about their newfound passions. Take them to places that were once offlimits — a sophisticated restaurant, an art exhibit — that signal your recognition of their maturation. When they share stories about college experiences, practice active listening without immediately offering advice. Questions like, “How did you handle that?” communicate respect for their problem-solving abilities and invite deeper conversation. There’s a poignant truth most parents discover during this first post-college summer: Each homecoming from now on will be temporary. Your child’s primary residence increasingly exists elsewhere — in dorms, apartments and, eventually, their own home. The full nest you’ll experience this summer will empty again, with each cycle of departure becoming more permanent.

This realization, while sometimes painful, also brings opportunity. The time-limited nature of these summers encourages making the most of the moments you share. Rather than focusing on the inevitable goodbye at summer’s end, embrace the gift of time together, even if it seems fleeting.

What awaits in these summer months is a delicate dance of holding close and letting go — a choreography that, when performed with grace, becomes the foundation for a relationship that will sustain you both long after the last box is packed for sophomore year.

Wnal, someone and

far more during have a sonal experience of the behind My arrived hope and

We have to be cautious while supporting sustainability

To the Editor:

As communities across New York and the nation explore ways to transition to cleaner energy, there is growing momentum behind battery energy storage systems, particularly those using lithium-ion technology. However, we must not let the promise of sustainability blind us to the inconvenient truths of our present reality.

The concept of a circular battery economy — in which batteries are reused, repurposed, and ultimately recycled to recover key materials — is a commendable goal. Yet we are far from achieving it. Our current

deserves is

HerNesto GaldaMeZ

opinions

Not all immigrants are criminals

when we hear the term “illegal immigrant,” it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that the individual is a criminal, someone who has broken the law, and deserves punishment. But the truth is far more nuanced. For many immigrants, coming to the United States without legal documentation isn’t an act of criminality, but an act of survival — an effort to escape violence, political persecution or a situation so dire that the only option is to flee. As the child of immigrants who fled El Salvador during its civil war in the late 1980s, I have a perspective that is shaped by personal experience and an understanding of the deeper human motivations behind these decisions.

My parents, both from El Salvador, arrived in the U.S. with nothing but hope and fear for their lives. They

understood the risks they were taking by entering this country without legal documentation, but the alternative was staying in a country where the government was killing its own people.

FEl Salvador’s civil war, which began in 1979, was marked by brutal violence, corruption and ruthless repression. The Salvadoran government, heavily supported by U.S. military aid, waged war against leftist insurgents and civilians it accused of being sympathetic to them. Throughout the conflict, military and paramilitary forces committed countless atrocities — massacres, forced disappearances and the destruction of entire villages. Thousands of innocent civilians were murdered or disappeared simply for being suspected of opposing the government.

wasn’t just about seeking a better life; it was about survival. It was about fleeing a government that viewed its citizens as expendable.

or my parents, staying in El Salvador meant living in constant fear.

This is not to say that I support illegal immigration or that breaking the law should be excused. But I believe it’s essential to understand the perspective of those who make the difficult decision to flee their homeland. My parents did not come here to exploit the system or cause harm. They came to escape unimaginable violence, and to find a place where they could live without the constant threat of death.

the mechanic, my father was the only one in his family to leave, and he never got the chance to see his parents again. A few years ago, he and I stood at their graves for the first time — a painful reminder that the cost of leaving isn’t just physical, but deeply emotional and enduring. His journey wasn’t about breaking the law; it was about survival.

It’s easy to forget that behind every “illegal immigrant” label is someone with a story, and usually with pain, sacrifice and hope for a better future. These people don’t come here to break the law. They come to escape the laws and systems that were oppressing them. And for every immigrant like my father or that mechanic, there are countless others who face the same impossible decision every day.

For my parents, like many others, staying in El Salvador meant living in constant fear — fear of being killed, of losing loved ones, or of being caught in the crossfire of a war they had no part in starting. Their decision to leave

Letters

infrastructure for battery recycling is still in its infancy, and the environmental and economic costs of lithium extraction remain extraordinarily high.

Lithium mining is not benign — it consumes vast amounts of water, devastates ecosystems, and often occurs in regions with poor labor and environmental protections. Meanwhile, the lack of cost-effective and widely available recycling facilities means that today’s lithium-based storage systems could become tomorrow’s toxic waste problem.

Until we have robust recycling infrastructure, updated fire and safety codes, and enforceable end-oflife regulations for BESS, policymakers must exercise caution. Approving large-scale lithiumbased projects now, without these safeguards, risks trading one environmental crisis for another.

Sustainability must be more than a buzzword. It requires fullcycle accountability — from cradle to grave and, ideally, cradle to cradle. Let’s not build the clean-energy future on the unstable foundation of unresolved waste and extraction.

These are my beliefs as a private citizen, and do not reflect the official stance or opinion of the Village of Sea Cliff.

BrUCE KEnnEdy Glen Cove Sea Cliff village administrator

We must urge Israel to cease its military campaign

To the Editor:

I am not a Jew, but I am a Zionist, in that I support Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign state.

I regard Hamas as a terrorist organization guilty of a barbaric attack on Israeli civilians in October 2023 as well as vicious repression of the people it purports to represent. Hamas must free all hostages immediately and unconditionally.

But the time has come for American Jews and gentiles alike who share these views to publicly urge the Israeli government to cease its military campaign in Gaza. Our voices can be powerful — if we exercise our moral duty to speak out.

Even if Hamas has inflated the death count, it is incontestable that many thousands of non-combatant Palestinians, including children and aid workers, have been killed in Israeli strikes. It is likewise certain that civilian suffering, already acute, is intensifying as a result of Israel’s two-month-long blockade of food and medicine deliveries to Gaza. And any escalation of the war is sure to further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages, according to the Israeli forum of families of the hostages.

There’s nothing antisemitic

My father eventually found work managing an apartment complex in roslyn, contributing to society, paying taxes, and respecting the country that took him in, belying the false narrative that immigrants don’t pay taxes or contribute to the economy.

My parents’ story is far from unique. not long ago, I met a mechanic who had fled Venezuela to escape violence — just as my father had decades earlier. Like

Framework by Tim Baker

So, I ask: If you were living in a country where your government was killing its own people, where staying meant a likely death, would you remain and accept your fate, or would you flee in search of safety? Would you risk breaking the law for a chance at survival?

Hernesto Galdamez is editor of the Baldwin Herald.

about opposing Israel’s disproportionate response to Hamas’s atrocities. Indeed, this stance should rest firmly upon the core Jewish values of rachamim (mercy and compassion) and chesed

Alex Candon and her momentarily airborne daughter, Lilli, at the L.I. Marathon — East Meadow

(loving kindness).

KEVIn J. KELLEy Atlantic Beach

Hernesto GaLDameZ