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County’s young entrepreneurs mean business first-ever Shining Star Award by the Uniondale Public Library. “The true inspiration behind Young business owners from the business is for Aishleen to across Nassau County brought understand the importance of their ideas and plenty of entre- giving back,” her mother, Yolette preneurial spirit to Uniondale Cadet, said. “Many kids of their last Saturday. Dozens of children generation don’t understand the showcased homemade goods, act of selflessness, and don’t clothing, beauty products and understand how to help each more at the Young other. The experiEntrepreneurs ence is for Aishleen Showcase. to know that many Held at the John kids don’t have the J. Byrne Communilife she has, and it’s ty Center, the lively our job to help,” pop-up brought Other young together vendors of business owners at different ages. Forthe showcase feamer Lawrence Road tured products Middle School PTA focused on health, President Claudia wellness, beauty Barnes organized and sensory learnthe event with other HAfEESAH ing. Many develPTA and communi- WELLiNgTON oped their products ty members, giving Mother of Milan based on the interyoung entrepreests of middle Wellington, owner of neurs a chance to schoolers in their Milan’s World sell their products communities and and gain firsthand social circles, with business experience. some getting their start by sellFor 8-year-old Aishleen Cadet, ing to classmates before expandhowever, running a business is ing to local stores and online also about giving back. marketplaces. Aishleen started her lemonJessica Barnes, Claudia ade and shaved-ice business, Barnes’s daughter and the Aishleen’s Cool Treats, with a owner of JusJess, created her lip mission to use some of the gloss business with both beauty money she earns to purchase and wellness in mind. Her motischool supplies for children in vation for creating the brand need in Nassau County. This was to promote healthier lifeyear, proceeds from her business styles by encouraging adults and helped buy backpacks for chil- children to have more fruits and dren starting school. healthy foods each day. The young entrepreneur has “Many of my glosses are been recognized throughout the fruit-flavored,” Jessica said. county for her philanthropic Continued on pAge 17 efforts, and was awarded the

By LAYLA EASON

Coorespondent

Courtesy Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

A student volunteer serves as a “victim” in a bus explosion exercise, while fellow classmates rescued, treated and transported the injured.

Future doctors at Hofstra practice for mass casualties By SEAN KENNEDY Correspondent

Some of Long Island’s best and brightest future medical professionals put their skills to the test in intense, realistic simulations at the annual Mass Casualty Incident Day on Sept. 25 at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy in Old Bethpage. More than 100 first-year students from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell took part in the event, which is designed to challenge emergency medical technicians. “Events like these allow for the opportunity for our students to learn how to be teammates, how to learn actively, and how to understand

different roles,” Dr. David L. Battinelli, dean of the Zucker School, said. Participants were presented with five unique, simulated scenarios, including a train derailment, an active-shooter situation, a bus bombing, a car accident, and a hazmat incident. “Every situation simulated here today is based on a case study,” said Paul Wilders chief instructor at the fire service academy. “We’ve worked very hard to create a great learning environment on our campus, and make sure the [students] have gotten exposed to many different scenarios.” In the train-derailment simulation, students were divided into teams to rescue, treat Continued on pAge 10

o see so many children inspired enough to become entrepreneurs feels so rewarding.

Community center has eyes for sports complex By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com

The John J. Byrne Community Center is pursuing a roughly $1.5 million sports complex that would bring two synthetic turf soccer fields, a fitness studio and a walking trail to its community hub on Jerusalem Avenue. The project is part of what center President David Greaves calls the “One Corridor, Two Campuses Project,” an effort to improve its properties and expand recreational opportunities in Uniondale. The existing soccer fields are included in the center’s agreement for use of the property, but Greaves said they need significant improvements. The center applied for a $150,000 state matching grant in July to help fund the project. If awarded, the center would need to raise an additional $150,000. Greaves expects to learn by the end of the year whether the grant has been approved. Regardless of the outcome, Greaves said the center plans to move forward with fundraising. The center’s annual gala, scheduled for Oct. 24 at Hofstra University, will serve as one of its fundraising efforts, with proceeds going toward the potential grant match. As of press time the center has received over $7,000 in donations. “We’ve always been looking to improve the field,” Greaves said, noting that the community soccer club has helped maintain the property by cutting

Courtesy David Greaves

John J. Byrne Community Center are slated for major improvements as part of a proposed $1.5 million sports complex that would include two regulation-size turf fields, a fitness studio and a walking trail. grass, bringing in dirt, leveling areas and spreading seed. “They have been helping out with our fields.” With help from another grant, the center purchased 52 trees that members of the soccer club helped plant. “We really want to make this campus as aesthetic for the community as possible,” Greaves said. The walking trail is intended to address an interest expressed by residents, but another amenity has also been

on the community’s wish list: a public pool. Greaves said residents have repeatedly expressed interest in having one in Uniondale, but maintenance and insurance costs would make it difficult for the center to take on. Its limited control over the broader property would also complicate such a project. Greaves said the center’s use of the property is governed by an agreement with Nassau Health Care Corporation, which includes the A. Holly Patterson

campus. The agreement covers the community center and the fields associated with its use of the property. “When we got the agreement for this campus, the ball fields were handed to us as part of it,” Greaves said. “That kind of put the ball fields as our responsibility now. The concept plan [NHCC] had for the campus did not include a pool.” A recently launched fundraising campaign has attracted about a dozen supporters. Greaves is also considering membership options that could eventually generate revenue while giving soccer clubs and other organizations access to the facilities. Academy Charter School recently contracted with the center to use the fields in a paid-use arrangement, which Greaves emphasized is not a partnership. Students will use the fields for after-school activities. Greaves said the Uniondale Public Library’s potential move to the A. Holly Patterson site could also complement the center’s plans and bring more families and children to the area. “Regarding future planning, the library is always exploring innovative ways to better serve our patrons. While any potential relocation to the A. Holly Patterson site remains in the early, exploratory stages of discussion,” library Director Mara Marin stated in an email. “We are energized by the prospect of synergy with our neighbors at the community center.”

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October 08, 2026 — UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON

Hempstead resident brings care to Belize

UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON — October 08, 2026

By LILY SPINDA Correspondent

Hempstead resident Zahara Naqvi was among the more than 20 SUNY Old Westbury students who journeyed to Laguna Village, Belize, on their summer break in May to provide free healthcare services to more than 300 local residents through the university’s chapter of the Global Medical Brigades, a student-led mission group focused on servicing underprivileged communities through health education and medical services. “Growing up in Hempstead, more broadly Long Island has been a journey of understanding privilege,” said Naqvi, a sophomore. “As a child of immigrants, I was always reminded of how grateful I should be to live in a core country let alone a great area and community. The more I ventured out, the more I recognized how there is a large educational and fiscal gaps we need to fill for younger generations.” Additionally, the student’s community involvement has continued at home. The group has volunteered at the Mary Brennan INN Soup Kitchen in Hempstead, and plans to offer additional workshops and volunteer opportunities for all students throughout the school year. Naqvi, the chapter’s member engagement chair, says the most “striking” patient she saw was a man who traveled on foot from Guatemala seeking dental help after getting swindled by dentists from his country. “They [previous dentists] extracted a lot of his teeth out, and he was getting infections … it was really sad to hear him talk about how he paid a lot of money and got scammed, and then had to walk over here [Belize],” she said. The trip was the chapter’s inaugural medical brigade and required months of preparation, fundraising and cultural education before students arrived in southern Belize. When the group landed, they were immediately thrown into action by exploring the villages and speaking with residents about their quality of life and healthcare needs. On-site health officials affiliated with the brigade and Belize’s Ministry of Health guided students through the process and prepared them for the clinical days ahead. “They taught us everything that we should know, and all the guidelines that we should follow,” said Muhammed Abdullah, vice president of the chapter. “Then it was the clinical days, and those were honestly some of the most vulnerable experiences you’ll probably ever have.” For the next three days, students assisted doctors in a series of rotating health stations. At Triage, students recorded patient’s medical histories and vital signs before they moved to consultation with a doctor for a physical examination. From helping record patient’s vitals to assisting distribution in pharmacies and teaching educational sessions, the Old Westbury chapter gained firsthand experience working alongside licensed medical professionals.

