HERALD WANTAGH
Danny Gillespie/Herald
Chamber members and local officials gathered at Gatsby on the Ocean at Jones Beach on April 24 for the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce’s annual installation and awards dinner, celebrating local businesses and community contributions.
‘Mary Poppins’ takes
By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
The Mainstage Players of Temple B’nai Torah in Wantagh are ready to hit the stage this month for four performances of the whimsical musical adventure, “Mary Poppins.”
The show, based on the iconic story of a magical nanny who brings adventure, music and life lessons to the Banks family, will be performed in the temple’s auditorium.
According to temple member Lisa Shubin, who is producing the play, more than 40 performers — a mix of adults and children ages 8 and up — have been rehearsing three to four days a
week since January.
Wantagh Chamber celebrates leaders
By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
The Wantagh Chamber of Commerce celebrated the contributions of several members during its annual installation and awards dinner on April 24. The event, which attracted dozens of guests, took place at Gatsby on the Ocean at Jones Beach’s historic West Bathhouse.
Joining chamber members at the dinner were State Sen. Steve Rhoads; County Legislator Michael Giangregorio, who swore in the chamber’s trustees during the ceremony; and COntinued On pAGe 10
the stage at Wantagh’s Temple B’nai Torah
“It’s a fun show, and people who come will have a great time,” said Shubin, whose husband, Tom Reilly, is directing the show.
Shubin said the decision to stage “Mary Poppins” was based on the cast that they anticipated, considering factors like age range, vocal abilities and acting experience.
Playing the lead role of Mary Poppins is Marni Tessler, 30, who said she’s passionate about singing and enjoys the rehearsal process. She added that her parents were members of Temple Emanu-El, and she began performing in temple productions at age 7. Altogeth-
er, she has spent about 15 years involved in the shows, returning in 2022 after a break.
For Tessler, rehearsing alongside younger performers has been a great way to watch them progress in their acting abilities.
“I have grown very close with them, so it’s a really fun experience to watch them grow and to see what roles they take on,” she said.
Temple member Jeff Minkowsky will take on the role of Bert, the cheerful chimney sweep who serves as Mary Poppins’ friend and guide through the children’s magical adventures. He has been performing in temple shows since
2019, initially joining as a way to connect his family to the community.
“I just thought it was a wonderful opportunity for my daughter and I to join a theater show and be a part of it together, and it was the best decision we ever made,” he said.
Minkowsky’s oldest daughter, Lila, 14, is playing Jane Banks, one of the two children
under Mary Poppins’ care. His younger daughter, Arielle, 12, is performing in ensemble roles, and his wife, Rachel, is playing Mrs. Brill, the Banks family’s cook.
When it comes to theater, the biggest lesson learned is that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, Minkowsky said.
“It takes hard work,” he
On pAGe 4
Wantagh continues fight for Warriors name
By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
The Wantagh Board of Education is pressing forward with its effort to keep the Warriors name, announcing plans to appeal a federal court decision that dismissed its lawsuit challenging New York’s ban on Native American mascots and team names, according to a News 12 report.
The lawsuit, filed by the Wantagh School District along with Wyandanch, Connetquot and Massapequa, was dismissed by U.S. Chief District Judge Margo Brodie on March 27. In her ruling, Brodie said the districts did not provide sufficient evidence to support their claims and lacked legal standing to sue under the Fourteenth Amendment, court documents show.
According to News 12, Wantagh school officials planned to file an appeal with the Second Circuit Court on Monday, April 28.
“We are disappointed by the court’s ruling that requires Wantagh to move away from its longstanding Warrior nickname,” Wantagh Superintendent John McNamara said in an emailed statement to the Herald in early April. “We are currently reviewing the decision and will explore all available options as we move forward.”
The state Board of Regents voted unanimously in April 2023 to adopt the resolution banning Native American mas-
Shaw/Herald
The Wantagh Board of Education appealed a federal court ruling that dismissed its lawsuit challenging New York’s Native American mascot ban, according to reports.
