Valley Stream Herald 10-30-225

school staff, students and local veterans gathered at Wheeler avenue elementary School to kick off the veterans toiletry drive.

Three-week toiletry drive for veterans in need kicks off

By ANGELINA ZINGARIELLO azingariello@liherald.com

Village officials and members of the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce are once again joining forces to support local war veterans through a community toiletry drive. Now in its second year, the initiative runs until Nov. 14, and aims to collect basic personal-care items for veterans in need.

George Catalanotto, a Vietnam War veteran and member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1790, said “two thoughts come to mind seeing the toiletry drive take place. My first thought is the obvious: Some veterans who may be down on their luck or in need at this time will be getting basic items that will help them feel good about themselves.

“My second thought is that these veterans will once again feel appreciated and that is very special for all vets,” Catalanotto, also a member of Disabled American Veterans Chapter 145, added.

Donations are being accepted at collection bins in multiple publicly accessible locations, including the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library, Village Hall and the Valley Stream Pool lobby. The effort officially began on Oct. 22 with a kickoff event at Wheeler Avenue Elementary School.

The Chamber of Commerce first spearheaded the drive in 2024 when it identified that area veterans were in desperate need of these essential items, and village officials agreed that it was important to assist in the

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Dever students raise funds by being kind

By ANGELINA ZINGARIELLO azingariello@liherald.com

James A. Dever Elementary School has completed its second year using Raise Craze, a fundraising model centered on acts of service.

Rather than selling products, students earned donations by performing acts of kindness in their school and community.

The program was first brought to the school by former PTA Co-Presidents Rosina Fusillo and Samanta Shaw, according to PTA Co-President Desiree Fasulo, who were looking for new ways to engage families.

passion and service and would build upon the culture of kindness and belonging at Dever.”

R

aise Craze isn’t just changing routines — it’s shaping hearts and minds.

DEsIREE FAsuLO Co-president, PTA

“Together with Mrs. (Debbie) Kornfeld, Dever’s social worker, they envisioned a fundraiser that would not center on selling products, but align with our school’s program, ‘Kindness Matters,’” Fasulo said. “What started as an experiment quickly became something magical: a movement that united students, families and staff through com-

The structure of Raise Craze requires students to reach out to family and friends for financial support. After donations are pledged, the children complete community-minded actions as their way of giving back. These acts ranged from simple gestures, like writing thank-you notes, to helping neighbors or participating in beautification efforts around the school. Students also contributed to letterwriting campaigns for first responders and sanitation workers, collected items for a food drive and assembled care packages for hospital staff.

The PTA reported that students responded enthusiastically to the service-based format participating in daily kindness challenges and working collectively to achieve high levels of involvement. A rotating GOAT Kindness Trophy was awarded

Continued on page 10

Angelina Zingariello/Herald Chamber of Commerce members, village officials,

Toiletry drive supporting local veterans runs until Nov. 14

effort.

The Disabled American Veterans helped establish the initiative’s focus after information was shared about veterans lacking basic hygiene necessities. The village then joined in the collaboration, and the chamber coordinated with neighborhood schools, including Memorial Junior High School, Central High School, Wheeler Avenue Elementary School and William L. Buck School. Students from the Youth Leadership Club helped sort donations before they were distributed to veterans.

“I know I speak for our entire village board, our village workforce and the entire Valley Stream community when I say that we simply cannot do enough to support our veterans and show them the well-deserved love, respect and gratitude for their service and sacrifice,” Valley Stream Mayor Ed Fare said. “By involving our school children, we are setting an important example. Caring for others and respecting our veterans are honorable values to instill in our youth.”

In the future, the chamber will aim for an even wider community reach, and the business group has also included an Amazon wish list with this year’s drive to help increase accessibility and convenience for donors.

Requested items include soap, liquid soap, lotion, deodorant, shaving cream, toothpaste, toothbrushes and men’s and women’s socks. Organizers note that items should be full-size and fragrancefree or unscented to meet the needs of the intended recipients.

The drive supports veterans through partnerships with the Disabled American Veterans and VFW Post 1790. Donations help supply stand-down events, where veterans are provided with necessities. Items that are not distributed there will be delivered to veterans’ residences and care facilities, including locations in East Northport and Queens, ensuring assistance reaches both men and women who have served.

The village has emphasized that the drive calls attention to needs that may otherwise go unseen. Organizers hope the collection serves as a reminder that support for veterans should remain a visible and ongoing commitment.

Chamber organizers have shared that the inspiration behind the drive is grounded in concern for those who have served in the military and experienced hardships.

“It’s so sad that these people have fought for our country, and they have given up so much to protect us and keep us free, and they don’t have soap, basic necessities,” chamber member Lauri LoQuercio said. “It’s heart-wrenching, absolutely heart-wrenching.”

The village hopes that the drive will help residents stay aware of the circumstances many veterans face.

Last year’s effort produced large quantities of donated items, and feedback from veterans was described as appreciative and enthusiastic. That response encouraged the chamber and village to expand the initiative this year, with the intention of making the toiletry drive an annual event.

Angelina Zingariello/Herald

The event flier, displayed on a poster board, promoted the second annual Veterans Toiletry Drive.

ConTinueD from page 1

Homecoming victory for Central High School

Valley Stream Central High School’s varsity football team hosted its homecoming game at Memorial Junior High School last Saturday and delivered a memorable performance.

Facing off against Roslyn/Friends Academy, Central came away with a strong 38–14 victory.

On this special homecoming day, the school’s tradition and community spirit were in full display — students in the stands, alumni reconnecting, families cheering — and Central gave them something to celebrate. The win on their home field added another highlight to the homecoming festivities.

— Angelina Zingariello

Melissa Baptiste/Herald photos

Valley Stream Central marching band in the stands, bringing the soundtrack of homecoming pride to every moment.

Central’s football team lined up on the field against Roslyn/ Friends Academy, ready for the next play.

The varsity cheerleaders kept energy high, channeling Central spirit with every routine.

Students carried the Class of 2027 homecoming banner, stepping into their future as the crowd cheered them on.

The Valley Stream Streamers performed for the homecoming crowd, adding movement and excitement to the day.

Valley Stream Chamber launches food drive Nov. 1

The Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce is asking the community to come together in support of local families who are facing food insecurity.

A community donation effort is currently underway, running from Nov. 1 through the 14, with a clear and urgent focus: assisting Valley Stream residents who require essential groceries. All donations collected through this initiative will go directly to families in the local area.

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Organizers are specifically requesting non-perishable food items, which play a crucial role in food support drives because they are safe to store and distribute without requiring refrigeration. Within that category, several high-priority items have been identified, including peanut butter, jelly, cooking oil, soup, canned chicken, tuna, condiments, cereal and macaroni and cheese. These foods are widely recognized as important nutritional staples that can be used to make complete meals, offering families both convenience and sustenance during difficult times.

Supporters also have the option to contribute through an Amazon Wish List, expanding accessibility for those who may not be able to

The Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce is collecting non-perishable food donations Nov. 1–14 to support local families in need. Items can be dropped off at Dime Community Bank on West Merrick Road

shop or deliver items in person. For physical donations, drop-offs are being accepted at Dime Community Bank on West Merrick Road.

The significance of this effort is rooted in the ongoing reality that food insecurity affects individuals from every background, especially during periods of rising living costs. Community-driven support like this plays an important role in helping families bridge

gaps when resources become strained. By contributing even a single item, residents of Valley Stream can directly support their neighbors and help ensure that no local family goes without essential meals. The Chamber encourages anyone who can donate to take part and help strengthen the community.

— Angelina Zingariello

Courtesy Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce

Kadeem Brown, a 34-year-old Elmont resident, is the Republican candidate challenging for Nassau County’s 3rd Legislative District seat. A graduate of Elmont Memorial High School and Penn State University, Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in technology management and has 12 years of experience in private wealth management. He says his financial background shapes his vision for a more efficient government that lowers costs for families.

On the issues:

LegisLative District 3

Kadeem Brown Party: Republican

Affordability is at the center of Brown’s campaign. He argues that Nassau County must reduce the tax burden on residents and keep property taxes stable so that longtime community members can afford to remain or return. He also supports cutting wasteful spending and conducting annual reviews of social programs, with savings redirected toward essential services such

as parks, traffic improvements and first responders.

Public safety is another priority for Brown, who stresses collaboration with law enforcement and supports the use of technology like license plate readers and “shot spotters” to deter crime. At the same time, he emphasizes the importance of maintaining open communication between police and immigrant communities to build trust.

The son of Jamaican immigrants and a dual citizen, Brown supports stricter monitoring of immigration and believes it should be handled “the right way” to ensure both safety and fiscal responsibility.

He says his experience in finance and community work, including serving on the board of the Southeast Queens Merchants Association, has prepared him to deliver accountability, strengthen civic engagement and help bring more resources to the district.

Carrié Solages, the Democratic incumbent representing Nassau County’s 3rd Legislative District, is seeking re-election on a platform centered on public safety, community investment and government accessibility.

Solages, 46, of Valley Stream, is a Haitian American who grew up in Elmont and attended Dutch Broadway Elementary School and H. Frank Carey High School. He earned degrees from Georgetown University and Boston College Law School before co-founding Solages and Solages, P.C., a civil and criminal law practice in Suffolk County with his brother, Phil Solages.

Carrié Solages Party: Democrat

Elected in 2011, Solages represents portions of Valley Stream, Elmont, West Hempstead, Franklin Square and Lakeview. Throughout his tenure, he has emphasized that government should be accountable and responsive to residents’ needs.

On the issues:

Public safety remains a key priority for

Solages. He has secured funding for license plate readers, surveillance systems and body cameras for Nassau County police and envisions creating a “virtual security wall” along the QueensNassau border to aid law enforcement in crime prevention and traffic management. At the same time, he has long advocated for police accountability and has supported body cameras since 2014.