Photos courtesy Photos courtesy Old Westbury’s Global Medical Brigade

SUNY Old Westbury’s Global Medical Brigade after landing in Laguna Village, Belize. What students learned For some students, the experience revealed how far patients were willing to travel to receive healthcare. Other volunteers were most surprised by the stark difference in routine healthcare practices. President and Founder of Old Westbury’s brigade chapter, Kamran Habeeb, saw that every patient at the consultation station was immediately prescribed with Mebendazole, a one-time medication that combats worm parasites. He said the worm infections stemmed from a lack of clean, accessible water for many local residents. Sabrina Johnson, the chapter’s secretary, was similarly surprised when she asked patients whether they had visited a doctor that year and many said they had not. “I noticed that there was a large proportion of people within the community who are just generally unfamiliar with the whole healthcare system,” Johnson said. The students wanted to make the experience less intimidating for children, too. Johnson and the team purchased toy medical kits for pediatric patients and children of patients in the Charla station. The crew used the medical playsets to help demonstrate what each instrument was used for and how it can help diagnose symptoms. Johnson hopes that now, those children can become more familiar and comfortable with basic medical tools. “They were actually using the toy stethoscope to listen to each other,

which I thought was a very sweet moment because it showed how they started off very unfamiliar and distant from healthcare [practices], and they grew to actually be comfortable and perhaps even inspired by our presence there,” Johnson said. Looking ahead After the intensive onsite clinical days, the work was not yet finished for the group. On their final day, students reflected on their experience and worked with local brigade guides to discuss sustainable ways to support continued access to healthcare after the group returned to New York. Habeeb said the brigade works with Belize’s Ministry of Health and community health workers to support this long-term care. Choosing Belize was not just a location for the university’s chapter, it was a strategic choice based on data like clinic workflow, the integration of healthcare and the community’s interest in additional programs. “We’re assessing their needs beyond just healthcare,” Johnson said. “We’re also looking at whether or not they would like financial literacy workshops and things like that. GMB works really closely with those community leaders, in order to then bring what they want to the community.” The brigade required roughly nine months of preparation. Once the location is confirmed, students fundraise, attend educational workshops such as CPR training and mock brigades to prepare for the experience. The chapter also prepared for potential language barriers. Although Eng-

Sabrina Johnson, Global Medical Brigades chapter secretary, showing children how to use a toy stethoscope at the Charla station. lish is the official language of Belize, students encountered patients who spoke other languages. “Before traveling to Belize, we researched the languages spoken there and held meetings to practice basic Spanish phrases, which helped our team communicate with patients and make them feel more comfortable during the brigade,” said Nabia Faisal, the chapter’s public relations officer. The group has already selected Panama for their next brigade in May 2027, and is currently reviewing applications. For updates, find them on instagram @ ow_gmb.

News brief

We want our deck back

Q. We have a large deck that finally needs to be repaired, and some parts replaced. It is wood with some steel beams, and we wanted to do the boards that look like wood but are made from plastics and supposedly last longer. We looked at several brands and aren’t sure what is best, but it probably doesn’t matter now. The prices came in very high for the work, and each contractor we have spoken to said we were only going to save money if we use all wood, including the beams. The beams are steel, as we understand, since they extend farther without as many columns. The funny thing is that we were replacing the wood because it started rotting and twisting after 15 years, bad enough that we don’t feel comfortable using the deck — it’s on our second floor, which is why we want onte eeper fewer columns, so we can continue to use the ground level as an outdoor dining space. What can you recommend that we do? The cost makes it impossible to move forward, and we really want our deck back. Ask The Architect

A. I like to quote the oil filter commercial we used to hear all the time: “You can pay me now or pay me later.” In this case, you can spend the money on the less-costly wood, and then spend more money on re-treating the wood and repairs. As for the steel beams being replaced, it should be understood that steel is more compact for its strength, and the equivalent ability to span longer distances with wood requires much more wood, and it will more than likely be taller, meaning the beams will extend lower. The synthetic decking materials are a much better choice, and the ones that are recycled resin-based, without the wood component parts in their composition, are at the top of the list of low maintenance, deterioration and replacement that you have with wood mixtures and wood deck materials. I have seen the difference many times over the years, including the landing deck in my own yard. I originally built it out of cedar, which was supposed to be resistant to insects and, if stained properly, would last a long time, or so I thought. After just four years, the wood posts and the properly stained decking had become distorted with warping, twisting and some end rotting. I replaced the materials with synthetic decking and rails, and after 26 years, it’s still in great condition. This problem of not factoring in the cost of maintenance, accessibility and the increase in material costs over time has often led to much greater expense in the life of buildings. You have to question yourself as to which is more affordable, the continued maintenance or initial cost. Remember that the people you are speaking to will do either system, wood or synthetic, because for them it’s a current job that they will leave behind and that you have to live with. Good luck! © 2026 Monte Leeper. Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

E C N A L E E R F APHERS

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D E T N A W

*Nassau County

Courtesy Metro

Seniors in the Town of Hempstead can shop for free produce at an upcoming market on Oct. 9 at the Sands at Lido Beach.

Hempstead seniors get free fresh produce at local market The Town of Hempstead, in partnership with Long Island Cares and PSEG Long Island, will host a Farmers Market for seniors on Oct. 9 at the Sands at Lido Beach. Hempstead’s Town Council said the market will provide senior citizens, ages 55 and older, with free, locally grown fresh produce. “Long Island Cares and the Harry Chapin Food Bank have been a leader in tackling food insecurity, addressing the root causes of hunger and feeding people in need for over 45 years,” Town Supervisor John Ferretti said. “We’re proud to partner with them on a program that will connect our town’s seniors with farm-fresh produce.” “Long Island Cares is proud to join the Town of Hempstead and PSEG Long Island to serve Hempstead seniors,” Robert LaBarbera, Long Island Cares’ vice president for procurement & supply chain oversight said. “We all have had a long-time commitment to serving seniors and Long Island Cares is always ready to provide them with the most nutritious foods available.” The Free Farmers Market for Seniors will be held outdoors, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Supporting our senior residents and helping them thrive is a key part of

PSEG Long Island’s effort to improve the communities where we live and work,” said Michael Presti, PSEG Long Island’s director of Customer Experience and Marketing. “We are proud to partner with Long Island Cares and the Town of Hempstead to provide Hempstead seniors with healthy, fresh produce at this brand-new event.” The Sands at Lido Beach is at 710 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach. For more information, residents can call Long Island Cares at (631) 582-3663 or email outreachCCE@licares.org. “Through the Department of Senior Enrichment, the Town of Hempstead has provided our Town’s senior citizens with a plethora of activities, transportation to our senior centers and programs, as well as outreach services throughout the year,” Ferretti said. “Whether it is the senior flu vaccine program, a special birthday celebration at a local senior center or the popular senior summer beach program at Lido Beach, we are here to help residents live their golden age years to their fullest. I thank Long Island Cares and PSEG Long Island for collaborating to bring this free farmers market to the Town of Hempstead.” —Jordan Vallone

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October 08, 2026 — UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON

■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: rbethany@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: E-mail: rbethany@liherald.com ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: (516) 569-4000 Press ”7” E-mail: subscriptions@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: (516) 569-4000 Ext. 249 E-mail: rglickman@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: (516) 569-4000 Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643 ■ PUBlIC NOTICES: Ext. 232 E-mail: legalnotices@liherald.com Uniondale Herald Beacon Newspaper (PP#), is published Weekly on Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Uniondale Herald Beacon, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Subscription rates: $52 per year auto pay or $65 one time payment within Nassau county (excluding qualified zip codes) or $76 outside of Nassau County or qualified request in zip code 11514, 11530, 11550, 11553, 11555, 11556, 11590. Copyright © 2026 Richner Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Once on life support, crash survivor honored at Eisenhower Park

By SCOTT BRINTON

Courtesy Scott Brinton

Yianni Hatzikontos, who suffered a traumatic brain injury a decade ago in a car crash and had to relearn use of his legs, was able to walk the length of a parking lot at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow on Saturday. Ramirez, a family friend and Achilles International’s outer boroughs manager, served as his spotter. inspirational.” Since leaving Park Terrace, Yianni has become an athlete. He’s now a member of Achilles International’s Queens chapter, which offers walking, running and cycling programs for athletes with disabilities. Achilles International has chapters throughout the five boroughs. A number of Team Achilles members were on hand to celebrate Hatzikontos on Saturday. One of them was Cynthia Freeman, 47, a Queens chapter board member and athlete herself. Team Achilles participants go “at their own pace,” she said. Some may walk a short distance. Others take part in triathlons. Some compete using handcycles or racing wheelchairs. “He’s got such a sense of humor, so I love our conversations,” she said. “I love standing there, sitting close and having a laugh with him.” The Brain Injury Association of New York State advocates for braininjury patients, acting as a liaison between them and their caregivers, said Christina LeBeau, the organization’s director of advocacy and engagement. The organization helps families of patients who have sustained brain injuries before age 22 navigate the complexities of the medical system. The Eisenhower Park event was one part of BIANYS’s March On for Brain Injury 2026 campaign. Its fundraising goal is $120,000, and BIANYS is “very close” to meeting it, LeBeau said. For more or to donate, go to BIANYS.org.

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On July 16, 2016, Yianni Hatzikontos was a passenger in a car traveling on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway from Astoria, Queens, to Brooklyn. He did not know the driver was under the influence, according to his brother, Dimitri. The car crashed en route. Yianni suffered a traumatic brain injury and could no longer speak, walk or swallow. The then 21-year-old was placed on life support, his survival hanging in the balance. A little over a decade later, on Oct. 3, 2026, Hatzikontos walked the length of a parking lot at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow with a spotter and was recognized as the Brain Injury Association of New York State’s Long Island Honoree for his courage during his long and painful recovery. “Look at me now,” Hatzikontos told the audience of roughly 200 gathered under a stand of shade trees near the park’s Field One, a smile etched across his face. “We are truly blessed.” “We would take two steps forward and sometimes life would bring us back,” said his mother, Maria Karvelas, who teaches algebra and geometry at Lawrence Middle School in the Lawrence School District. “Keep fighting. We keep fighting, and we keep going. Four years of rehab — and now we are traveling the world.” She was referring to trips to the Dominican Republic and the family’s homeland of Greece, where Yianni enjoys looking out on the sea from the beach. Hatzikontos can walk, but in brief bursts. He still needs a wheelchair. He spoke to the crowd on Saturday, but in short sentences. He spent four years in inpatient rehabilitation at the 200-bed Park Terrace Care Center in Rego Park, Queens, where slowly he relearned and regained the life skills that were abruptly taken away from him. At 32, he now lives at home in Astoria with his mom and receives outpatient rehabilitation. “His mother is a powerhouse,” said Tina Getsios, regional rehabilitation director at Park Terrace, who oversaw Hatzikontos’s long-term care. “She’s the miracle behind this process. If not for her, I don’t know [if] he’d be here.” It was a sentiment echoed by Hatzikontos’s sister, Cindy, 35. “My mom worked really hard to get him home,” she said. “I appreciate her and my family so much. We’ve accomplished so many of our goals because of her.” To see Yianni honored before his family, friends and supporters — including a sizable contingent of Lawrence Middle School teachers — was a “milestone” for the Hatzikontos family, 26-year-old Dimitri said. “It’s a blessing to see a huge community” supporting Yianni, he said. “All three of us as siblings have gone through our own trials and triumphs but watching Yianni grow has been

UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON — October 08, 2026

Special to the Herald

October 08, 2026 — UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON

BRiNgiNg local spoRts home eVeRY weeK

spotlight athlete

HERALD SPORTS

Uniondale falls to rival Freeport By PATRICK MOQUIN sports@liherald.com

dylAN PARChMeNT HEWLETT Senior FOOTBALL IT WAS A RECORD-SETTING performance for Parchment Sept. 28 as the Bulldogs rolled to a 40-13 victory over Carle Place in a Nassau Conference III?IV crossover matchup. He set a program single-game record with five touchdowns, finishing with 252 yards on only 12 carries. His scoring runs covered 63, 29, 45, 65 and 6 yards as Hewlett upped its record to 2-1. In the opener, he scored four touchdowns on the ground in a 29-22 win over Division.

games to watch Friday, Oct. 9 Football: Carey at Calhoun ..................................3 p.m. Football: Baldwin at Jericho.................................6 p.m. Field Hockey: Sewanhaka at Baldwin ..................5 p.m. Girls Soccer: Wantagh at North Shore..................5 p.m. Girls Soccer: Oceanside at MacArthur .................5 p.m. Girls Soccer: Kennedy at East Meadow ...............5 p.m. Girls Volleyball: Malverne at West Hemp...............5 p.m. Boys Soccer: North Shore at Seaford ..................5 p.m. Football: Malverne at Island Trees........................6 p.m. Football: Sewanhaka at Hewlett ..........................6 p.m. Football: Floral Park at Lynbrook .........................6 p.m. Football: Elmont at Plainedge.........................6:30 p.m. Football: Freeport at Farmingdale ...................6:30 p.m. Football: North Shore at ERock/WHemp......... 6:30 p.m Girls Spccer: Plainedge at Lynbrook ...............7:15 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 10 Girls Soccer: Elmont at Uniondale .....................10 a.m. Girls Soccer: South Side at Carey......................10 a.m. Field Hockey: Garden City at Clarke ...................10 a.m. Football: Garden City at Mepham ...................1:30 p.m. Football: Kennedy at V.S. Central ....................1:30 p.m. Football: Long Beach at New Hyde Park .........1:30 p.m. Football: Lawrence at V.S. South .....................1:30 p.m. Football: Oceanside at Massapequa ...................2 p.m.

Freeport girls volleyball defeated Uniondale in three straight sets Oct. 1, to earn its second victory in Nassau Class AAA. After getting swept in three of their first four matches against Syosset, Massapequa, and Oceanside, it was a much needed bounce-back effort at home for the Red Devils. “It was good for the kids because we’ve been getting pounded by the Massapequas and the Syossets and teams like that,” coach Lolita Beathea said. “It was a good win for us.” In the first set, Freeport set the tone with several strings of aces from the likes of juniors Sharon Montoya and Dayna Davis, as well as senior Joyce Gomez. Despite a fairly even beginning, the Red Devils eventually pulled ahead 16-8 and cruised to a 25-12 win. Uniondale, now 1-4, didn’t go quietly, growing so loud at times as to negate Freeport’s home-court advantage. The Knights jumped out to a 7-2 lead early in the second set and extended to lead by six later on. It would have been easy for the Red Devils to let the set slip away, but senior captain Madison Harris said settling in came easy. “We gather ourselves, definitely, stopped overthinking,” Harris said. “The serves just kept going over, and we kept doing the right thing, and that’s how we got the second set.” Harris, who secured backto-back aces to keep Freeport within range early in the set,

Erik Lee/Herald

Melanie Saravia and the Knights will look to rebound from a three-set defeat at Freeport Oct. 1. excelled in all facets at middle striker, blocking well and securing kills throughout the contest. Down 18-12, Freeport came roaring back, scoring eight unanswered points to

take a 20-18 lead. Davis earned four aces during this stretch, while freshman Chidimma Njoku scored back-toback kills on the outside. The Red Devils went on to win 25-19.

“I’m trying to teach them, when we get down, to still stay on top of the game because we can come back,” Beathea said. “That’s our problem, is coming back to win, which made this a nice one.” Uniondale had its moments in the third set, but with their comeback bid all but extinguished, it became hard for the Knights to gain any traction. Freeport never trailed for the rest of the match, winning the final set 25-14. In addition to Harris and Njoku, Beathea also praised sophomore Isabella Garcia, who distributed well throughout the match and created several key scoring chances. Freeport’s only prior victory came in four sets against East Meadow and required the Red Devils to fight back from a 1-0 deficit and come away with a gritty third set to eventually win. Their triumph over Uniondale required some adversity, but barring a slow start in the second set, they were always in control. Uniondale coach Dan Splendore said he was proud of his players’ determination in the second set, in which Freeport had to work hard to gain its lasting advantage. “It’s the best my girls have played in a while,” Splendore said. “Unfortunately, didn’t get the job done, but I’m proud of the progress.” Uniondale setter and senior captain Melanie Saravia led the Knights with three aces, six assists, two digs, and a kill. Senior Brielle James had a team-high four kills and seven digs.

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UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON — October 08, 2026

TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2026

Freeport Recreation Center • 130 East Merrick Road • Freeport 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.- Open early to Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. - General Admission

Employers at the event include:

Cox Fleet • Dignity Home Care • Risewell Community Services • Council for Airport Opportunity EPIC LONG ISLAND • New York State Police • The Center for Developmental Disabilities Options for Community Living • U.S. Air & Space Force • Total Orthopedics Spine and Sports Medicine LLC. QSAC • Roto-Rooter • NY Army National Guard • AHRC Nassau • Fresia/Seviroli Foods LLC Fire Department, City of New York (FDNY) - Office of Recruitment & Retention Winston Staffing • NYPD Recruitment Section • Tiegerman School • Doyle Security Services ACLD- Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities CP Nassau • Club Demonstration Services • Schivo Medical Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County Inc. New York State Department of Civil Service • and more!!!

BRING SEVERAL COPIES OF YOUR RESUME! For more information, please call (516) 485-5000, ext. 1100 Co-hosted by:

Mayor Robert T. Kennedy Freeport Village

Registrants will receive an invite via email to attend a pre-event online workshop to prepare for the Job Fair.

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Ferretti Supervisor

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October 08, 2026 — UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON

Moshe Hill runs again for County Legislature By ALYSSA R. GRIFFIN agriffin@liherald.com

Moshe Hill is the Republican candidate for the Nassau County Legislature in the 5th District, seeking the seat after previously running for the Legislature while continuing his involvement in his hometown of West Hempstead. Born and raised there, Hill, 40, returned in 2017 with his family after moving away in 2010. Since his return, he has become involved in community and political organizations including NORPAC, a pro-Israel advocacy organization. He has also worked as a political analyst, writing for newspapers and other publications while appearing on radio and other media. “I think I would be the best representative for the needs in the Nassau County Legislature,” Hill said. Hill currently works in the inspector department for the Nassau County Board of Elections, assisting with computers, reports and election staffing. He worked at B&H Electronics for 11 years, as a business analyst and project manager. That experience, he said, taught him how to connect stakeholders, communicate effectively and coordinate projects. Hill also said he learned from his 2025 campaign for the Legislature. This time around, he said, he is focused on expanding his outreach while maintaining many of the same priorities. Among those priorities are infrastructure, taxes, public safety and quality-of-life issues. Hill wants to keep county taxes from increasing while improving roads, traffic signals and other infrastructure, he said. “We need to make sure that we stay the safest county in the country,” he said. Hill pointed to the installation of a traffic signal at

5 th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Alyssa R. Griffin/Herald

West Hempstead resident Moshe Hill is seeking the Legislature’s 5th District seat, campaigning on public safety, infrastructure, taxes and quality-of-life issues. Woodfield Road and Linden Street, in West Hempstead, as a community improvement he advocated for. The intersection, he said, had a history of serious accidents, which concerned him because his mother regularly crossed those streets while commuting to work. Antisemitism is another focus for Hill. While online rhetoric remains a concern, he said, he has

seen less antisemitic activity on county streets than he did after Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. He said he wants to continue speaking with school districts about offering educational discussions on antisemitism and the history of conflicts involving Jewish communities. Hill has also been involved in community efforts involving the former Capri Motor Inn and cleanups at Halls Pond Park. Those efforts, he said, reflect his focus on quality-of-life concerns in West Hempstead and surrounding communities. On the subject of development, Hill said he supports balancing new housing with maintaining suburban neighborhoods. He identified the Nassau Coliseum property as an opportunity for business, technology, aviation and, potentially, housing, while acknowledging concerns about infrastructure and congestion that could accompany development. If he is not elected, Hill said, he plans to continue his involvement in NORPAC, and to maintain his relationships with government officials and other local organizations. But, he said, “If you’re looking to keep your streets safe, keep your taxes low, if you want to make sure that your infrastructure is holding up and see improvements around your community, then I’m the best person for that.”