The Wantagh school board said it filed the initial lawsuit in response to community feedback.
cots, logos, and team names in public schools, which took effect the following month. School districts have until the end of the 2024-25 school year to rebrand and eliminate Indigenous references. Schools that fail to comply risk losing state aid but may apply for an extension if they show they are making efforts to meet the requirements.
The Wantagh Board of Education filed its lawsuit against the Board of Regents in September 2023, arguing that the resolution was unconstitutional. Wyandanch, Connetquot and Massapequa later joined the suit.
According to the lawsuit, Wantagh had
planned to alter its mascots and logos to remove Native American imagery but aimed to retain the Warriors nickname, arguing that the term is a universal cultural symbol and not exclusively Native American.
While the lawsuit was dismissed, a new bill introduced in the State Senate could offer Wantagh another path to preserve its Warriors identity. Senate Bill 2025-S717, sponsored by State Sen. Steve Rhoads, would exempt Wantagh from the state’s mascot ban, allowing the district to keep its Warriors name and possibly its logo.
As of press time, the bill was under
review in the Senate Education Committee.
Rhoads has argued that the Warriors name honors Wantagh’s history and its connection to Indigenous tribes. The bill states that the mascot was chosen to pay tribute to Chief Wantagh, a Grand Sachem of the Montaukett tribe, and contends that the Board of Regents’ mandate does not account for the district’s unique historical connection to Indigenous culture.
However, not everyone agrees that the Warriors identity is a tribute. The Shinnecock Nation, one of New York’s oldest self-governing tribes, has stated that the use of Indigenous mascots is demeaning and dehumanizing. Josephine Smith, director of the tribe’s Cultural Resources Department, said Indigenous people should not be used as symbols for schools or sports teams.
The Wantagh school board said it filed the lawsuit in response to community feedback. A mascot survey conducted in July 2023 drew more than 900 responses, with more than 88 percent of participants supporting the Warriors identity and nearly 75 percent backing legal action against the state’s decision.
Since the resolution took effect, schools across New York have been working to remove Native American imagery from their branding, including those that use the Warriors nickname.
This is a developing story.
Charles
Thousands celebrate Nassau police centennial
By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
Thousands of residents lined the streets of Wantagh on Sunday, April 27, to celebrate the Nassau County Police Department’s 100th anniversary with a street parade and block party.
The parade stepped off from the corner of Wantagh and Beltagh avenues and featured antique police cars, motorcycles, pipe bands and horses. A helicopter flyover and performances by live musicians added to the festivities as the parade made its way toward Beech Street and Park Avenue.
According to a news release from the office of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, around 70,000 residents attended the celebration. The police department, the release stated, is part of why U.S. News & World Report named the county as the safest in America in their 2024 report. Blakeman, the release added, plans to continue investing in local law enforcement to help keep residents safe.
“We appreciate the men and women who keep us safe each and every day and remember those who died in the line of duty protecting our beautiful and great County,” Blakeman said in a statement. “Residents of Nassau County love their Police Department. May God bless them all and God bless America.”
Following the parade, a block party took place on Railroad Avenue in front of Mulcahy’s Pub & Concert Hall, where attendees enjoyed food, music, and activities throughout the evening.
The police department was founded in April 1925 with 55 officers and has since grown into one of the largest police departments in the country, now serving more than 1.3 million residents with approximately 2,600 officers.
Blakeman and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder helped lead the centennial festivities, which aimed to honor the department’s legacy. Officials previously described the celebration as an opportunity to thank past and present members of the force and recognize the
department’s impact on Nassau County over the past century.
At the event, Ryder thanked police officers and officials who attended the event.
“We are here for one reason, and one reason only: to recognize and thank the men and women who serve,” Ryder said at the parade. “The County Executive said he wanted the biggest police parade in the country. No one has ever in the country’s history done just a police parade. Well, it happened here today.”
The parade included appearances from village police departments and featured past and present police vehicles as well as pipe bands from throughout the region.