Traffic safety and infrastructure are also central to his agenda. Solages has pushed for new traffic lights at high-risk intersections, particularly along Dutch Broadway in Elmont, and has called for improved signage, road upgrades and safer driving conditions as congestion increases countywide.

Solages has also spoken out on immigration enforcement, emphasizing that local police should not assume federal duties and urging fairness in protecting immigrant rights.

VSS wins record-setting 68-64 shootout

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

Nassau County high school basketball season is still more than a month away, but a quick glance at the scoreboard at Division Avenue Oct. 17 suggested otherwise.

In a wild Conference III football game destined to come down to the final possession, Valley Stream South pulled out a record-setting 68-64 victory over the Dragons thanks to quarterback Danny Casey’s 1-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds remaining.

The Falcons drove 65 yards in 2:23 to cap the highest-scoring game between two Nassau teams in county history, surpassing Syosset’s 64-63 win over Farmingdale in the spring of 2021.

The offenses combined for 1,100 yards, with Falcons running back David Brooks amassing 257 of those on the ground including three touchdowns. Casey had 130 yards rushing and 77 passing while his counterpart, Division quarterback Tim Stanley, threw for 407 yards and two scores and ran for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Dragons had 594 yards to South’s 506

“It really was insane,” VSS head coach Joe Guastafeste said. “Craziest game I’ve ever been a part of. We went in thinking we might need to score 45 to win. We had 42 at halftime and we were losing. Every play for both teams was for positive yards. I think in the end time management won us the game.”

The teams combined for 50 points in the opening quarter to set the tone for a historic offensive night.

Stanley (80-yard touchdown pass to Aiden Mirelis) and Casey (61-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thi-

monte) came out firing and the basketball-like scenario was on. Mirelis had 201 yards receiving.

The Dragons led 29-21 after the first quarter and clung to a 44-42 halftime lead. Peter Grief had a 15-yard touchdown run for the Falcons, who evened their record at the time to 3-3 and took hold of a playoff spot.

“It put us in a good situation for the playoffs,” said Guastafeste, whose team concludes the regular season this Saturday at Mineola at 11 a.m.

South took a 54-44 lead midway through the third quarter on touchdown runs by Casey and Brooks. Division answered with a 50-yard gadget play touchdown pass Mirelis to George Gendekos and regained the lead early in the fourth, 57-54, on Jason Perez’s third trip to the end zone.

The lead changed hands three more times. Brooks had a 7-yard touchdown run and the Falcons led 61-57 after Eric Kaneev’s extra point. Back came Division with a Perez 11-yard score that made it 64-61, but Casey & Co. had one more scoring drive in them.

“In all my years of coaching, I’ve never been in a game like that which was so dominated by both offenses, said Division offensive coordinator Jay Hegi, the former longtime Elmont head coach. “I knew it was going to come down to which team had the ball last. Unfortunately it wasn’t us.”

South’s offensive line of Kaneev, Hunter Rush, Emmanuel Williams, Sherry Raza and Angel Cruz, as well as tight end Zach Dyer, paved the way for Casey, Brooks and Aiden Paris to secure the W.

Elmont beats V.S. North, seals playoff spot

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

Elmont had negative yardage over its first three second-half possessions against a fired-up Valley Strean North defense in last Saturday’s homecoming game, but when it mattered most and with the season on the line, senior quarterback Aiden Barnes & Co. delivered.

Barnes directed a 68-yard touchdown drive capped by junior Elijah Davis’ 4-yard touchdown run with 2:40 remaining, and sophomore Christopher Franklin recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff as Elmont gutted out a 13-9 Nassau Conference III playoff-clinching victory on a picture-perfect fall afternoon.

“We faced some adversity but we came through in the end,” said Barnes, who kept the eventual winning drive alive with a 15-yard completion to senior Guypslee Chery on fourth-and-7 from the Elmont 34. “We sure didn’t want to lose homecoming,” he added. “It was a game we had to have and it feels good to clinch the playoffs.”

The result left both teams at 3-4, but Valley Stream North needs not

only a win over Manhasset in the regular-season finale but lots of help to snag the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference. North also needs Elmont to beat South Side, Clarke to knock off Division, Bethpage to defeat Carey, and Hewlett to beat Sewanhaka.

“We’re a senior-heavy team and this one hurts,” VSN head coach Mike Paolillo said. “We just have to focus on ourselves next week and get to 4-4. We need help, but we can only control what we can control.”

Elmont led 7-3 after each of the first three quarters and North’s defense had the hosts going in reverse for most of the second half with minus-10 yards through three series’. North senior Dom Verso recovered a crucial Elmont fumble at the 1-yard line to with seconds remaining in the opening half keep it a one-possession game. Senior Karim Waly and juniors Jerry Thomas and Eddy Turcios also had strong defensive efforts.

Elmont’s defense also stood tall following a game-opening drive that resulted in a 3-0 deficit thanks to senior A.J. Strojan’s 27-yard field goal. Chery had an interception and

seniors Jaiden Williams and Malachi Collins led the way in tackles.

The visitors regained the lead with 7:02 remaining in the fourth quarter in stunning fashion. Facing fourth-and-2 on its own 30, Paolillo called timeout to go over options.

“Originally we were looking of running a toss, but our coach up top didn’t like the look so we called timeout,” he said. “Then we were going to punt before we decided to go for it again. Their defense was blowing up the dive all game so we knew we had to try something different.”

North called a reverse, and senior Aidan Munro took it 70 yards to the house for a 9-7 lead.

“We knew we had to make plays and respond,” said Davis, who rushed for 173 yards and scored both Elmont touchdowns. “I’m glad we were able to punch it in.”

Victory was secured when senior Jean Lens forced a fumble on the kickoff following Davis’ go-ahead score and Franklin pounced on it.

“This win takes all the pressure off,” Elmont head coach Tom Innes said. “We didn’t want the season to come down to a must-win situation next week.”

Courtesy Maxwell Herschmann Falcons quarterback Danny Casey, top, and lineman Hunter Rush celebrated Casey’s game-winning touchdown run at Division Oct. 17.

Eric Dunetz/Herald

Izaiah Hill and Valley Stream North cling to faint playoff hopes after a 13-9 loss at Elmont.

Full steam ahead for Valley Stream South

By DYLAN BUTLER sports@liherald.com

Coach Pete Mastroda walked his players into the Valley Stream South gym during the preseason and asked them to look around at the banners.

It was evidence of a successful boys’ soccer program and a desire to return to that.

The Falcons didn’t add another banner this fall, but they may have set the foundation for a winning culture with their first playoff appearance in eight years.

South went 5-7-3, a third-place finish in Nassau Conference A-I and the No. 8 seed in the Nassau ‘A’ playoffs.

The Falcons’ playoff adventure was a short one, a 6-1 defeat to top-seeded Locust Valley in the Class A quarterfinals Oct. 23.

But it was a critical step to take in a cultural shift.

A return to the playoffs, though was the last thing Mastroda was thinking at the start of the season, when, due to injury, he was left without a goalkeeper on his roster and his squad fell to Mal -

verne/East Rockaway, 8-1, in the opener.

After utilizing field players, Mastroda found a response, convincing former JV goalkeeper Caesar Arrigo to return to soccer and man the net again.

It changed the course of the season.

“The amount of confidence that gave the team really turned everything around because we had a legit goalkeeper and then we had the pieces around the field,” Mastroda said. “It gave us a sense we can run with anybody,”

That belief materialized in a clutch 1-0 win over Lynbrook that was followed by a 2-2 draw against reigning New York State champ Floral Park in September.

That belief carried over to South’s first playoff game since 2017.

Junior Leo Garces (All-Conference) scored in the first half off an assist from sophomore All-County selection Luke Huczko, and South went into the second half tied 1-1 with mighty Locust Valley.

“There was no doubt they really believed they could do it,” Mastroda said.

Stefano Linardos scored a second-half hat trick and Lucas Mejia struck twice to help lead Locust Valley to victory.

And while the loss stings for the

seniors, Mastroda is excited about the returning pieces, including junior left back Corell Chance, an All-Conference selection, as well as Huczko, Garces, and Sebastian Meneses, who was also named All-Conference.

The seniors, of course, will be missed, including Andrew Reyes, who earned All-County honors, and Abner Contreras (honorable mention All-County). The duo led by example, filling a need by playing center back. And Sebastian Quezada battled through injury all year to wear the captain’s armband with pride.

“Even though he was injured and even though he missed a lot of minutes, he still maintained his role as our captain right to the end, leading the guys before every game and pre-game talk,” Mastroda said.

Although another banner wasn’t raised at Valley Stream South, the expectations have.

“I think the expectation will be, making the playoffs won’t be the goal,” Mastroda said. “Advancing in the playoffs and getting a deeper run, I think they believe that’s possible.”

Sophomore Luke Huczko, right, earned All-County honors this fall while helping lead the Falcons to their first playoff berth since 2017.

Terry Uellendahl/Herald

Four years in, Blakeman points to successes

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

Bruce Blakeman has had four years to make his mark as Nassau County executive — and he believes he has delivered. From boosting public safety to cutting taxes and protecting the county’s quality of life, his administration has stayed focused on core priorities. Blakeman, 70, spent his early political career in various offices in the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County. He was the commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 2001 to 2009, and was appointed to the Hempstead Town Board in 2015. Blakeman challenged then County Executive Laura Curran in 2021, and won.

As he seeks a second term, Blakeman told Herald reporters at a roundtable: “Now I have a record to run on.”

He acknowledged Las Vegas Sands’ withdrawal from its proposed casino project at the Nassau Hub, noting that alternative development plans are now progressing under a “Plan B” strategy. That alternate plan, Blakeman said, includes entertainment, residential, retail and hospitality components. Sands is now working with local developers to refine the new proposal, interviewing and vetting potential options, and Blakeman said he hoped to have information to present to the public in early January.