Olena Nicks campaigns to hold District 5 seat By ALYSSA R. GRIFFIN agriffin@liherald.com

Nassau County Legislator Olena Nicks is seeking re-election to represent District 5, with a campaign focusing on public safety, affordable housing and constituent services. First elected to the Legislature in a special election for what was then the 2nd District in February 2025, Nicks, 34, won election to the newly reapportioned District 5 last November, and began her first full term representing the district in January. A Uniondale native, Nicks served on the Uniondale Public Library board for seven years. Her community service began years ago, with the Uniondale Fire Department, where she is now a second lieutenant. She is also a member of the Uniondale Community Land Trust board, and has worked on two completed affordable housing projects. Professionally, Nicks is a finance and contracts research analyst, helping with government grant funding, budgets and contracts. Her decision to enter public service was influenced by community programs and opportunities she benefited from while growing up in Uniondale. She said she wants future generations to have similar access to these resources. Since she began representing the district, Nicks has focused on connecting with the communities she serves. She has attended community celebrations and worked with organizations addressing antisemitism. Focusing on public safety, Nicks has raised concerns about traffic and challenges for pedestrians

Melissa Berman/Herald

County Legislator Olena Nicks is seeking re-election in District 5 with a campaign focusing on public safety, affordable housing and constituent services. along Hempstead Avenue and near schools. She has met with residents, and plans to work with school districts on traffic concerns and safety for students and

staff. When it comes to housing affordability, Nicks has worked with the Uniondale community land trust and housing organizations while advocating for homeownership opportunities. She has held property-tax grievance workshops, and said she wants to work with developers to encourage housing that better reflects local incomes. Libraries are a priority for Nicks as well, because of her previous experience as a trustee. She has helped secure funding for the Uniondale facility, which has faced flooding and infrastructure issues. The Hempstead and West Hempstead libraries, she said, have also submitted applications for capital funding. “Libraries, to me, are very special,” she said. “They’re one of the few places that you can still go today and not have to spend a dollar.” Nicks has also identified traffic safety and homelessness as challenges in the 5th District. She has worked with the county Department of Public Works on dangerous roads and infrastructure needs, and has maintained communication with the Department of Social Services about homelessness. Nicks said she intends to remain active and accessible regardless of the election results. Her campaign has emphasized community visibility, providing information to residents and helping constituents navigate county services. “I continue to work with my colleagues as best as possible,” she said. “I think using my voice and really working across the aisle as best as possible is how I’ve overcome and how I’m going to continue to overcome.”

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October 08, 2026 — UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON

Smith Street families get creative at paint night By JANET PRETE Coorespondent

Families at Smith Street School in Uniondale picked up their paintbrushes Sept. 30 for the school Parent Teacher Association’s first family paint night, an evening designed to bring students and parents together. Held in the school cafeteria, the event began with a pizza dinner at 5:30 p.m., followed by painting at 6. Tickets were sold in advance for $15, and the PTA had additional supplies available for families who decided to participate that evening. For PTA President Miranda Van Ommeren, the event was part of a larger effort to strengthen connections among Smith Street families. Van Ommeren, now in her second year as PTA president, is an alumna of Smith Street and has a son in first grade at the school. She works alongside a board of about 10 parents to plan activities and encourage more families to become involved with the PTA. Rather than focusing primarily on fundraising, Van Ommeren said one of her priorities is building a stronger school community. The PTA has organized free and low-cost events where families can meet one another, become more comfortable visiting the school and build relationships with teachers. The group meets monthly and aims to organize about one event each month. Once members settled on the idea of hosting a paint night, plans came together quickly. After receiving approval from the school, the PTA promoted the event through flyers and word of mouth. Leading the budding artists through their paintings was Mia Prescod, a first-year art teacher who previously worked at Smith Street as a student teacher. As families finished their pizza, Prescod prepared palettes using paper plates, placing seven colors of paint around the edge of each one. Long cafeteria tables were covered in plastic and lined with easels, with a small canvas waiting for each participant. Students also received paintbrushes and cups of water. At the front of the room, Prescod displayed a complet-

Janet Prete/Herald

uniondale residents darren and paige Boyde show off their painted fall pumpkins during Smith Street School’s first family paint night. the pair followed instructions from mia prescod as they painted their pumpkins. ed fall pumpkin scene that served as inspiration for the evening’s project. She guided participants through the painting one step at a time, demonstrating each technique before walking around the cafeteria to offer help. Along the way, students learned basic painting techniques, including how to create lighter shades by mixing white paint with colors such as green and blue. With Smith Street serving students from pre-K through fifth grade, organizers wanted to make sure

children of different ages and skill levels could participate. The pumpkin still-life painting was selected as a project that younger children could follow while still allowing participants to put their own touches on their artwork. By the end of the evening, Smith Street students and their families headed home with their own fall pumpkin paintings — and another opportunity to connect with their school community.

Medical students face mass-casualty scenarios Continued from page 1

and transport the “victims,” played by classmates. With smoke billowing from inside a Long Island Rail Road car, students learned the importance of working through stressful situations. “I think these types of training are critical for any individual, because you never know what you’re going to come across day to day,” Albert Jurkowski, a student from Queens, said. “We’ve seen incidents in the news where a tragedy could strike anywhere at any time, and by having this experience and having this skill set, any individual is able to make an impact and help their fellow people.” In some of the simulations, students worked with members of other agencies, including the Nassau County Police Department’s Division of Homeland Security and the Nassau County Fire Service Academy, which trains the 71 fire departments across the county. “Having the students communicate with each other, and work with us, makes an amazing scenario, because now they have to operate at a very high level of stress,” Officer Todd Atkin, of the Homeland Security Division, said. “They get muscle memory from that stress, and now they’re able to function

better in stressful situations for the rest of their careers.” The Zucker School is one of the only medical programs in the country to incorporate EMT training in its curriculum. MCI Day concludes eight weeks of that training. “We train our students earlier than anybody else,” Battinelli said. “We thought that the idea of becoming a trained EMT in the state of New York, being able to be out in the community, was a great way to imprint our school’s philosophy.” The training is for many students one of the most memorable phases of the curriculum, especially for those who choose to go into emergency medicine. “I remember running into these simulations, like the bus explosion scenario, finding the secondary explosive device, and being an incident commander,” said Dr. Ryan Kenny, of Hewlett, an alumnus of the Zucker School who’s now an EMT Fellow in the New York City Fire Department. “I think [these events] really shaped me to where I am today.” Kenny added, “Long Island is such a diverse place, so having this diverse training is imperative. This is a great first step as they’re about to embark on their careers.”

Courtesy Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

medical students from Hofstra’s Zucker School worked in simulated high-intensity situations, such as the bombing of a bus.

Watford named Navy League executive director Correspondent

Hempstead’s Owen Watford of Hempstead has been named executive director of the Long Island Council of the Navy League, taking on a leadership role with the organization as it works to strengthen connections among the nation’s sea services, Long Island communities and the region’s defense and maritime industries. “My role is to lead the day-to-day operations of the Council and ensure its mission is effectively executed,” Watford said, who will serve as a link between the Navy League’s national goals and the needs of the Long Island community. His responsibilities include strategic leadership, program development, membership and corporate relations, event management, advocacy and public engagement, as well as workforce and industry development. The Long Island Navy League Council is a long-standing, mission-driven organization that strengthens ties between the U.S. Sea services and the Long Island community. Formed in 1948, it has grown into a network of corporate members, former military personnel, and civilians committed to supporting America’s Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Watford will also work closely with Council President Walter Poggi and Vice President Michael Griffin to align strategic priorities, resources and operational goals. For Watford the organization’s mission extends beyond supporting the military. “I believe supporting the Long Island Navy League Council means investing in the safety, prosperity and future of Long Island by strengthening our military ties, honoring veterans, inspiring youth, and ensuring our region remains a key player in national maritime security,” he said. Watford added that the organization provides an opportunity for Long Islanders to contribute to both their local

Courtesy L. I. Council of the Navy League

Hempstead resident Owen Watford, left, is the new executive director of the Long Island Council of the Navy League. Walter Poggi is now the new Council President Walter Poggi. communities and the nation. The council supports veterans through programs including “Boots to Shoes,” which helps former service members transition to civilian life. Programs include resume-writing workshops and financial education intended to help veterans navigate employment and housing challenges. The council also supports the Naval Sea Cadet Corps, a youth development program sponsored by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. Engaging younger generations will remain an important challenge and opportunity for the organization. Poggi, who recently became president of the Council, has said the organization and other volunteer groups face difficulties recruiting younger members. Many Navy

League members are between 50 and 80 years old, he said. That concern is shared by Watford, whose role includes helping develop programs and relationships that can strengthen the organization’s future. The council hopes to connect younger Long Islanders with meaningful opportunities to serve their communities while learning about the importance of the nation’s maritime services and defense industries. “If you see an organization that is providing meaningful services to the community, you tend to get involved in it,” Poggi said A longtime Navy League member and Ronkonkoma resident, Poggi brings military and business experience to his role as president. He served for 10 years in the New York National Guard infantry, leaving as a staff sergeant, and founded American Council of Independent Laboratories, an engineering services business involved in testing technology and products for aerospace and other industries. But as Watford assumes responsibility for the council’s daily operations, his focus will be on helping translate the organization’s mission into programs and partnerships that benefit Long Island. The Navy League’s Long Island Council offers opportunities for civilians, veterans, corporate members and others interested in supporting the sea services and their role in national security. “We try to embrace anybody who shows any interest right away to get them involved,” Poggi said. Watford said participation in the Navy League is an investment in Long Island’s future, providing opportunities to honor veterans, inspire young people and maintain the region’s longstanding connection to national defense and maritime security. For more information about the Long Island Council of the Navy League or how to join, got to LongIslandNavyLeague.org.