Additional reporting by Luke Feeney
Tim Baker/Herald photos
Thousands gathered in Wantagh on April 27 to celebrate the Nassau County Police Department’s 100th anniversary with a street parade and block party. The Wantagh Chamber of Commerce participated in the parade, congratulating the police department on 100 years of service.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder tosses a Frisbee to children watching the parade.
Nassau Country Police kicked off the parade in style, riding motorcycles down the street.
Max Zimmer, 7, left, Sean Nicholes, 7, and Mia Zimmer, 9, enjoyed the parade.
Temple performers will soon take the stage
said. “It takes teamwork, and we put on great shows every single year — and this should be no different.”
According to Shubin, the show is more than just a performance — it’s a way for people to feel more connected to the temple.
“The draw for most people is the family feel,” she noted, “the intergenerational relationships and the connectedness.”
Members of the adult group have been performing in stage shows for more than 30 years at Temple Emanu-El in East Meadow, before it merged with Temple B’nai Torah in 2018. Some cast members in this production are in their 70s.
Shubin, who has been producing shows at the temple for 15 years, last staged “Mary Poppins” in 2018. Over the years, she has seen friendships form among the children, along with valuable life lessons passed down from older cast members.
“It really helps the children feel a connection to the synagogue,” she said, “because they have friends that are their age and friends of older generations.”
Arielle said she’s excited to see all the little details come to life on stage — from the flying kites to the scene where Mary Poppins magically brings toys to
a talented cast of all ages and offering a heartwarming experience for the whole family.
life, a moment in which she plays one of the toys.
“It’s cast really well,” she said. “I think everyone here really fit into their roles.”
Ensemble member Emma Rubinstein, 8, said she’s looking forward to taking the stage and continuing to grow as a performer.
Legacy Planning
Some thirty-five years ago your writer was taught that estate planning is about getting your assets to whom you want, when you want, and the way you want, with the least amount of taxes and legal fees possible.
In the intervening time, we have learned that estate planning is more — it is legacy planning. Legacy has two meanings (1) the assets you leave, and (2) the impression you leave. Your assets will dissipate, but your impression will endure. Were you kind and generous? Were you forgiving and grateful? Were you compassionate and did you bring light into the world, despite your setbacks.
Our readers have surely noticed over the years that these sponsored columns are not only about law, but just as often about how to become a better human being. Much of it has been learned from our interactions with clients. A client once asked if I had a degree in psychology. I answered yes, I have a Masters. When she asked where I got it, I said sitting behind this desk eight hours a day for the last thirty-five years!
Observing people, you learn that perspective is everything. We consider it part of our calling to provide clients with different perspectives with which to view personal and family matters. It is not difficult to see how looking at a situation from a different perspective can completely change the way we see the world. A client came in relating how furious she was that her daughter’s abusive husband used her daughter to obtain his degree and then asked for a divorce and move out. Yes, I said, but if it was my daughter and she had an abusive husband I would be thrilled that he had move out. Oh, the client said, “I never thought of that!” Her view of the matter had shifted considerably. Thoreau put it, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
Working on oneself to become a better person is a classic win/win situation. Our lives become better as do those of everyone we come into contact with. The Dalai Lama says we are all selfish but we can engage in “enlightened selfishness”, doing better by others for our own sake.
“I learned how to sing more and to project,” Emma said. “We practiced other times, so it’s not as scary as the first time. It’s pretty exciting.”
Tessler said she helps motivate the younger performers while encouraging them to enjoy the experience. When it comes to stage fright, she offers a useful tip: stare straight ahead at a fixed point.
Come and see the show!
four performances of “mary poppins” will take place at temple B’nai torah, 2900 Jerusalem ave., on may 3 and 10 at 8 p.m., and may 4 and 11 at 2 p.m. t ickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors 65 and over, and $10 for children 17 and under. for tickets, visit tbtwantagh.seatyourself.biz, email tbttix@temple-bnai-torah. org, or call (516) 221-2370.
“When I catch eyes of people in the audience, it messes me up,” Tessler said. “So I teach kids to stare at a focal point. If you’re nervous, just do that and you won’t even see the people.”