He expressed pride in the county’s partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — the first of its kind in the U.S. — which is using a portion of the Nassau County Correctional Center in East Meadow to hold detainees.

“I think the general public is very happy,” he said. “It’s made us a much safer county.”

In regard to the state’s takeover of Nassau University Medical Center, also in East Meadow, Blakeman said

County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is seeking re-election, touted his successes over the past four years. From public safety to quality of life, he believes he has delivered what he promised for Nassau County.

that in recent years, New York’s leadership has eliminated the hospital’s funding. It was headed in the right direction, he said, under its previous leadership, eliminating its financial deficit and maintaining its commitment to treating underserved populations.

He said he believed the state’s actions suggest an intent to either close the hospital or repurpose it as a mental health facility. “I think it’s nefarious,” he said, “and I think that it’s deleterious to the health of the community.”

NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE

Blakeman expressed support for his civilian deputy force, which he said is not a “militia.” Under state law, he said, county executives have the right to declare emergencies and deputize people for service.

“I created nothing more than a database of people who are willing to serve, who will be willing to train without getting paid,” he said. Most are military veterans or former law enforcement, he added, and will undergo firearms training in accordance with state law.

He also defended the county’s transgender sport ban, which prevents transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams at county-run parks and facilities. The bill, he said, received highly publicized support from Caitlin Jenner.

Blakeman also highlighted rising home values, the hiring of 600 new law enforcement officers, and seven Wall Street credit rating upgrades over the past four years — indicators, he said, of a structurally sound and fiscally responsible county budget.

Blakeman acknowledged that there is a need to address housing affordability for young people and senior citizens, but added that he disagreed with the state’s attempts to supersede local control.

“We’re densely populated, and we don’t have the land, and the public doesn’t want the density,” he said. “That’s why people move to the suburbs, and out of an urban environment.”

Koslow is focused on transparency and unity

By JORDAN VALLONE

jvallone@liherald.com

Seth Koslow wears many hats — husband, dad, attorney and legislator in Nassau’ County’s 5th District. This year the Democrat has taken on a new challenge: running for county executive against incumbent Bruce Blakeman. His campaign has focused on values like transparency, common-sense policies and bipartisan communication.

Koslow, 43, grew up in Baldwin, and now lives in Merrick with his wife, three children and their rescue dog, Coco. After college he worked in a variety of sales jobs before returning to law school. He started his career as a prosecutor in the Queens district attorney’s office, and now has his own law practice.

In 2023, he won an open seat in the 5th District, which encompasses Merrick, Freeport and parts of North Bellmore. When the opportunity arose for him to run for county executive, he decided to take it.

“The same way I wanted to make a difference in my district,” he told Herald reporters at a roundtable interview, “I want to make a difference in the county.”

Koslow was critical of the Blakeman administration’s communication with the Legislature’s minority caucus, and he pointed to the Nassau University Medical Center as a “perfect example” of where the county lacks transparency. The public hospital in East Meadow, which serves all patients regardless of their ability to pay for medical care, was taken over by New York state earlier this year.

“Instead of actually working with the state to save the hospital, (Blakeman) fought with them, and now we lost control,” Koslow said.

He said he had similar concerns about the Nassau

Tim Baker/Herald

County Legislator Seth Koslow is Bruce Blakeman’s Democratic challenger for the county executive seat. He was critical of the county’s lack of transparency and bipartisan communication.

County Correctional Center, also in East Meadow. The county agreed to a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is using a portion of the jail to hold detainees. In September, a Honduran national in custody at the jail died, roughly 18 hours after he was detained.

“We don’t know what’s going on with the buildings at the jail, whether ICE is using buildings indepen-

dently,” Koslow said. “It’s a lack of transparency — it’s a lack of planning for the county.”

With Las Vegas Sands officially stepping away from its casino proposal at the Nassau Coliseum site, Koslow said that while he doesn’t have a real estate background, he is open to partnering with others to find the best path forward for the Nassau Hub. He outlined a vision that includes a convention center, a hotel and housing, elements he believes would support revenue generation, boost tourism and promote development.

Koslow was very critical of Nassau County’s “militia” — a unit of armed volunteer residents that, he said, makes the county “less safe” and raises chain-ofcommand and liability issues. Koslow said that the Nassau County Police Department does a great job, describing them as “well-trained” and “very responsive,” and he couldn’t picture a situation in which armed volunteers would be necessary.

He also disagreed with the county’s transgender sport ban, which prevents transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams at countyrun parks and facilities.

“Let the (local) leagues handle it,” he said. “It’s not a county issue.”

Koslow said that the county needs to return to a “traditional” separation of the branches of government. If elected, he said, he would let legislators “do their jobs.”

“If I don’t necessarily like a law they pass, I have the right not to sign,” he said. “But that also gives me some leverage to negotiate.”

Local government, he said, has to work to support the people. “We’re talking about life and death here,” Koslow said. “We’re talking about your safety. We can’t play games in local politics.”

Tim Baker/Herald

Acts of Service Night showcases kindness

to the class that completed the most acts on a given day.

“Parents say Raise Craze opened up beautiful at-home conversations about empathy and gratitude,” Fasulo said. “Teachers noticed a gentler classroom culture, with students encouraging and helping one another more. Students shared simple, powerful reflections: ‘It felt good to make someone smile,’ and ‘Kindness is my new hobby.’ It’s clear Raise Craze isn’t just changing routines — it’s shaping hearts and minds.”

An important component of this year’s program was Acts of Service Night, held Oct. 21 in the school gym. The event invited students to earn additional Acts of Kindness by taking part in community-based activities on site. Participants created cards for local organizations, contributed to the school’s food drive and decorated outdoor walkways with encouraging messages.

According to the PTA, the evening highlighted student enthusiasm for service, especially when they can see how their efforts connect to people. Student Council members, under the guidance of advisor Denise DeMeo, supported the planning and execution of the night, contributing to its success.

The school also received a visit from New York State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, who came to acknowledge the efforts of the PTA and students. Her participation demonstrated

local support for programs that strengthen community bonds and help young people understand civic responsibility.

“She didn’t just visit, she connected: speaking with students, hugging parents, and praising the PTA for ‘making

kindness known,’” Fasulo said. “Her encouragement validated months of work and left everyone proud and inspired.”

Raise Craze retains over 90 percent of contributions for the school, allowing the PTA to put most of the money raised

directly toward student-focused initiatives. Dever Elementary met its $20,000 fundraising goal this year. PTA leaders plan to use the funds for projects that enhance the school environment and enrich educational programming.

While raising money is a key objective, the PTA emphasized that the program’s larger purpose is character building. Students experienced how a simple action can influence others and potentially inspire further kindness. They participated in an original “boomerang” video featuring students, staff and families to illustrate the concept of a ripple effect, reinforcing the idea that one person’s choice can lead to broader change.

Following the fundraiser, the school community is preparing for several additional service-centered events. These include continuing the food drive that benefits local food pantries, an annual coat drive focused on providing warmth for those in need and opportunities for engagement with Intergenerational Reading Partners. The PTA also looks ahead to International Night, a continuing cel ebration of diversity within the school community.

Dever Elementary School plans to continue growing its approach to fundraising through service. PTA leadership hopes that Raise Craze will expand to additional schools in the district and encourage a wider movement supporting empathy and mutual support.

District 13 students participate in STEM X

Valley Stream School District 13 fifth and sixthgraders in the gifted and talented program participated in the STEM X Festival at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City on Oct. 10.

The event, presented in collaboration with National Grid and Morrison Mentors, brought together students from across the region to engage with science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on activities.

“Our fifth and sixth graders at the festival showcased their impressive growth and collaborative spirit,” Ashley Garry, teacher in the gifted and talented program at Valley Stream UFSD 13, said. “They truly rose to the challenge and engaged meaningfully with every opportunity.”

During the festival, students rotated through interactive STEM stations featuring Rover Robots, drones, virtual reality headsets, circuits, Strawbees, LEGOs and solar-powered cars. These activities encouraged creative and critical thinking about technology and renewable energy applications in urban design and development.

Students also attended a planetarium show titled “Future Cities”, an immersive presentation that explored sustainable urban environments and the role of STEM in shaping future cities.

Participation in the STEM X Festival reflects the district’s commitment to offering enrichment experiences that broaden students’ academic experiences and introduce them to opportunities in science and technology.

–Angelina Zingariello

Courtesy Desiree Fasulo

Students at James A. Dever Elementary took part in an Acts of Kindness activity during Acts of Service Night, supporting the Raise Craze fundraiser.

Courtesy Valley Stream UFSD 13

Students in the gifted and talented program celebrated their participation in the STEM X Festival at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City on Oct. 10.

“Max” brings Valley Stream to NYLIFF

By ANGELINA ZINGARIELLO azingariello@liherald.com

Valley Stream resident Valentina Janek recently participated in a special screening of the independent feature film “Max,” held on Oct. 23 at the New York Long Island Film Festival in Lindenhurst.

Janek, who lives at The Meadows senior community, plays Graziella, a widowed mother caring for her adult son Max, who has special needs. The film explores the bond between mother and son and highlights the challenges of caregiving, emphasizing love, resilience and family support.

“It is very meaningful for me as I developed this image of Graziella, based on my life of nurturing and love because of my deceased mom, Antonete Tassone,” Janek said.

The film was written and directed by Angelo Amato, a former West Hempstead resident. Production took 17 days and was filmed in Janek’s Valley Stream home, which allowed for an intimate and authentic portrayal of the story. The layout of the house accommodated key scenes and contributed to the overall realism of the setting.

“I would say is it was the most the most amazing thing was me walking in and the layout of it; I don’t want to say it’s exactly what I saw when I wrote it, but it was just so perfect for what we wanted to do,” Amato said.