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UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON — October 08, 2026

By LILY SPINDA

A look at book challenges, censorship and the freedom to read By ALLYSON FERRARI aferrari@liherald.com

From school library shelves to state legislatures, disputes over which books people — particularly children and teenagers — should be able to access have become part of a national debate over education, parental rights and freedom of expression. Banned Books Week, observed Oct. 4-10 this year, brings renewed attention to those disagreements and the books caught in the middle. Here are three things to know about the annual observance and the debate surrounding book challenges.

Banned Books Week puts the freedom to read in focus

Certain themes face more challenges than others

Who gets to decide what stays on the shelf?

Banned Books Week is an annual national campaign that draws attention to attempts to remove or restrict books in schools and libraries while promoting the freedom to read. This year’s theme, “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read,” emphasizes allowing readers to encounter different ideas and perspectives without censorship. The 2026 observance runs Oct. 4-10. Launched in 1982 by the American Library Association, Banned Books Week brings together librarians, educators, authors, publishers and readers to highlight challenges to books and access to information. A book challenge does not necessarily mean a book has been banned. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict material based on an objection, while a ban occurs when access to that material is removed. Challenges can involve books in school curricula, classroom

Books addressing sexuality, LGBTQ+ identities, race and racism have frequently been at the center of challenges across the country in recent years. Books have also drawn objections because of profanity, violence, drug use and sexually explicit content. The debate has expanded beyond individual parents objecting to individual titles. Some challenges target multiple books at once, while lawmakers, school boards and library systems have considered broader rules governing what children and teenagers can access. Free-expression and library advocates argue that removing books because of their content can prevent readers from encountering different experiences and viewpoints. Those seeking restrictions argue that parents should have a greater role in determining what children can read and that schools and libraries have a responsibility to ensure materials are appropriate for the ages they serve.

Much of the national debate comes down to one question: Who should decide whether a book belongs in a school or library? The answer varies. School districts and library systems generally have policies for selecting materials and responding to challenges. Reviews may involve librarians, administrators, committees or elected boards, while parents and residents can request that individual books be reconsidered. State laws can also affect what materials are available and how challenges are handled. Free-speech advocates contend that removing books because of objections to their ideas can restrict other readers’ ability to make their own choices. Those favoring greater restrictions argue that decisions about age-appropriate materials are a legitimate responsibility of parents, educators and public institutions.

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STEPPING OUT A blast from the ‘80s

Courtesy Gabriella Spiegel

Courtesy Austin Colbert

Suburban kid, theatrical force: Joe Iconis thrives in the spotlight.

Two worlds, one voice Joe Iconis reconncts with his roots in an intimate showcase of his music and singular stage presence

By Iris Wiener

oe Iconis returns to Long Island for a dynamic homecoming. The Tony-nominated writer, performer and Garden City native is set to perform his solo concert, “Joe Iconis: Live on Long Island,” on Oct. 16-17. He’ll bring the songs, stories and theatrical sensibility that have defined his career to East Rockaway’s Strongbox Theater. For the writer behind Broadway’s “Be More Chill,” the occasion is both a long-overdue local debut and an opportunity to reconnect with the place that helped shape the songwriter and performer he would become. “I can’t believe it has taken me this long,” Iconis says of bringing an entire concert of his own material back here. Although he has made occasional appearances in the area, including debuting a new musical in Babylon, he had never performed a proper solo concert on his home turf. The opportunity came together almost spontaneously after he became aware of the new Strongbox Theater and he knew it would be a good fit. The significance of performing on Long Island goes beyond geography. “Long Island is just kind of baked into who I am as a person,” Iconis says. Growing up in Garden City, which he calls “the ultimate suburban area,” he was surrounded by a large Italian family and the particular social dynamics of suburban life. Those experiences, he says, helped shape both his worldview and the people who populate his writing in musicals such as “The Black Suits” and “Love in Hate Nation.” “I write a lot about suburban characters and suburban ennui, as well as people who feel just outside of something,” Iconis relates. For him, that feeling is particularly connected to “being just outside of the city, so close that you can touch it, but not quite there.” The proximity to Manhattan was another formative part of his childhood. Iconis was able

to see theater frequently and became fascinated by the city and its creative energy. At the same time, he came to recognize that Long Island could feel like its own universe. That tension between the familiar world of the suburbs and Courtesy Stephanie Wessels the seemingly limitless possibilities of New York became part of Iconis’ artistic DNA. Yet the younger Iconis might never have imagined that he would one day be performing his own songs in front of an audience. “He would blush!” Iconis says when asked what his aspiring songwriter self from Garden City would think of his current career. “I was never someone who identified as a performer.” As a child, he participated in theater because it was a way to be a part of the environment he loved, but remembers being terrified onstage.Eventually his songwriting pushed him toward performing. “I became a performer out of necessity when I got to grad school. “It was like, ‘I’m writing these songs, I have to be able to perform the songs, so I should try to get better at doing that.’” Developing his craft as a writer also helped him find greater confidence as a performer, which is regularly exhibited at popular concerts at 54 Below and around the U.S. “Finding my voice allowed me to start feeling comfortable in my own body and I started getting comfortable on stage,” he says. The Strongbox concert will offer audiences a glimpse at what is next for Iconis. He is currently writing an original musical inspired by Robert Altman, set in one weekend in the New York theater world in 1982. Other projects include “The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical,” which has already been presented in several locations and is now moving toward New York. The exchange of energy between himself and his live audiences has also given Iconis the unusual experience of learning that his work has affected people he has never met. “It’s so strange to me to think that there are people whom I don’t know, who listen to my stuff and it does something for them,” he says. Iconis wants his concerts to appeal not only to theater devotees, but to people who may not consider themselves musical-theater fans. “I hope that the evening opens people up to different ideas to what musical theater can be and what it is,” he says. The thought of returning home carries a certain vulnerability for an artist who has spent so much of his career writing about outsiders and people searching for where they belong. “My artistic home feels like it’s New York City,” he says. “I can’t escape it.” But Long Island remains an essential part of that story. “[Both places] are different parts of me.” Now those two worlds will meet on a Long Island stage. And perhaps, for two nights, the distance between Long Island and the city that inspired so much of his work will disappear entirely. Visit strongboxtheater.com to purchase tickets for Joe Iconis: Live on Long Island.

Tease that hair, dig out the neon and get ready to party like it’s 1985. Jessie’s Girl is back with their wildly entertaining “Back to the Eighties” concert experience — a high-energy blast of pop, rock and pure ‘80s nostalgia. The New York City-based band features top rock and pop musicians and four powerhouse vocalists who transform into the era’s biggest icons, complete with signature looks, choreography and plenty of attitude. Expect hits from the decade’s biggest stars, delivered with the kind of over-the-top production that makes Jessie’s Girl a concert — and a party — rolled into one. Add audience participation, colorful costumes, props, bubbles and a blizzard of confetti, and you’ve got an all-out throwback celebration that keeps the crowd singing, dancing and reaching for those neon leg warmers.

Friday, Oct 9, 8 p.m. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.

Melissa Errico The Broadway star and acclaimed jazz vocalist Melissa Errico brings her celebrated album “I Can Dream, Can’t I?” to the stage with longtime collaborator pianist Tedd Firth, bassist David Finck and drummer Eric Halvorson. “I thought I was making an album of old songs,” she says.”Then the songs began telling me what they were really about: all the ingenious ways we reach for someone we love. I’ve spent my life finding stories inside music. This evening brings together Cole Porter’s wit, Duke Ellington’s tenderness and Joni Mitchell’s wondering heart, with laughter, longing and a beautiful illusions along the way.”

Friday, Oct 9, 8 p.m. $86, $79, $67. Tickets available at landmarkonmainstreet.org. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington.

OCT

‘When It Happens to You’

Adelphi University Performing Arts Center welcomes acclaimed English actresses Amanda Abbington (Sherlock) and Rosie Day (Outlander) in a staging of Tawni O’Dell’s play based on her memoir. It captures the unquantifiable damage her daughter suffered following a brutal sexual assault. Blending humor with unflinching honesty, the play explores the question: “How does a normal, happy family recover from a trauma of this size and scale?” The production has received rave reviews offBroadway and in London. This is a very special production that is not to be missed. Proceeds from this show benefit a charitable organization supporting survivors of sexual assault and violence. • Where: Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City • Time: 7:30 p.m. • Contact: adelphi.edu/pac or call (516) 877-4000

OCT

Christie Jones: Art & Science — Underwater Ecosystems

Bring the family to Long Island Children’s Museum to learn about current Artists’ Corner artist Christie Jones. What happens when art and science come together? In this hands-on STEAM workshop, kids explore how artists can transform natural materials into colorful, eco-friendly paint while learning about the amazing underwater world of oysters. Discover how oysters help clean our coastal waters, create habitat for marine life, and support healthy ecosystems. Participants will make their own paint using natural pigments and create a vibrant vunderwater ecosystem painting inspired by Long Island’s bays. Everyone will leave with a finished artwork and a new appreciation for the connections between creativity, science, and the environment. • Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City • Time: Varied times • Contact:licm.org or (516) 2245800

Taylor Swift Tribute

Eisenhower Park’s Summer Concert Series welcomes Let Sing Taylor, a Taylor Swift tribute. The band brings the communal experience of celebrating Taylor’s music in a live setting to Swifties near and far. So, let the games begin! Get ready to sport your Taylor- inspired attire and sing your hearts out. • Where: 00 Sea Cliff Ave., Sea Cliff Harry Chapin Lakeside