The four performances of “Mary Poppins” will take place at the temple, 2900 Jerusalem Ave., on May 3 and 10 at 8 p.m., and May 4 and 11 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors 65 and over, and $10 for children 17 and under. For tickets, visit tbtwantagh.seatyourself.biz, email tbttix@temple-bnai-torah.org, or call (516) 221-2370.
Charles Shaw/Herald
temple B’nai torah’s mainstage players will stage “mary poppins” in Wantagh this month, featuring
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MADISON WADE
Plainedge Senior Lacrosse
IT HAS BEEN A red-hot April for Wade and the Plainedge girls’ lacrosse team. The Red Devils have won eight of their last night games, with Wade serving as one of the integral parts of the success. The third-year varsity player is also a third-year captain and helping Plainedge’s offense fire. Entering this week’s action, Wade ranked near the top of Nassau County in goals with 42. She netted at least three goals in eight of the first 11 games.
GAMES TO WATCH
Thursday, May 1
Boys Lacrosse: Baldwin at Freeport 5 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse: Calhoun at Carey 5 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse: East Meadow at Clarke 5 p.m.
Girls Lacrosse: Sewanhaka at Freeport 5 p.m.
Girls Lacrosse: Mepham at Bethpage 5 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse: Elmont at Uniondale 5 p.m.
Friday, May 2
Flag Football: Lynbrook at East Rockaway 5 p.m.
Flag Football: Bethpage at Long Beach 5 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse: Farmingdale at Massapequa 5 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse: South Side at Wantagh 5 p.m.
Girls Lacrosse: South Side at North Shore 5 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse: Lynbrook at MacArthur 7 p.m.
Girls Lacrosse: Long Beach at Massapequa 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 3
Softball: Uniondale at Elmont 10 a.m.
Softball: North Shore at Baldwin 10 a.m.
Girls Lacrosse: Lynbrook at Mepham 10 a.m.
Girls Lacrosse: Calhoun at Oceanside
10 a.m.
Flag Football: Freeport at Oceanside 11 a.m.
Girls Lacrosse: Clarke at Division 12 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse: Island Trees at Hewlett 3 p.m.
Nominate a “Spotlight Athlete”
High School athletes to be featured on the Herald sports page must compete in a spring sport and have earned an AllConference award or higher last season. Please send the following information: Name, School, Grade, Sport and accomplishments to Sports@liherald.com.
HERALD SPORTS
Generals show championship mettle
By ANDREW COEN sports@liherald.com
After a tough start to the softball season, MacArthur is showing its capability of being a championship contender.
The Generals (6-6) fighting spirit to win under pressure was evident when it rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning in a 3-2 come-from-behind win against neighborhood foe Wantagh April 24 capped off by a Hailey Trapani RBI single. Facing one of the top pitchers in Nassau County, Lucy Olore, MacArthur (6-6) persevered after being limited to just one hit in the first six innings to record its fifth win in six games.
“It wasn’t looking good because we really weren’t really even getting on base,” said longtime MacArthur coach Bobby Fehrenbach. “They just battled.”
MacArthur set the tables for the comeback when Julia Hart hit a one-out triple and was driven home by a squeeze bunt from Madison Anderson to tie the score at 2-2. Trapani then delivered the winning hit with the bases loaded.
The winning hit continued a memorable final high school season for Trapani, who is batting over. 500. The senior center fielder earned All-County honors the last two seasons and All-State accolades as a sophomore when she hit .440 with five home runs.
“She is very aggressive and a great contact hitter,” said Fehrenbach of Trapani, who has committed to play college softball next season at Division II power Wilmington University in Delaware. “She is doing a great job at the plate whether she is starting off an inning or with runners on base.”
Sophomore Alexandra Livanos has kept MacArthur in games as the team’s lone pitcher with strong control in the circle. Livanos recorded four strikeouts and limited a strong Wantagh lineup to two runs while facing an acre in Olore, who tossed a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts.