Janek’s involvement in “Max” built on her extensive experience in the arts and community. She hosts the Long Island Breakfast Club Show, volunteers with Ferretti Films and the NYLIFF and has authored two books focused on personal growth, friendship and life transitions. Her participation in the film drew on personal connections to family and Italian-American culture, allowing her to explore both performance and storytelling in a meaningful way.

“Max” received nominations for Best Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for Janek, while Amato took home the award for Best Actor. The honors were presented at a brunch held last Sunday. While the film received recognition in these categories, its message and impact remain the primary focus for the filmmakers. Amato hopes that the film will reach wider audiences, including families, organizations and individuals affected by special needs, and that it will continue to inspire and foster understanding.

“At this point in my life, it’s not about fame, it’s not even about money,” Amato said. “This is something I found myself feeling, that this is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Amato, who has been involved in filmmaking and acting since his youth, developed “Max” over several years while balancing a full-time teaching career. The story reflects his long-standing interest in meaningful and inspirational films and addresses issues related to caregiving and support for individuals with special needs.

The screening and awards brunch illustrate the growing presence of independent filmmaking on Long Island and the contributions of residents to the arts. As “Max” continues to reach new audiences, both Janek and Amato aim to expand its impact through additional screenings and community engagement, demonstrating the potential for locally produced films to resonate widely while celebrating the stories and talents rooted in neighborhoods like Valley Stream.

There will be a screening of “Max” on Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Douglaston. Seats can be reserved by calling 646-515-7244.

The film is available on YouTube by searching “Max,” an Angelo Amato film.

Angelo Amato and Valentina Janek at the NYLIFF screening of “Max,” the film they helped bring from a Valley Stream home to the festival stage.

Photos courtesy Angelo Amato

Angelo Amato with David Manganiello, Valentina Janek, Brandon Agnew and Stephen Chang at the screening, highlighting the group’s contribution to the feature’s festival presentation.

Ferretti looks to build ‘tax cutter’ reputation

By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com

John Ferretti says the purpose of serving in local government is to make a difference in people’s lives every day — something he hopes to continue if he is elected to a full term as Hempstead town supervisor.

Ferretti, of Levittown, said he was proud of his record as a Nassau County legislator, where he opposed tax increases and supported responsible budgeting. In seven and a half years in the Legislature, he helped reduce county taxes by $70 million and block $150 million in proposed hikes. His top priority, he said, is ensuring that the community he grew up in remains affordable for families.

“My track record as an elected official is very clear,” Ferretti said, “I am a tax cutter, and that’s the way to keep residents able to continue to live in the homes that they grew up in, like myself.”

Ferretti, a Republican, was appointed town supervisor on Aug. 5 following Don Clavin’s resignation. Since he took office, the town passed a 2026 budget that cuts property taxes by $5 million. Ferretti said it is the responsibility of local officials to do everything possible to help residents afford to stay in the communities where they grew up.

His appointment was not without controversy. His Democratic opponent, Joseph Scianablo, filed a lawsuit claiming that Ferretti and the town board violated the state’s Open Meetings Law, which requires 24 hours’ public notice for resolutions scheduled at meetings. In response, the board reappointed Ferretti at its Sept. 16 meeting — a move town officials said was necessary to protect taxpayers from the lawsuit. On Oct. 9, State Supreme Court Justice Gary Carlton ruled that the Aug. 5 appointment had violated the law, finding

Tim Baker/Herald

John Ferretti, who was appointed Hempstead town supervisor in August, says he wants to continue serving residents by keeping taxes low, supporting law enforcement and protecting the town’s quality of life.

that plans had been made before the meeting.

Ferretti emphasized that his appointment was not nullified. He said he could not comment on the pending litigation, but remained confident that the town would prevail in the case.

As supervisor, Ferretti said, he wants to prioritize public safety. He noted that during his time in the County Legislature, he supported measures to provide law enforcement with the tools they need, and led the

TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD SUPERVISOR

effort to reopen police precincts that had been closed. He also co-sponsored the Mask Transparency Act, which bans wearing face coverings in public to conceal identities.

Ferretti said he wanted police to be fully funded, and given the opportunity to put criminals behind bars. He said that he was against public safety reforms, such as bail reform and “Raise the Age” laws.

In response to Scianablo’s claims that he lacks transparency, Ferretti said he demonstrated openness in the budget process by publishing the preliminary budget several days before the Sept. 30 deadline and posting subsequent amendments online with more than 24 hours’ notice — a step not legally required and not customarily taken prior to his administration, he said.

“Every opportunity we have had since Aug. 5 to be transparent, we have taken that opportunity,” he said.

Ferretti said he supports protecting the town’s suburban quality of life, and opposes state efforts to allow high-rise apartments or change local zoning laws. He added that while Scianablo has called his appointment an advantage in the race, it’s only an advantage if he proves himself through his work.

“I believe that so far, from Aug. 5 until today,” Ferretti said, “my record has been pretty flawless.”

Scianablo: Hempstead needs accountability

By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com

Democrat Joseph Scianablo, a Marine combat veteran, former NYPD officer and prosecutor, is running for Town of Hempstead supervisor on a platform of restoring transparency, lowering taxes and holding local government accountable.

Scianablo, of Garden City, said he is running because of what he views as a lack of transparency from the current Town Board. He noted that families across the town are feeling the strain of rising costs — from a 12 percent property tax hike to increases in water, power and fuel bills.

Following the Aug. 5 appointment of his Republican opponent, John Ferretti, as town supervisor, Scianablo filed a lawsuit alleging that Ferretti and the board violated the state’s Open Meetings Law, which requires 24 hours’ public notice for resolutions scheduled at meetings. On Oct. 9, State Supreme Court Justice Gary Carlton ruled that the appointment had violated the law, but the decision did not nullify Ferretti’s appointment.

The violation, Scianablo said reflected a disregard for basic laws meant to ensure accountability. He added that he was frustrated with government waste and the misuse of taxpayer money. “This is what’s wrong with our local government,” he said. “It reeks of corruption. It reeks of waste, fraud and abuse. The people deserve better.”

Scianablo said he wants to restore integrity by getting the town’s finances in order with operational and financial audits. He also aims to make local government more accessible to working families by holding more Town Board meetings in the evening.

Jeffrey Bessen/Herald

Democrat Joe Scianablo, a Marine veteran and a former NYPD officer, is running for supervisor focused on transparency, fiscal accountability and expanded services for residents, veterans and domestic violence survivors.

“We all want the same thing from our government, and that’s what you’re going to get from me,” he said. “Your voices are going to be heard and you’re going to be governed fairly, and the people are going to be put first.”

If elected, Scianablo said, he would focus in his first 100 days on converting all town streetlights to LED fixtures to save an estimated $1 million annually, imple-

menting zero-based budgeting to ensure that every dollar is justified, and exploring shared services with neighboring towns to reduce duplicate costs.

His platform emphasizes what he calls “commonsense solutions,” including proactive infrastructure maintenance, performance-based funding and energy efficiency upgrades. He added that communities such as Hempstead, Uniondale, Roosevelt, and especially Baldwin have been calling for long-overdue development.

Improving public safety and supporting veterans, Scianablo said, would also be key priorities. Drawing on his law enforcement background, he hoped to strengthen trust between communities and public safety agencies. “I’m excited to see what we could do to make sure we bridge that divide between community and policing,” he said.

Scianablo said he also wants to support residents affected by domestic violence by partnering with nonprofits, law enforcement, and the Nassau County district attorney’s office. He has criticized the closure of the Safe Center LI, a Nassau-based facility for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors that closed in March, and pledged to expand related services through collaboration with the county and community partners.

“There is no one-stop shopping for survivors, victims and children to domestic violence,” Scianablo said. “We need to continue with that approach.”

He emphasized that he wants to serve as a supervisor who is accountable to the people of the Town of Hempstead.

“We are all seeking a government that is accountable for the people,” he said. “We are all seeking a government that’s transparent for the people. We are all on the same team here.”

Compiled by Herald staff

Destin Guerrier 9, Uniondale

I love going shopping for my costume! I want to be a Minecraft character this year.

Courtesy Ebony Guerrier

Mandell 6, Atlantic Beach

I like eating candy, picking candy from people and dressing up!

Berman/Herald

Stella Madero Massapequa

Seeing

Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald

Delilah

Melissa

Lucia 1st grade, Merrick I like going trick-or-treating.

Courtesy Merrick Union Free School District

Maxine Cappel Mayreis, Glen Cove Halloween lifts the constraints on my goofiness and allows me to torture people with my terrible dad jokes! I think.

Courtesy Maxine Cappel Mayreis

GENERAL ELECTION Candidates

County Executive

Ejecutivo del Condado

Amendment to Allow Olympic Sports Complex In Essex County on State Forest Preserve Land. Allows skiing and related trail facilities on state forest preserve land. The site is 1,039 acres. Requires State to add 2,500 acres of new forest land in Adirondack Park. A yes vote authorizes new ski trails and related facilities in the Adirondack forest preserve. A no vote does not authorize this use.

Enmienda para Permitir Complejo Olímpico de Deportes En el Condado de Essex en Tierra de Reserva Forestal Estatal. Permite el esquí e instalaciones relacionadas de pistas en tierra de reserva forestal estatal. El sitio es de 1,039 acres. Requiere que el Estado añade 2,500 acres de nueva tierra forestal en el Parque Adirondack. Un voto afirmativo autoriza nuevas pistas de esquí e instalaciones relacionadas en la reserva forestal Adirondack. Un voto negativo no autoriza este uso.