CALENDAR OCT

Boating certification course

The Jones Beach Power Squadron offers a free New York State-certified America’s Boating Course (ABC) at Wantagh Park. Open to boaters and anyone interested in learning more about safe and responsible boating. • Where: 1 King Road, Wantagh • Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m., also Oct. 27, Nov. 3, Nov.10. • Contact: P/C Ed Figueroa, AP-ACN, at (516) 816-4919 or capted36@ gmail.com for registration and more

OCT

NOV 27th Annual Long Island Jolson Festival

Daughtry 20 Years Unplugged

Experience Daughtry’s catalogue in a stripped-back acoustic setting, reframing the songs that have soundtracked arenas, rock radio milestones, and some of the most defining moments of the band’s career. The band’s music takes on a different meaning in more raw and immediate space, where the weight of a lyric, the scrape of a guitar string, and the quiet before a chorus can hit as hard as the full-band impact. Their lastest tour follows the release of “Shock To The System,” the complete edition of Daughtry’s two-part project via Big Machine Rock. The collection brings together “Shock To The System” (Part One) “Shock To The System” (Part Two) along with additional live recordings that capture the force and connection of the band’s latest era. Across tracks including “Artificial,” “Pieces,” “The Bottom,” and “Antidote,” Daughtry continue to channel grief, change, confrontation, and selfreclamation into some of their heaviest and most emotionally direct work to date. For an artist whose songs have always lived at the intersection of power and vulnerability, 20 Years Unplugged sees Daughtry • Where: The Paramount, 370 strip down some of their biggest and most meaningful tracks, distilling them to their New York Ave., Huntington purest form and bringing fans closer to the songs, the stories, and the unmistakable • Time: 8 p.m. voice that have carried the band from one of the biggest rock debuts of the century • Contact: ticketmaster.com through two decades of connection, evolution, and success. or paramountny.com Theatre, East Meadow • Time: 6 p.m. • Contact: nassaucountyny.gov or (516) 572-0200

Karen DiMartino conducting, cellist Deborah Sepe and Roberto Oquendo, French horn. Free; donations are gratefully received.

Double, Double Toil and Trouble

• Where: Helene Fortunoff Theater, Monroe Lecture Center, California Ave., Hempstead • Time: 3 p.m. • Contact: (631) 242-5684 or (516) 586-3433

OCT

Long Island Children’s Museum is ready for spooky season. Families can get in the spirit by brewing up a magical potion bottle to take home at the drop-in program. For ages 3+. • Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City • Time: 1-3 p.m. • Contact: licm.org or (516) 2245800

American Chamber Ensemble in concert

The acclaimed American Chamber Ensemble, celebrating its 61st Anniversary, returns to Hofstra University. The program includes music for various combinations of piano, clarinet and strings, with performances by ACE core members, faculty members, former students and current ACE student winner Roberto Oquendo. They’ll present works by Bernstein, contemporary composer Paul Basler, Amy Beach, Florence Price, Stephen Foster and others. Special guests are soprano Tammy Hensrud, the Sayville Chorale,

OCT

‘The Song of the Cello’

Visit Old Westbury Gardens for an evening of chamber music. Ensemble-in-residence Poetica Musica Quartet welcomes all to enjoy the rich, expressive tones of the cello. Renowned cellist Eugene Moye joins pianist Yasmin Alami for an evening of masterful performances featuring works by Brahms, Casals, Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, and others. The program includes Johannes Brahms’ Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 38, Pablo Casals’ “The Song of the Birds,” Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise,” and additional selections celebrating the depth, warmth, and versatility of this beloved instrument. A pre-concert talk proceeds the concert at 7:30 p.m.; a Meet-the-Artists reception with light refreshments follows the concert in the West Porch. $30; $25

seniors and members. • Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury • Time: 8-9:30 p.m. • Contact: oldwestburygardens. org or call (516) 333-0048

‘Uncle Vlad’s Pumpkin Patch: The Vladuation’

Long Island Children’s Museum welcomes families to share in the museum’s Halloween theatrical tradition. Uncle Vlad’s nephew Chad is getting ready to graduate from Boo-niversity, but needs to pass his final horror merit badge tests. Join Uncle Vlad, Gargamel the Rat, Great Aunt Margarine, Johnny Bones, and the whole spooky crew in a celebration of the pumpkin patch’s youngest bat. The Vlad team returns to the stage with another original production, now in its fifth year. Each year presents a different story with some familiar and some new kooky and creepy faces, making the shows a puppet-filled treat for anyone who likes some tricks! $5 with museum admission ($4 members), $10 theater only. • Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City • Time: 11 a. m. and 1 p.m., also Oct. 18, Oct. 24-25 and Oct. 31 • Contact: licm.org or (516) 2245800

Society President Jan Hernstat invites all to participate in the annual tribute to Al Jolson, rescheduled. With Ed Greenbaum’s unique outtakes from “The Jolson Story, Noah Diamond as Grouch Marx, comedian Jeff Greenberg, with Tony Babino’s “The Heart of Al Jolson, and more. Tickets are $54.95. • Where: Lambrou’s Catering Hall, 4073 Austin Blvd., Island Park • Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. • Contact: Jan Hernstat at (516) 678-3524

NOV Celebrate Community Heroes

Honor the people making a difference in the community during A Night Among Stars, the Byrne Center’s 2026 Heroes in the Community Gala. With dinner, an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding community leaders and an opportunity to support the Byrne Center’s year-round programs and services. Guests can purchase individual tickets or reserve a table for 10, with early-bird pricing available for a limited time. Businesses can also increase their support through sponsorships or by placing congratulatory ads in the souvenir journal. • Where: Hofstra University Student Center, Hempstead • Time: 5-9 p.m. • Contact: info@byrncenter.org or (516) 554-8124

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.

UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON — October 08, 2026

Your Neighborhood

October 08, 2026 — UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON

Town unveils tax-freeze spending proposal By JULIA GILLEGO jgillego@liherald.com

Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti unveiled a proposed $591.7 million budget for 2027 that he said would freeze town taxes while maintaining municipal services, funding infrastructure improvements and preserving a $5 million tax cut enacted earlier this year. The proposal follows a 2026 budget that reduced general fund taxes by 18 percent. Ferretti noted that the proposed tax-freeze budget comes as Hempstead faces rising costs, including the overall 3.4 percent increase in the consumer price index over the past year. Other increases have also impacted the town, such as a 23 percent increase in utility costs and pension costs rising 10 percent over the past two years. “It is on us as elected leaders to demand accountability, boost efficiency, and ensure smart budgeting within governmental operations,” Ferretti said on Sept. 30. “Families should not be left to shoulder burdens that should be addressed through responsible governance.” The proposed budget aims to maintain all town services and programs while addressing rising operating costs, public safety needs and infrastructure improvements. Ferretti said that it prioritizes affordability for residents amid rising living expenses across New York.

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti, center, unveiled a nearly $592 million budget for 2027, noting that it maintains all of the town’s programs and services. Brian Devine, the town’s communications director, said the tentative budget projects the use of $30 million in reserves. Devine emphasized that the figure is only a projection, and that the final amount would not be known until the town closes its books for 2027. “It is entirely possible that the town will use no reserves at all in our 2027 budget due to strong fiscally conservative management,” he said. Devine pointed to the town’s most recent audited financial statements for

the 2025 budget as an example. That spending plan projected $22.9 million in reserve use, but the town ended the year with a $20 million surplus. Joseph Scianablo, the Democratic candidate challenging Ferretti for supervisor, released an analysis of the proposed budget, identifying what he described as concerns with projected revenue, fund transfers and reserve use. Scianablo said he identified $26.75 million in miscellaneous revenue, an increase of $24.25 million from 2026, a

$17 million part-town transfer to the Highway Department and proposed use of fund balances that need further explanation. “Without reliable, recurring revenue, today’s tax freeze can become tomorrow’s tax hike,” he said, adding that if elected, he would require documented revenue sources, realistic cost estimates and a multiyear financial plan. Scianablo also said he would protect essential services while reviewing contracts and spending for savings, pursuing outside funding through a proposed Grant Capture Unit and prioritizing preventive maintenance. He called for greater transparency through quarterly budget updates and clearer explanations of revenue and fund-balance use. While Scianablo outlined his plans to preserve essential services, the town currently provides a wide range of services to residents, including sanitation, water, highway maintenance, parks and senior enrichment programs. Town spending accounts for about four cents of every property tax dollar. For residents living in incorporated villages, the town’s share is even lower, less than one cent per dollar. The proposed spending plan would also maintain a municipal workforce at its lowest level in more than a decade. “The 2027 tax-freeze budget keeps more of your money where it belongs,” Ferretti said.

Veterans Day

WITH HONOR & GRATITUDE

A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO OUR VETERANS ON VETERANS DAY!

PUBLISHING ON NOVEMBER 5TH, 2026 TWO WAYS TO HONOR VERTICAL TRIBUTE AD 2.44” W X 6.30” H Your Sacrifice. Our Pride. Our Gratitude. Forever in our hearts.

HORIZONTAL TRIBUTE AD 5.04” W X 3.05” H

Your Sacrifice. Our Pride. Our Gratitude. Forever in our hearts.