(1) DEM,MOD Seth I. Koslow REP,CON

Bruce A. Blakeman

District Attorney

Fiscal del Distrito

DEM, MOD Nicole Aloise REP, CON

Anne T. Donnelly

Comptroller

Controlador del Condado

for One (1) DEM, MOD Wayne H. Wink, Jr. REP, CON Elaine R. Phillips

County Clerk

Secretario

DEM, MOD Joylette E. Williams REP, CON Maureen C. O’Connell

Hempstead Supervisor

Supervisor

DEM, MOD Joe Scianablo REP, CON

John R. Ferretti

for One (1)

Hempstead

Secretario DEM, MOD Yveline County

Legislador

DEM Alec County

Legislador DEM Cynthia

Justice

Juez de DEM, REP, Paul Mark Margaret Joseph

ELECTIon’25

in districts covered by the

may be found at under the Elections ’25 tab. For election results after the polls close Tuesday night, go to LIHerald.com

Hempstead Town Clerk

Secretario Municipal

(1) MOD Yveline L. Dalmacy REP, CON Kate Murray

County Legislator District 7

Legislador del Condado Distrito 7 Vote for One (1) REP, CON

J. Fischthal Howard J. Kopel

County Legislator

District 14

Legislador del Condado Distrito 14 Vote for One (1) REP, CON

Cynthia Nunez Sheharyar Ali

Justice of the Supreme Court

la Corte Suprema

for Eight (8) REP, CON Kenny

Mark A. Cuthbertson

Margaret C. Reilly

Joseph C. Pastoressa

Steven A. Pilewski

James W. Malone

Carl J. Copertino

Bronwyn M. Black-Kelly

Surrogate Court Judge

CON

County Court Judge

DEM, REP, CON

Nancy Nicotra Bednar Donald X. Clavin, Jr.

Family Court Judge

Juez

REP, CON Robert E. Pipia

District Court Judge

REP, CON Maria Boultadakis

Robert G. Bogle

Howard E. Sturim

ATTENTION STUDENTS:

THE HERALD IS HOLDING A CONTEST TO DESIGN HOLIDAY WRAPPING PAPER

THE WINNING DESIGNS WILL BE PRINTED AS HOLIDAY GIFT WRAP IN 12/4/25 & 12/11/25 ISSUES OF YOUR HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

CONTEST RULES:

Who can enter: There will be 2 categories: Students in grades k-5. Students in 6-12 One entry per student

Deadline: Entries must be received by 5 p.m.

Friday, November 14, 2025

Requirements: All entries should have the student’s name, age, address, telephone number, email, grade and school printed on the back. Design can be reflective of all religious holidays. Entries will not be returned.

Mail or hand-deliver to:

Wrapping Paper Contest

Herald Community Newspapers

2 Endo Boulevard, Garden City, NY 11530 OR Scan and email to:

(No Photos of Artwork Will Be Accepted).

Winners will be notified by email or phone by November 21

Herald supports Cohen Children’s Medical Center

Herald Community Media and RichnerLIVE presented a $2,000 donation to Cohen Children’s Medical Center, the charity beneficiary of the Herald Women’s Executive Summit on Sept. 9 at the Crescent Beach Club.

The medical center is home to Long Island’s first Pediatric Heart Failure and Transplant Program and a nationally recognized team of specialists. This year the hospital earned its third con-

secutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, underscoring its mission to help families raise stronger, healthier kids.

Phyllis Quinlan, the medical center’s director of Holistic Services Administration, noted, “We are on track to offer over 5,000 15-minute holistic services to the CCMC staff, parents/family caregivers, and admitted pediatric patients in 2025.”

Creative Tips

• Must use 8 1/2 x 11” unlined paper, copy paper or construction paper.

• Be creative & original.

• Use bright colors.

• Fill the entire page.

Tim Baker/Herald

Stuart Richner, CEO of the Long Island Herald, left, with Phyllis Quinlan, director of Holistic Services Administration at Cohen Children’s Medical Center; Amy Amato, executive director of RichnerLIVE; and Sofia Agoritsas, vice president of operations at the medical center.

STEPPING OUT

Director Cindy Rosenthal steps up to the challenge of this rarely performed play, based on a story from Chaucer.

A tale of eternal friendship

Hofstra’s Shakespeare Festival takes on ‘The Two Noble Kinsmen’

By Abbey Salvemini

Shakespeare’s final — and perhaps most overlooked — play steps into the spotlight as “The Two Noble Kinsmen” arrives on Hofstra University’s celebrated Globe stage. Now in its 77th year, the annual Shakespeare Festival invites audiences to experience a production that follows the intense journey of two noble cousins, Palamon and Arcite, whose unbreakable bond is shattered when they fall in love with the same woman.

As the headline production, this tragicomedy sets the tone for a rich, two-week long festival season that includes “What Fools!,” a whimsical, one-hour version of A “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” ideal for children; also Hofstra Collegium Musicum’s concert of Elizabethan and Jacobean music inspired by Shakespeare’s era. Together, these performances promise a dynamic festival experience for audiences of all ages.

Directed by drama professor Dr. Cindy Rosenthal, the production brings to life a powerful story about friendship, competition and the messy realities of love. Whether you’re a Shakespeare devotee or new to his catalogue, this rarely-performed play offers a fresh, thought-provoking look at the Bard.

According to Rosenthal, the decision to produce “The Two Noble Kinsmen” is rooted in its relative obscurity — and its potential. She acknowledges that among her fellow theater historians, not many have studied the play or seen it performed.

“In that there is opportunity,” she says.“We may be the one production of this play that our audience members see. The question is: How can we best present this under-illuminated text by the greatest writer in the history of civilization? Let’s make the most of whatever ways we think it has value and interest. That’s the job.”

She recognizes that taking on the play is a learning curve for both herself and her students. Still, the opportunity to present something rare and meaningful made it worth the challenge.

“We would be able to offer something to our

• Now through Nov. 2

• Tickets are $15, members of the Hofstra community may receive up to two free tickets

• Visit hofstra.universitytickets. com to purchse tickets; more festival information at events. hofstra.edu

• John Cranford Adams Playhouse, South Campus, Hempstead.

audiences that they don’t get to see — and very likely won’t see again in their lifetime.”

She’s particularly interested in exploring the play’s layered emotional dynamics and how they speak to today’s audiences. The staging doesn’t shy away from the text’s “queer sensibility,” which runs throughout, making it an integral part of the storytelling.

This play “absolutely brings forward the value and the strength of same-sex relationships,” Rosenthal says, describing the work (that Shakespeare co-wrote with John Fletcher) as a significant reflection of today’s lineage of queer love.

Hofstra’s Globe stage — considered the most authentic recreation of Shakespeare’s original stage in North America — adds a unique dimension to the production. Rosenthal refers to the stage as “a real phenomenon.”

While she has directed for previous Shakespeare festivals at Hofstra, this is her first time with the Globe replica.

“Performing on the Globe stage makes it feel like we are part of history. It’s a beautiful achievement. Just being able to engage with the set is another part of the experience I look forward to sharing with the students and our audience,” she says.

Guiding her student actors on a play that few had encountered before was both a challenge and a joy for Rosenthal. Among the aspects most interesting to all involved is how the play celebrates love, both heterosexual and queer.

“It does that all the way through the text, both with women and men. Scholars have studied and written about the queer sensibility that permeates this play. I’m excited and the students are excited to explore and bring life to the relationships among the characters,” she adds.

Anthony Avalos, of Roosevelt, is among Rosenthal’s young cast who fully embraces his director’s enthusiasm. Avalos, who does the roles of both a soldier and a knight, declared that his appreciation for the play grew with every reading of it.

“When I actually saw everyone molding these characters, that’s when I really fell in love with the story,” he says.

Rosenthal’s visual approach is designed to blend tradition with fresh interpretation.

“We want to find a way to bridge the gap and to resonate with our own community,” she notes.

Costume choices, for example, were guided by the characters’ journeys and how those stories can connect with audiences today — incorporating playful, contemporary touches into the overall aesthetic.

Rosenthal recalls visiting Hofstra’s Globe to see a performance of “Hamlet,” on a school trip as a student at Jericho High School, The experience, she says, led her to realize just how much she loved and admired both the show and Shakespeare’s language.

“It’s an amazing full-circle moment for me.”

For those who may not know the play — or Shakespeare at all — she invites them to approach it with curiosity, offering a simple message: “Have an open mind.”

Adam Glaser

The always-enthralling South Shore Symphony invites ghosts and goblins of all ages to its first Halloween Spooktacular at its longtime Madison Theatre home. Music Director and Conductor Adam Glaser leads his musicians — all decked out in costumes — in orchestral favorites. The audience is encouraged to join in the fun by wearing costumes, but are also welcome, of course, to “come as you are.” The spirited program includes six most popular and accessible works. In fact, nearly all of them will be familiar given their usage in movies, television shows and cartoons. For instance, many will instantly recognize the concert’s opening, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: by French composer Paul Dukas. This piece was the “soundtrack” for the beloved segment in Disney’s “Fantasia.” during which Mickey Mouse plays the role of the apprentice who begins practicing his boss’ magic tricks.

Saturday, Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m. $35, $30 seniors, $10 students. Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. Tickets available at madisontheatreny.org or (516) 3234444.

Orchestre National de France

Music Director Cristian Macelaru guides the Orchestre National de France on its first U.S. tour in nearly 10 years at Tilles Center, during their brief three-concert tour. Joined by pianist-extraordinaire Daniil Trifonov the orchestra performs repertoires that lie at the core of its identity: Maurice Ravel (to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his birth), Elsa Barraine and Camille SaintSaëns. This masterful program brings the listener on a picturesque journey from start to finish. The programming of Elsa Barraine’s Symphony No. 2 with its gumptous string lines that compliment the playfulness of the work’s structure sits beautifully in the program with Ravel’s Daphnis & Chloé.

Saturday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or tillescenter.org or (516) 299-3100

Photos courtesy Hofstra University

Hofstra’s exacting replica of London’s Globe Theater is considered the most authentic recreation of Shakespeare’s original theater in the U.S.

Grant Tridone, left, stars as Arcite, with Bela Valente as Emilia and Andrew Heitman in the role of Palamon in this mesmerizing production. Friendship turns to rivalry in a study of the intoxication and strangeness of love.