$150

$300

Space is limited. Reserve your tribute today. CONTACT US TO PLACE YOUR TRIBUTE AD. Please Call 516-569-4000 Ext 268

Young entrepreneurs showcase their creativity “Hopefully it makes someone actually want to eat the fruit they are applying on their lips.” Since starting JusJess, she has developed more of a business mindset, and plans to continue expanding the venture in the future. Like the other young entrepreneurs at the event, Jessica has learned that there are lessons to be learned with every investment, purchase order and sale. For Milan Wellington, the owner of Milan’s World, a fragrance and sports coloring book business, his entrepreneurial spirit stemmed from more than simply wanting to create products. The middle schooler was raised in a family of business owners, giving him an early look at what it would take to become one himself. Milan’s World has also become a way for him to connect with older generations in his family and learn firsthand about

entrepreneurship. Both of his parents are business owners, and Milan has been able to learn from their experiences while developing his own creative interests. One of his favorite experiences is mixing fragrances with his father, giving them a chance to spend time together while Milan learns more about the creativity and responsibilities that come with running a business. Milan’s mother, Hafeesah Wellington, said she was impressed by the creativity and dedication on display among the young entrepreneurs. “I think about how when I was growing up, we didn’t have all of this,” she said. “To see so many children inspired enough to become entrepreneurs feels so rewarding. “As someone who works professionally with youth and is a business owner, I love this event and all it stands for,” Wellington added. “Then, to also know that my child is one of them feels great.”

UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON — October 08, 2026

ConTinued froM pAge 1

Layla Eason/Herald photos

Aishleen Cadet, 8, created Aishleen’s Cool Treats, a lemonade and shaved-ice business that helps raise money to give back to children in the community.

HERALD

PUBLIC NOTICES

Milan Wellington owns Milan’s World, a business inspired by his creativity and the entrepreneurial example set by his family.

JusJess owner Jessica Barnes showcased her fruit-flavored lip glosses, which she created to combine beauty and wellness.

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCAF ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff AGAINST JEAN J. MIDY, MARIE LANA MIDY, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered July 15, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on October 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 233 Maple Avenue, Uniondale, NY 11553. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at East Hempstead, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 34 Block: 477 Lots: 295-297. Approximate amount of judgment $504,702.21 plus

amount of judgment $504,702.21 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #615029/2025. Ronald J. Ferraro, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 25-001877 91310 162426 LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCAF ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. MICHAEL CHARLESTON, AS ADMINISTRATOR, HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF DESILIA CHARLESTON, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on January 28, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive,

Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on November 4, 2026 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 196 Valcour Avenue, Uniondale, NY 11553. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Uniondale, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 50, Block 18 and Lots 262-263 a/k/a Lot 262. Approximate amount of judgment is $575,141.52 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #608120/2024. Kenneth L. Gartner, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 221827-1 162584 LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU. EMIGRANT BANK, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER WITH EMIGRANT SAVINGS BANK-LONG ISLAND, Plaintiff -against- ERIC

BANK-LONG ISLAND, Plaintiff -against- ERIC E. MCDOUGALL a/k/a ERIC MCDOUGALL, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on November 26, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court “Rain or Shine” located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on October 20, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being at Roosevelt, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, known and designated as Section 55 Block 494 and Lot 70. Said premises known as 191 HUDSON AVENUE, ROOSEVELT, NY 11575 Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 611525/2022. MERIK ROY AARON, ESQ., Referee Terenzi & Confusione, P.C. Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 401 Franklin Avenue, Suite 304, Garden City, NY 11530 {* UNIONDALE*} 162289

October 08, 2026 — UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON

To Place your ad call

516-569-4000 press 5

HERALD

CLASSIFIED

e-mail your ad to: ereynolds@liherald.com e-mail FINDS UNDER $100 to: ereynolds@liherald.com DEADLINE: Monday, 11:00 am for all classified ads

Every effort is made to insure the accuracy of your ad. Please check your ad at first insertion. Credit will be made only for the first insertion. Credit given for errors in ads is is limited to the space involved. Publisher reserves right to reject, cancel or correctly classify an ad.

Help Wanted

Eldercare Offered

Legal Services

DRIVERS WANTED

MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/ warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

HOUSEKEEPING/ SENIOR CAREGIVER AVAILABLE. PRIVATE/ PROFESSIONAL. CNA* HHA* CCA CERTIFIED. EXPERIENCED/ EXCELLENT REFERENCES. EMMA 516-519-0456

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Homes - Real Estate

FULL Time and Part Time Positions Available! Busy Print Shop in Garden City is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers. Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience. Hours Vary, Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $21 per hour Night Availability is a Must Please Email Resume to careers@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239

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EDITOR/REPORTER

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PART TIME & Full Time. The awardwinning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County’s North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to jbessen@liherald.com

OUTSIDE SALES RICHNER COMMUNICATIONS, ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING MEDIA, EVENT AND COMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES ON LONG ISLAND IS SEEKING A SALES/ MARKETING CANDIDATE TO SELL OUR PRINT MEDIA PRODUCTS AND OUR DIGITAL, EVENTS, SPONSORSHIPS. EARNING POTENTIAL RANGES FROM $35,360 PLUS COMMISSION AND BONUSES TO OVER $100,000 INCLUDING COMMISSIONS AND BONUSES. COMPENSATION IS BASED ON FULL TIME HOURS ELIGIBLE FOR HEALTH BENEFITS, 401K AND PAID TIME OFF. PLEASE SEND COVER LETTER AND RESUME WITH SALARY REQUIREMENTS TO RGLICKMAN@LIHERALD.COM OR CALL 516-569-4000 X250 PRINTING PRESS OPERATORS FT & PT. Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for Printing Press Operators in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $20 per hour to $30 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

SEE

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HERALD

Crossword Puzzle UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON — October 08, 2026

HOMES To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5

Home Improvement

Services

Auto For Sale

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HERALD

M A R K E T P L A CE October 08, 2026 — UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON

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opinions

ecently I had the chance to attend a tribute to Howie Rose at CitiField, honoring his almost four decades as the iconic voice of the Mets. Rosemary and I have enjoyed a friendship with Rose and his wife, Barbara, over the years, and Howie invited us to the ceremony. Being a loving grandmother, Rosemary deferred to our grandson Jack, who’s a dedicated Mets — and Howie Rose — fan. Rose is a great guy who represents the very best of what New York baseball should be all about. Baseball games have always been a great outlet for me, a place to relax and enjoy rooting for my favorite team, in good years and bad. When I was a kid growing up in Queens, that team was the Brooklyn Dodgers, and those seasons were all good, until they weren’t. When team owner Walter O’Malley hijacked the Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1957, it left a

glaring void among many New York neighborhood-type fans who could never identify with the pinstriped Yankees. That void was filled beyond expectations when the Mets came into being in 1962, and quickly developed a devoted fan base. I attended countless games at Shea Stadium, and Rose personified that new breed of fan, who lived and died with the Mets. His dream was to be an announcer for the Mets. When he achieved that goal, first as a pregame broadcaster and then as a knowledgeable, highly skilled play-by-play announcer, he was still very much the neighborhood guy, the enthusiastic fan from the upper deck. He truly was the voice of the Mets. Rose’s declaration “Put it in the books!” after every Mets win has become part of New York baseball lore. He was also a longtime announcer for the NHL’s Rangers and Islanders. His cry “Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!” after Stephane Matteau’s double-overtime, sudden-death goal against the Philadel-

phia Flyers won the Eastern Conference Championship for the Rangers in 1994, is also part of New York sports history. After all his years behind the microphone and his successful recovery from major cancer surgery, Rose announced that he would retire at the end of this season. To pay tribute to him, the Mets designated Sept. 20 Howie Rose Day at CitiField, and planned to honor him in a pregame ceremony on the field. It turned out to be the Mets’ last home game, and the final Mets game Rose would announce. Unfortunately, the day was dark and rainy, which forced the cancellation of the pregame festivities. The Mets decided to reschedule the ceremony on next season’s Opening Day weekend, but went ahead with an indoor celebration for Rose and his invited guests in the owner’s suite on the 20th. That was a win-win for Howie, Barbara and their two very accomplished daughters, Alyssa and Chelsea, because so many friends and notable people attended to show their strong friendship for him. Among the many in attendance were

he voice of the Mets, still the neighborhood guy, has put ’em in the books.

Art Shamsky and Cleon Jones, from the 1969 World Series champion Miracle Mets; Ron Darling, Lee Mazzilli and Howard Johnson, from the 1986 championship team; John Franco, from the 2000 National League champion squad; Terry Collins, from the 2015 National League champs; former New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, now the Mets’ senior vice president for security; and Mets owner Steve Cohen. It was baseball and New York at its best. No one spoke about themselves. It was all about Rose, his love of baseball and the fans and how he is such a lasting part of baseball, and New York. It was an honor to be there. What has always impressed me the most about Rose is his genuineness. Whenever Rosemary and I went to dinner with Howie and Barbara, we had no advance thought of what we would discuss that evening, but we would end up talking into the night, being among the last to leave wherever we were. Thank you, Howie and Barbara. You’re great friends. Put it in the books! Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.