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CALENDAR

OCT 30

Veterans Toiletry Drive

Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce and the Village of Valley Stream are collecting toiletries to support veterans in need. Donations can be dropped off at multiple locations throughout the village.

• Where: Valley Stream Library, Pool, and Village Hall

• Time: Noon-10 p.m., through Nov. 14

• Contact: (516) 845-7878

OCT 31

Henry Waldinger Library invites kids to come in costume for Halloween stories, a paradeand simple DIY crafts. Treats will be provided for all participants. Open to children in grades K-6. Registration required.

• Where: Where: 60 Verona Place

• Time: 4 p.m.

• Contact: valleystreamlibrary.org or call (516) 825-6422

NOV

1

Long Island Turkey Trot Step into November with the Long Island Turkey Trot 5K.

• Where: Eisenhower Park, Parking Field 2

• Time: 9 a.m.

• Contact: EliteFeats. com/25LITurkeyTrot

Dia de Muertos Nichos

Long Island Children’s Museum welcomes families to experience Dia de Muertos, the vibrant holiday that is widely celebrated in Mexico. Learn about nicho, the beautifully adorned frames are a popular form of folk art of the region and are often used on ofrendas to memorialize someone special. Make one to take home at the drop-in program. For ages 3+.

• Where: Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: Noon-2 p.m.

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

NOV

2

Splish Splash… Animal Bath

Hang out with some Long Island Children’s Museum’s “residents” at the drop-in program. Join an animal educator in the Hive Studio’s in the Feasts for Beasts Gallery to learn what goes into the care of LICM’s animal “residents.” Observe animal bath time.

• Where : Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: 1:30-2 p.m.

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

Ted Nash’s ‘Presidential Suite’

Ted Nash’s Big Band brings the Grammy Award-winning “Presidential Suite” to the Tilles Center stage. This fascinating program pairs historic speeches by figures like Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, and others with bold, jazz-driven orchestrations. With Nash’s thoughtful direction and expressive playing, the hard swinging band offers a powerful and resonant performance that bridges history, music and the spirit of swing. Each movement is tied to a different speech by world leaders, giving the words new resonance through music. Presidential Suite is considered Nash’s most significant work. Inspired by great political speeches of the 20th century dealing with the theme of freedom, it is rich with social and political awareness. It involved a very creative approach; Nash transcribed the speeches for their actual musical pitches and created themes, placing them into contexts that embraced the speakers and the location and era of the speeches. A longtime member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Nash has spent 25 years blending intellect, emotion and bold creativity through his compositions. Acclaimed as one of the most innovative voices in modern jazz, he’s known for his boundless creativity as an arranger and performer. Nash leads multiple innovative projects while remaining at the forefront of the jazz scene with a demanding touring schedule as a core member of the JLCO. From pushing boundaries with the Jazz Composers Collective — of which he’s a co-founder — to appearing on “best-of” lists in the New York Times, The New Yorker and Billboard, Nash continues to redefine what jazz can be. He has that uncanny ability to mix freedom with substance, blues with intellect and risk-taking with clarity.

• Where: Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: ticketmaster.com or tillescenter.org or (516) 299-3100

Art Talk Join Poster Historian and Gallerist Ted Bahr for” In a Furious Moment - The History and Development of the Psychedelic Rock Poster.” The psychedelic rock poster had a brief but colorful life from 1966 to 1970. Originating out of San Francisco in a utopian period where it was thought that peace and love could change the world, these posters advertised the rock “dance concerts” and reflected the very psychedelic and idealistic world around them. Breaking all the rules of graphic design and advertising, the psychedelic rock posters sought to be as illegible as possible, to force competing colors together to create a vibratory effect, and appropriated images from all eras of history, Seating is limited. Registration required. $20, $15 seniors, members free.

• Where: 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor

• Time: 3 p.m.

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

NOV

18

District 13 BOE meets

District 13 School Board holds its regular policy and business committee meetings. Stay informed on district matters.

• Where: Administrative Office Conference Room

Central High School District BOE meets The Central High School District hosts its regular business meeting. Stay informed on district matters.

4

5 Halloween Storytime and Parade

• Where: Location tentative

• Time: 8 p.m.

• Contact: vschsd.org NOV

District 24 BOE meets District 24 Board of Education meets to review school operations and community concerns. Decisions and plans for upcoming district initiatives will be discussed.

NOV

• Where: William L. Buck School

• Time: 7:45 p.m.

• Contact: valleystreamschooldistrict24.org

Little

NOV

6

Learners Art Lab

Each week in this engaging workshop, participants are introduced to handson materials, artmaking, and inspiration from artists and techniques. Young kids, ages

2-5, build critical thinking skills, expand vocabulary, and support imaginations as they play, create and explore. This week decorate a sea-themed frame. $4 with museum admission.

• Where : Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: 11:30 a.m.-noon

• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800

Teen Book Club

NOV

7

Henry Waldinger Memorial Library welcomes teens to its book club. The selection is “Ghost” by Jason Reynolds, the first book in his bestselling “Track” series. Participants will read and discuss Ghost’s story of talent, challenges, and second chances. Registration required.

• Where: Where: 60 Verona Place

• Time: 4 p.m. (Alternate session 6:30 p.m.)

• Contact: valleystreamlibrary.org or call (516) 825-6422

‘Once Upon A Song!’

Join L.I. Cabaret Theatre for their latest performance. In this spirited show books in NOV

8

a library are brought to life in song and dance. A cast of 40 keeps the action moving along, with a live band and and a special appearance by Steve Mitchell as Elvis. The singers and dancers perform current hits, oldies and tunes from the Broadway stage, with a tribute to Woodstock and “Wicked.” With refreshments and post-show dancing until 1 A.M. Seating is night-club style at round tables. $30 per person, available in advance or at the door. Refreshments provided; guests can bring in your own food (just no pork or shellfish).

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

• Time: 7:30 p.m., also Nov. 15

• Contact: licabaret@aol.com or (516) 946-7207

Flip Your Lid

NOV

9

Families are invited to commemorate America Recycles Day at Long Island Children’s Museum by upcycling mason jar lids into beautiful works of art, at the drop-in program. Free with museum admission. For ages 3+.

• Where: Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: 1-3 p.m.

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

• Time: 6:30 p.m.

• Contact: valleystream13.com

NOV 22

Valley Stream Runs

Omnibus, a satellite of the Broadway Ultra Society, presents the 2025 Valley Stream Runs, featuring a 6-hour and 3-hour race. The looped course is flat, tree-lined and circles Valley Stream Pond in Hendrickson Park.

• Where: Arthur J. Hendrickson Park (Start area adjacent to Katherine Everson Playground)

• Time: 6-hour starts at 8:30 a.m.; 3-hour starts at 9:30 a.m.

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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.

Public Notices

Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders

Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None.

12 Not applicable.

13. Publication Title: VALLEY STREAM HERALD.

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: SEPTEMBER 18, 2025

6. Annual Subscription Price: $50. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 2 ENDO BLVD, GARDEN CITY, NY 11530

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, Nassau County, NY 11530.

9 Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor. Publisher: Richner Communications, Inc., Stuart Richner, 2 ENDO BLVD, GARDEN CITY, NY 11530. Editor: ANGELINA

ZINGARIELLO, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, Nassau County, NY 11530. Managing Editor: JEFF BESSEN, 2 ENDO BLVD, GARDEN CITY, NY 11530.

10. Owner: Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, Nassau County, NY 11530; Clifford Richner, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, Nassau County, NY 11530; Stuart Richner, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, Nassau County, NY 11530.

11. Known Bondholders,

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR RESIDENTIAL ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION, HOME EQUITY MORTGAGE ASSETBACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-KS2, -against-

RONALD AUGUSTIN, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on August 3, 2023, wherein U.S.

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: a. Total No. Copies: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 4000; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 4000. b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions stated on Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 18; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 18. (2) Mailed In-County Paid

Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 391; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 352. (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, and Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 1671; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 1550. (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 0;

BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR RESIDENTIAL ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION, HOME EQUITY MORTGAGE ASSET-BACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-KS2 is the Plaintiff and RONALD AUGUSTIN, ET AL., are the Defendants. I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, NORTH SIDE STEPS, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on November 6, 2025 at 2:00PM, the premises known as 235 DOGWOOD ROAD, VALLEY STREAM, NY 11580; tax map

Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 0. c. Total Paid Distribution: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 2080; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 1920 d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution( by Mail and Outside the Mail) : (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 712; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 845. (2)Free or Nominal In-County as Stated on Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 614;Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 0 (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies

Mailed at Other classes

Mailed Through the USPS: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 0; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 0. (4) Free or Nominal Rate

Distribution Outside the Mail: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 100 Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 300. e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 1426; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 1145 f. Total Distribution:

identification 37-541-43; and description: ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF VALLEY STREAM, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK . Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 606069/2021. Scott H. Siller, Esq., as Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for

Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 3506; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 3065. g. Copies Not Distributed: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 494; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 935. h. Total: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 4000; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 4000. i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 59.33%; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date,62.64%

16. This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the OCTOBER 30, 2025, issue of this publication.

17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: Stuart Richner, Owner; Date: October 1, 2025 I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material information requested on the form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

1322421

Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 156127

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR LBTREEHOUSE SERIES VI TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. GURPREET KAUR, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee

News brief

Atlantic Beach rescue earns recognition

Members of the Nassau County Legislature Minority Caucus joined the full Legislature in honoring Nassau County Police Department Fifth Squad Lieutenant Chris Boylan as the Superior Officers Association’s October ‘top cop’ in recognition of life-saving efforts while off-duty to save a young boy from a rip current near a jetty off of Clearwater Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, prior to the start of the Oct. 20 meeting.

“The little boy survived because someone else was able to get to him,” Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton wrote in a news release. “You – thank

God – had the training. It’s life-anddeath a lot of times. I’m very glad you were ok as well as the boy you saved.”

Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Debra Mulé said the ocean is unpredictable and putting yourself in this situation is incredible.

“I’m not surprised – I know you personally from Franklin Square and the Fifth Precinct – and I congratulate you for your sacrifices and service to our community,” Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages wrote in a news release.

–Melissa Berman

Public Notices

Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on April 10, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on November 17, 2025 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 55 State Street, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 621 and Lot 22. Approximate amount of judgment is $470,988.99 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #602927/2023.

Jaime D. Ezratty, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 241389-1 156284

LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE OF SALE OF COOPERATIVE APARTMENT SECURITY BY VIRTUE OF DEFAULT in a security agreement executed on November 17, 2000 by Edward C. Stokes and Sharon A. Stokes, and in accordance with its rights as holder of the security, Nationstar Mortgage LLC, by Kim Carrino, Auctioneer, will conduct a public sale of the security

consisting of 435 shares of common stock in 510-530 DuBois Avenue Owners, Inc. and all rights title and interest in and to a proprietary lease between corporation and debtor for UNIT 4A in a building known as and by the street address, 510-530 Dubois Avenue, Apt. 4A, Valley Stream, NY 11581 together with fixtures and articles of personal property now or hereafter affixed to or used in connection with UNIT 4A on November 17, 2025 at 9:30AM North Facing Front Steps of the Nassau County Court House, 262 Old Country Road, Mineola, NY 11501, in satisfaction of an indebtedness in the principal amount of $10,273.78 plus interest from January 01, 2025 and cost s, subject to open maintenance charges. The secured party reserves the right to bid. Ten percent (10%) deposit by bank or certified funds required at Auction, payable to the attorneys for the secured party. Closing within 30 days. Such sale shall be subject to the terms of sale.

GROSS POLOWY LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 (716) 204-1700

ATTORNEYS FOR SECURED CREDITOR 87335 156406

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU NewRez LLC d/b/a Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing, Plaintiff AGAINST

Vishal Dan; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 3, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on December 4, 2025, at 2:00PM, premises known as 122 Rockaway Parkway, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situated, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 37 Block 90 Lots 110 & 248. Approximate amount of judgment $458,688.49 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 600396/2020. Foreclosure auction will be held “Rain or Shine”

Anthony C. Curcio, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC

Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: October 14, 2025 156527

Company, as Trustee, for Carrington Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2005-NC4 Asset Backed Pass-Through Certificates, Plaintiff AGAINST Nicolas Carpio a/k/a Nicholas Carpio; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered December 17, 2013, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on December 2, 2025, at 2:00PM, premises known as 2 Fulton Place, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 37 Block N Lots 676 & 677. Approximate amount of judgment $435,801.19 plus interest and costs. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Judith L Powell, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC

Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: October 15, 2025 156525

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A house makes the scary sounds of the season

Q. Our home seemed very normal when we first moved in, but little by little, things began to happen that we couldn’t explain. Doors would open and close, floors creaked with nobody in the room, a particular wall “sweats” one day a year, and we keep hearing a low moaning sound followed by tapping coming from our den. We’ve had a handyman come and try to assess some of the door squeaks and things, but is any of what I described normal, or could some of it truly be a sign of something unexplainable?

A. When things go bump in the night, you can’t always run to your mummy. It seems we humans have always had a fascination with death, and our minds create endless possible scenarios.

The first two things I was taught in architecture school were that we need to always be concerned about water and movement. How water affects our lives as a gas, liquid or solid is fascinating, and maybe a little spooky. Materials like the center of a tree trunk, when exposed, sanded and coated, become reactive to humidity we can’t easily see, which causes the wood to re-swell. The fibers in wood were once a set of feeding tubes, drawing water from the roots to the leaves, before someone came along and cut the tree down, stripped, sliced and kiln-dried it. Nature is super and natural, so it’s no wonder that it seems supernatural for wood to want to regain its former capability, and creak and moan as it delightfully regains its former life. Some things can’t be explained easily, like why someone doesn’t check to see that a door is hung correctly, to be plum in the horizontal and vertical, so that the slightest breeze or pressure change makes it seem to move on its own. When heated or cooled water moves through a metal pipe (more so than through a plastic pipe), it expands or contracts it. If the pipe hangers holding it in the floor structure or the holes it snakes through are only the size of the pipe, the materials push and pull against each other, making banging and tapping sounds or, in some cases, squealing sounds.

I’ve often explained that homes are, in many ways, just like other living things, possessing a nervous system (their electric wiring), a skeleton, a skin and the ability to breathe in and out. Even though your home may have “good bones,” it still gets creaky and expands and contracts with the heat and cool cycles, when it’s hit with the hot sun and cool winds. Every day, your home lifts itself out of the ground, expands outward toward the sun and then, as you lie in bed in the darkness, you hear the materials all move past each other as they contract, settling in for the night, just like you.

Just remember, if you don’t pay your exorcism bill when it comes due, you run the risk of being repossessed!

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Trump has written first chapter of a new Mideast history

president Trump’s achievement of reaching an agreement to end the two-year war in Gaza is a truly historic moment. It is a tribute to Trump’s leadership, and to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s determination to stand firm against an amalgam of critics ranging from the simply misinformed to virulent anti-Israel and/or antisemitic voices.

The return of the hostages who are still alive and the enactment of a ceasefire are critical and monumental. Even more significant in the quest for a lasting peace is how the major Arab nations, and a leading nonArab Muslim country like Turkey, have lined up against Hamas. Trump capped off the significance of the moment by delivering a fiery speech to the Israeli Knesset before jetting to Egypt for a Gaza agreement signing ceremony with the Arab leaders and President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

Just months ago, all this would have been deemed improbable, if not impossible. But as important as these monumental steps are, they are only first

steps. Much difficult work remains for Trump’s overall plan to succeed.

Who will carry out the weapons inspections to ensure that Hamas has fully disarmed? How and when will a transition government for Gaza, without Hamas, be formed?

Which of the nations will provide the troops for the peacekeeping force that will maintain the agreement? How much will it cost to rebuild Gaza? All of these questions are real, but should not be allowed to derail the agreement, which has provided the greatest opportunity for real peace since Israel’s creation as a nation state in 1948.

But any reluctance to remain fully engaged will incentivize Hamas.

ist organization is fanatical and suicidal, and will take whatever disruptive action it can. If it refuses to show evidence of complete disarmament, the United States must support the Israel Defense Forces going in to forcibly take away Hamas’s weapons. If Arab nations don’t provide the necessary troops for the international peacekeeping force, Trump must do what he does best, and bring to bear whatever pressure is required for them to live up to their obligations.

Trump will have to stand strong behind the agreement that he formulated and brought to fruition. It is clearly in America’s national interest to make it work. The president will have to resist the anti-Israel/antisemitic attacks and the isolationist rants from uninformed elements in his MAGA base. Any reluctance to remain fully engaged will incentivize Hamas and lead to the crumbling of Arab nations’ support for the agreement.

Now that we are so fully engaged, the United States cannot afford to back away. Hamas realizes that if this agreement survives, Hamas won’t. The terror-

As for bringing together a Hamas-free transition entity, the United States must work with Israel and other key regional countries to have our intelligence agencies coordinate an effective vetting process to ensure that Hamas does not infiltrate the transitional governing body that must be created. Trump would be well advised to work with Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair throughout this process, and make use of his proven diplomatic and peacekeeping abilities. Rebuilding Gaza is essential. Gaza is wrecked, much of it reduced to rubble. Rebuilding it seems insurmountable. But so did rebuilding Germany and Japan after World War II. The United States realized that it was in our national and economic interests to have those coun-

Presidents make mistakes, but

Long Island is a populous region. It is estimated to have a combined two-county population of just under 3 million people. The island boasts many famous names, including Billy Joel and Billy Crystal. One name that keeps cropping up, not in the category of highly respected people, is that of former U.S. Rep. George Santos a wellknown regional figure for all the wrong reasons. In August 2024 Santos pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud and identify theft. In April he was sentenced to seven years in a federal prison — and Long Islanders were able to turn their attention to other, more serious matters. That was so until two Fridays ago, when President Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he was issuing a commutation of Santos’s sentence. Sadly, within hours, Santos was freed from prison after having served less than three months.

There aren’t many news items that

can jolt Long Islanders, but that commutation hit many like a ton of bricks. For the better part of 2024, the media had had a field day with Santos. While he had been a member of Congress, representing the Island’s North Shore, friends from as far away as Florida and California flooded my phone with inquiries about whether I knew Santos, and what he was like. Other than being familiar with his name and the allegations, I was glad that our paths never crossed.

During my many years on earth I have heard of hundreds of pardons and commutations, issued by presidents and governors, but very few have stunned me like this one. I can cite name after name of people who have benefited from this variety of kindness. Presidents of both parties have pardoned or commuted the sentences of such famous names as the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, and Patty Hearst. Any American with a knowledge of history knows of President Gerald Ford’s pardon of the disgraced President Richard Nixon.

N ot many news items jolt Long Islanders, but George Santos’s pardon did.

The first recorded act of American governmental discretion was the amnes-

tries rebuilt and stabilized, and formulated the Marshall Plan to coordinate the rebuilding of Germany. In Japan, Gen. Douglas MacArthur was given the power to create a democratic government and a free economy. With American leadership, these two nations created strong democratic societies while rebuilding their countries with vibrant economies. None of this came easy. President Harry Truman had to fight off resistance from isolationists and remnants of the discredited America First movement, which had kept the United States from being fully prepared for World War II. Truman was able to effectuate this by coordinating efforts with national security-minded Republicans to rebuild Europe and establish NATO, which, over the course of four decades, deterred Soviet aggression, overwhelmed the Russian economy and led to the collapse of the Communist government there, the disintegration of the Iron Curtain and the liberation or Eastern Europe’s captive nations. Today’s isolationists have no sense of history, and naively claim that “nation building” must be disregarded. Trump must stand firm behind his Gaza agreement and solidify his position in history as a true peacemaker.