The Republicans keep dropping easy passes

s we approach the November elections, a lot of words have popped into my mind. One of them is foolish, and another is stupid. I can easily apply those words to what has happened in politics that has made so many people angry. The gripes come from both sides of the aisle. But there’s a sports term that best describes what the Trump administration has been doing. Those words are unforced error. In football, if a receiver simply drops a pass, that’s an unforced error. In politics, it means a selfinflicted wound that could easily have been avoided. Come Nov. 3, I think those words will best define what will happen and why it will happen. While it’s true that the party in power tends to lose off-year elections, there have been too many unforced errors that will hurt the Republican Party. In 1992, James Carville, then a strategist in Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, came up with the now famous

catch phrase “It’s the economy, stupid,” which cost President George H.W. Bush his job. Decades later, it did the same to President Joe Biden, who told America that things were just fine and the country was in good shape. And now President Trump calls affordability a “hoax,” which everyone, including his most loyal supporters, knows isn’t true. The war against Iran was supposed to last a few days, and is now in its seventh month. I think if I had been a fly on the wall when the decision was made to start bombing Iran, I might have heard the generals warn Trump that doing so would have more downsides than upsides. I love America, but the wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan didn’t go well, and a fight with a crazy enemy like Iran was a big gamble. The proof of how badly it’s gone is the sky-high price of gasoline and, especially, diesel fuel. The blockage of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz has created a worldwide fuel shortage that has been costly for American consumers and damaged our credibility. It is noble to go after any enemy that

sponsors terrorism, but this “little excursion,” as Trump once described our latest war, has badly damaged the party in power. The next unforced error is the tariff war. I know the president loves tariffs, but using them to pick on our friends and help our enemies is bad politics. Why fight with Canada when you could end the war in Ukraine with high tariffs on Russia? The president can deny it all he wants, but consumers are paying for tariffs on almost every item on store shelves, and the price increases are hurting people big time. Every president has the right to pick whomever he wants to be in his cabinet. Trump has made quite a few controversial appointments, but none have been more costly to him than Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and “War Department” Secretary Pete Hegseth. Kennedy has caused the administration a great deal of grief with his anti-vaccine policies. As of last week, there had been 3,659 confirmed measles cases in the United States this year. That marks the highest annual case count in the U.S. since mea-

’s been one unforced error for another for the party, with big losses looming Nov. 3.

sles was declared eliminated in 2000. Kennedy has denied all of the press claims about a measles epidemic, and chooses advisers based on their antimeasles policies. Hegseth has made many enemies for the administration with his firing of a number of career military officials. In many of those cases, the ousted officials were women or Black. His handling of the issues aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has alienated countless members of the military. There have been reports of at least eight suicide attempts by members of the ship’s crew because it was deployed far longer than normal. Sadly, for those elected officials who have performed well in office, one unforced error after another will make it more difficult to get voter support. There’s no doubt, however, that the state of the economy is the biggest of all of the administration’s errors, and it’s highly likely that, once again, James Carville will be proven right on Nov. 3. Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He currently chairs the Capitol Insight Group, a government relations firm. Comments? jkremer@liherald.com.

UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON — October 08, 2026

Joining the crowd that honored the Mets’ Howie Rose

Herald editorial

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HERALD October 08, 2026 — UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON

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Storm warning: Long Island should take stock

wo weeks ago, a storm with no name sat off our coast for three days and reminded us how little it takes. It was a September nor’easter, the kind of system older Long Islanders might once have shrugged off as just a wet, windy weekend. This one sent wind gusts past 80 miles per hour in Montauk and pushed as much as two feet of water into coastal streets with a near-fullmoon tide. Freeport residents raced to move their vehicles before high tide, and some Long Islanders paddled kayaks down roads they normally drive to work. The Long Beach Branch of the LIRR went dark. Nearly 112,000 residents lost power at some point. And we got off easy. The storm stayed offshore. If it had tracked a few dozen miles closer, we would be writing a very different editorial. Some things went right, and they deserve recognition. Anyone who lived through Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020 remembers hundreds of thousands of households in the dark and an outagereporting system that collapsed when people needed it most. This time, PSEG had more than 850 workers in the field, plus nearly 300 brought in from off the island. Most customers had power restored in short order. Village crews, volunteer firefighters and highway departments worked

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through the night clearing roads and pumping streets. Those men and women earned our thanks. A fall storm that never made landfall is yet another wakeup call to the South Shore’s vulnerabilities that we have known about since Hurricane Sandy: low-lying roads that flood with every strong tide, storm drains that back up instead of draining, aging bulkheads, and a single rail branch that cuts off a barrier-island city whenever Reynolds Channel rises. Which brings us to our elected officials. In the days after a storm, Long Island’s politicians are everywhere: touring flooded streets, standing beside downed trees, promising action. Their concern is real. But the photo opportunity is the easy part. The money that would have kept those streets dry is won or lost months earlier, in budget negotiations in Albany, in committee rooms in Washington, and in the unglamorous back-and-forth with federal agencies over which projects get funded first. That’s where our representatives need to be fighting, all year long. Resilience funding doesn’t go to the region that suffered most. It goes to the region whose delegation shows up, makes the case relentlessly and doesn’t let the issue drop when the skies clear. Long Island’s members of Congress, state legislators and county officials should treat flood mitigation, drainage,

bulkhead replacement and grid hardening as a standing priority, not a talking point that surfaces every time the water rises and fades once it recedes. Voters can hold them to it. With Election Day weeks away, candidates for Congress, the State Legislature and local office will be knocking on doors and filling mailboxes. Ask them, specifically, what they plan to do about flooding and the power grid. Which projects will they fight for? How will they get them funded? What have they already delivered? A candidate who can answer in detail has been doing the work. One who can only talk about the last storm probably hasn’t. Long Islanders would like to see results on the ground: raised roadways and upgraded drainage in the neighborhoods that flood first, bulkheads that are replaced before they fail, and hardened transit infrastructure that doesn’t shut down every time the tide runs high. Local governments have homework, too. Residents shouldn’t learn that their street floods by finding their car underwater. The next storm may have a name. It may track closer to shore, or arrive when the moon and tides line up worse. The nor’easter gave us a warning at a relatively low price. Our leaders’ job is to make sure we heeded that warning, and that work starts now, in the quiet months, long before anyone needs a kayak.

opinions

here’s something remarkable happening in New York and across the American economy: Entrepreneurship is booming, and artificial intelligence is driving it. A recent Gusto survey found that 60 percent of founders used A.I. to start their businesses last year, and 50 percent said it made the process significantly faster or cheaper. That’s monumental for New York’s Black community, where new technology is helping clear economic hurdles that have held back Black entrepreneurship. Our community has long struggled against barriers to the capital, resources, technology and opportunity needed to grow. A.I. is changing that equation, paving the way to economic independence and wealth creation for historically underrepresented Black entrepreneurs. New York should embrace that opportunity wholeheartedly. Starting a business once required major upfront investment: a location, staff, a website and cash on hand to fund it. Today an entrepreneur can use A.I. to help develop a website, market a product and handle logistics, all while work-

ing from home. Despite claims that A.I. will hollow out New York’s workplaces, it is instead making it possible for more people to become entrepreneurs, and helping small businesses accomplish more with fewer resources. As Entrepreneur recently reported, applications from one-person firms increased by more than 20 percent between early 2025 and mid-2026, as A.I.-powered tools increasingly allow individuals to accomplish work that once required entire teams. The priority shouldn’t be undoing that progress. It should be making sure underserved and minority communities have the opportunity to share in it. These benefits aren’t limited to startups; A.I. is a genuinely powerful tool for our neighborhood businesses, too. Whether you’re a restaurant owner, a contractor, a retailer or the head of a community nonprofit, the technology can help manage customers, analyze budgets and streamline operations. A.I. helps level the playing field, making capabilities once reserved for giant corporations available to the smallest storefronts and startups. Small businesses are already putting these tools to good use. A recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey found

that A.I. adoption among small and medium-sized businesses has more than doubled since 2023. The tech is helping people become more efficient and develop new capabilities — and the more widely available innovative A.I. tools become, the better off small businesses, operating on tight margins or with limited access to capital, will be. Black entrepreneurs are already recognizing that potential. Recent research from the Urban Institute found that Black-owned businesses are more likely to use or test A.I., and more likely to view the technology as “highly important” to their companies. Researchers also noted that A.I. adoption could “increase the productivity of small businesses and significantly cut costs, improving competitiveness and reducing barriers to entry.” Nonetheless, we should not assume that these benefits will reach every neighborhood equally. If access to A.I. tools, training and capital becomes uneven, our communities could miss one of the greatest economic opportunities of this generation. We can’t let that happen. New York must embrace A.I. innovation and ensure that no one misses out on the unique advantages the technology provides. New Yorkers need practical opportunities to build A.I. skills, while

he Urban Institute has found that they’re using it and benefiting from it.

Framework by Tim Baker

A last warm-weather spray-down at the Color Run-A-Thon at Floyd B. Watson Elementary School – Rockville Centre

neighborhood businesses need access to the investment, infrastructure and expertise required to put those tools to work. Our leaders should recognize that widening access to innovation is an economic opportunity, not a threat. The stakes extend beyond our own communities. Countries like China are rapidly closing the gap with the United States on A.I. If we make it harder for American innovators to develop and adopt these tools here at home, competitors like China will be more than happy to fill the void. That’s why city and state officials should focus on making A.I. adoption easier, fostering collaboration and education and removing unnecessary barriers. The more hurdles are erected against A.I. innovation, the fewer opportunities minority-owned businesses will have to get ahead. If, instead, we equip businesses with the A.I. tools they need to grow, local mom-and-pop shops will reap the benefits, and our neighborhoods will thrive. A.I. is already expanding opportunities for Black entrepreneurs and business owners. New York must ensure that every community can participate, compete and flourish in our modern A.I. economy. Phil Andrews is president of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce and founding president of the New York City Minority Small Business Chamber of Commerce.

UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON — October 08, 2026

A.I. is opening new doors for Black entrepreneurs

October 08, 2026 — UNIONDALE HERALD BEACON

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