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

this one was a doozy

ty issued to participants in the Whiskey Rebellion in the early 1790s. George Washington granted relief to those who were convicted. Bill Clinton pardoned financier Marc Rich and Roger Clinton, his half- brother. President Biden issued a blanket pardon of a number of members of his family. To date, Trump has pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than a dozen present or former public officials.

So what’s the big deal about George Santos? No figure from our region has been the subject of so much public scorn from so many people in both political parties. Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman and County Chair Joe Cairo both called for Santos’s expulsion from Congress. Wellknown Democrats including Congress members Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen asked for similar action.

Regrettably, Santos has become the poster boy for conduct that we have never experienced in our fairly closeknit community. His exaggerations about his record, when he presented himself to the Island’s voters, are now part of our political folklore. He claimed so many false things about his life that

there are too many to recite in one column. But his mistruths eventually caught up with him, and he wound up being sentenced to federal prison. Santos’s release following his presidential gift continued to attract political scorn from Republican Congressmen Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota, who were among those who had called for his expulsion from the House. Since he was released, he has claimed that he would consider becoming a “prison reform” advocate. Absent proof in the future, his post-prison remarks very much resemble his original exaggerations.

Those of us who live in the political world are very cognizant of the quality of the people who sign their sworn oath of office and promise to abide by the Constitution of our republic. We ask that they be true to us in order to gain our trust. They sometimes stray from their path, but most of them toe the line and don’t ignore their pledge to America.

Santos was a big disappointment, and all of Long Island regrets the leniency he was given that he didn’t deserve.

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

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When disaster strikes, the Red Cross responds

When disaster strikes — from Amityville to Alaska — the American Red Cross answers the call. It’s one of the most recognized humanitarian organizations in the world, yet its reach is often most powerful in our own neighborhoods.

HERALD

On Long Island, the Red Cross stands as a beacon of compassion and readiness, providing aid when emergencies leave families shattered and communities reeling.

The Red Cross exists to meet human need, fast. Whether it’s a house fire in Baldwin, flooding in Freeport or a snowstorm that knocks out power across Nassau and Suffolk counties, the American Red Cross on Long Island mobilizes within hours to provide food, blankets and shelter. The organization’s volunteers are often the first to arrive and the last to leave. They help displaced families find stability, deliver health services and connect victims with longer-term recovery resources.

Beyond disaster relief, the Red Cross supports hospital networks and local blood drives, trains residents in lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid, and educates communities about home safety. Perhaps its most impactful local program is the Sound the Alarm campaign, in which free smoke alarms are installed in homes

letters

The

shutdown is ‘malpractice’ by both

parties

To the Editor:

Re U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi’s op-ed in last week’s issue, “How does this shutdown finally end?”: The question should be, How was this made to happen from the beginning? We have military personnel serving and not getting paid. We have air traffic controllers and other federal employees working and not getting paid. Yet we have a Congress not working and getting paid. Are they truly representing the people, or their party affiliations and their own selfish interests?

When leverage is discussed, it isn’t about the people affected, but the perception of which party thinks it has the upper hand. We have politicians who, when they were the majority party, were for continuing resolutions, and now, because they are the minority party, are against them. How much damage of people’s personal lives are they willing to hold out for?

There are issues that should be discussed, but shutting down the government isn’t the way to go about it. This is not only an embarrassment, but a disgraceful malpractice committed by both parties toward the citizens of

across Long Island. These simple devices have saved hundreds of lives nationwide and dozens here at home — tangible proof that prevention is just as important as emergency response.

The organization’s effectiveness stems from its people. Across Nassau and Suffolk, the Red Cross is powered by volunteers from all walks of life — doctors who lend their expertise in medical emergencies, retired police officers who bring calm to chaos and educators who teach safety preparedness in schools.

Among them is Jennifer Keane, athletic director and trainer in the Wantagh School District. Keane was one of the Long Island chapter’s heroes for helping to save the life of referee Joe Gaskin at a Nassau County boys’ basketball finals game in March. With a medical team administering CPR and Keane using an automated external defibrillator, they revived Gaskin after he collapsed. Keane stayed by his side, reassuring him and helping to calm him as he regained consciousness.

The results speak for themselves. Every year the American Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters nationwide. In the Greater New York region that includes Long Island, the organization responds to roughly 2,300 emergencies each year, from building collapses to home fires to flooding.

Thanks to those smoke alarm installations, the Red Cross has prevented tragedies before they could happen.

These outcomes ripple far beyond the crises at hand. Each act of service strengthens community resilience, teaching residents how to prepare for the next emergency and ensuring that no one faces it alone. The Red Cross model proves that organized compassion, backed by training and teamwork, can turn heartbreak into hope.

The success of that mission depends on all of us. You don’t need a medical degree or a uniform to make a difference. You can join a disaster response team, train to install smoke alarms, or simply contribute funds to support relief efforts. Every dollar, every hour volunteered helps save lives and restore dignity to those in need.

When a crisis strikes, the Red Cross shows that humanity’s greatest strength lies in our willingness to help. On Long Island, it’s not just an organization; it’s a community of neighbors ready to act.

In moments of disaster, the Red Cross doesn’t just respond. It reminds us who we are — a region, and a nation, defined by generosity, courage and the unyielding belief that no one should face tragedy alone.

To learn more or to become a Long Island volunteer, call (516) 747-3500, or go to RedCross.org.

opinions Learning lessons about civility from the past

we all know that the current political divide in this country can seem insurmountable at times. I don’t wish to address our current leaders, or what we see in our streets, or political assassinations. Instead I want to offer an example of how we can all work together for the common good of our country — as well as the state, county, town and village.

As an educator, I was taught to always give my students positive examples and success stories. It was considered counterproductive to show and teach students how not to do things. I want to apply that philosophy to today’s discord.

I’m a vocal critic of the rhetoric we are seeing today. Instead of always attacking and fighting, can’t we treat one another with respect? Disagreements do not have to lead to violence. Obviously, history tells us that for centuries, political, cultural and reli-

gious differences have led to death, destruction and war. Sadly, violence is embedded in human history since the beginning of time. People approach me today and say that the divides we are experiencing are the worst ever — at home, in Ukraine, in the Middle East and on and on.

Surely they’re bad, but struggles for control and power date back thousands of years. That’s no excuse for today’s behavior; I’m just pointing out that since the Roman Empire, which began in 27 BC; the Crusades, which began in the 11th century; the French, Russian and American revolutions and the Civil War, through the assassinations of four United States presidents and several other attempts, times have always been pretty rough. We like to believe that we have evolved, and in some respects we have. But significant ideological and political differences continue to permeate our lives, even disrupting family gatherings and destroying friendships. It doesn’t have to be this way. Can’t we offer good examples of human behavior to build on and learn from?

p resident

Perhaps we can study the relationship of Thomas P. (Tip) O’Neill and Ronald Reagan. For younger readers, O’Neill was the speaker of the House of Representatives from 1977 to1987, and Reagan, a former Hollywood actor and California governor, was president from 1981 to 1989.

Reagan and Speaker Tip

O’Neill usually disagreed, but they got along.

Historians have described the relationship of these two leaders, who differed greatly in political ideology, as a model of friendship and mutual respect. They led by example. They didn’t agree on very much, but they demonstrated courtesy and compromise. They shared a love of the United States. If each could get something for the citizens they represented, those who elected them, it was a win for both. It was never all or nothing.

What can we do to help America be successful? Obviously it’s always a negotiation, and every person has their strengths and weaknesses. But violence and hateful rhetoric are never the answer.

Today, it seems to me, politicians are always pointing out the worst in their

Letters

this country.

TONY GIAMETTA Oceanside

Sharing memories of Woodmere with Randi

To the Editor:

I loved Randi Kreiss’s column last week, “Returning to autumn in New York, 2025.” I grew up in Woodmere myself. We lived off West Broadway, on a little dead-end street called Crestwood Road. The street contains some seven houses. Four guys, including me, who grew up there still get together for lunch now and then.

I graduated from George W. Hewlett High School in 1957, and remember Woodmere Dock and the rowboat rentals. I remember it as Simon’s dock. Thanks for the memories, Randi!

KEN WAlKER Amityville

Sharing memories of grandparents with Jordan

To the Editor:

Thanks to Jordan Vallone for her recent column, “My grief for my late grandma is love imploding.” I’m now 79 years young, but still miss my Harry and Nanny, my Bronx maternal grandparents. That bond is unbreakable.

Thanks to what they gave me, I now have a similar bond with my youngest grandson, Jackson, 5. One way to honor the departed loved ones is to pass the love on. This makes the days with the little guy very special. So I hope Vallone enjoys and rejoices in the memories of her grandmother. Such wonderful relationships make the world a better place.

RICK HERMAN Lido Beach

opponents instead of focusing on their own best. It’s hard not to “fight fire with fire,” but we really must find a way.

Social media, and constant electronic contact will all corners of the globe, seem to amplify our differences. Media outlets and social media seem to always find a way to bend the truth in their own favor. In short, you can’t believe everything you read, and now, with artificial intelligence, you can’t even believe everything you see.

Which brings me back to Reagan and O’Neill. Can’t we sit down together in the same room and discuss goals with courtesy and civility? Don’t misunderstand me — it was never rainbows and roses between those two. O’Neill once called Reagan the worst American president, and Reagan likened O’Neill to “a round thing that gobbles up money.” Yet they still remained friends, and neither one compromised his beliefs when dealing with the other. They had to keep their political parties happy, and at the same time move the nation forward.

As disheartening as today’s political, religious and cultural differences can be, we must find a way to tone down the hate, and bring all mankind forward in peace.

Ed Fare is mayor of Valley Stream.

Framework by Tim Baker

Chucky and some of his horror-inducing colleagues — Chestnut Street, Rockville Centre

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