“She’s not going to strike a lot of kids out, but he’s going to battle and pitch to contact and we just have to make the plays behind her,” Fehrenbach said. “We
Derrick Dingle/Herald
Madison Anderson had a key squeeze bunt to tie the Generals’ 3-2 come-from-behind win over Wantagh April 24.
are usually pretty steady defensively.”
Livanos is also one of MacArthur’s key hitters and leads the team in RBIs.
Junior left fielder Gianna Spaventa, senior catcher Angela Pellegrino and senior shortstop Gabby Silvestri are also in the midst of big offensive seasons.
MacArthur followed up the big Wantagh win with a narrow 7-6 loss at Glen Cove last Friday in which the Generals nearly rallied from a 7-4 deficit in the seventh inning. Pellegrino shined at the plate going 4-for-4.
The Generals will host Oceanside on
Wednesday before visiting Farmingdale Friday at 5 p.m. The team’s final two regular season games are scheduled for May 5 against Massapequa and at Seaford on May 7.
After falling just short of repeating as county champions last year with a setback to Bellmore JFK in the Class A championship series, MacArthur is fueled to try and go on another deep postseason run next month.
“We’re getting better every day,” Fehrenbach said. “Come playoff time we will be battle tested.”
The Southern State at 100: a divided legacy
History, and real or imagined inequity, collide on 25 miles of one of Long Island’s busiest roadways
By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
First in a series on the Southern State Parkway.
One bright Saturday afternoon in June 2020, a group of protesters stood near the Robert Moses statue in Babylon, calling for its removal. Their rallying cry: The “Master Builder” was not worthy of such recognition. He was, instead, a racist who, among other things, designed the Southern State Parkway to keep buses carrying low-income families from traveling from New York City to Long Island — and its beaches.
The group had collected more than 13,000 signatures in support of its cause.
major roadway expansion undertaken by New York state that also included the Northern State and Sagtikos parkways. Today, it is a 25.3-mile long roadway that stretches from the Queens-Nassau border to Heckscher State Park in East Islip.
Wayne Horsley, a former regional director of Long Island’s state parks and a local historian, countered at the time that the often aired claims against Moses, “a son of the village,” have never been proven.
What has been proven, however, is the impact of the visionary work of Moses, who was the architect behind the construction of the Southern State when he served as the chairman of the Long Island State Park Commission and president of the New York State Parks Council.
The 100th anniversary of the construction of the parkway this year offers an opportunity to reflect on both its history and its future.
Often referred to simply as “the parkway,” the Southern State was part of a
Construction on the Southern State began in 1925, under Moses’s leadership. It was designed to improve access to Jones Beach. The land was originally a water conduit owned by the borough of Brooklyn. It comprises the western portion of unsigned New York State Route 908M, with the Heckscher State Parkway occupying the eastern section. Its first section opened to the public in 1927; there were additions in 1949, and its current roadway was completed in 1962, when it reached Heckscher Parkway.
Following the post-war housing boom on Long Island, the parkway was widened and straightened in a number of places to serve commuters traveling at speeds unanticipated when the road was first constructed.
Initially, the Southern State had a toll between exits 13 and 14, at the Cross Island Parkway, until 1978 when the state eliminated it and removed the toll plaza.
Prior to World War II, the State Department of Transportation estimated that fewer than 15,000 cars traveled on the parkway each day. During the postwar population boom on Long Island, the volume expanded to 190,000 cars per day, with most using it to commute between home and work.
Mary Cascone, historian of the Town of Babylon, notes that the Long Island parkway system was initially designed to bring automobiles to state parks.
“By limiting access to passenger cars, the parkways were supposedly intended for recreational driving,” Cascone wrote in her research on Moses and the Southern State. “Drivers and passengers could enjoy the beauty of the tree-lined roadway, free of billboards and trucks, as they made the journey to the countryside.”
That intention is visually confirmed in photos taken of the road when it opened, showing one or two cars on a lushly landscaped parkway, portraying what was then known as the “leisurely Sunday drive.” With its verdant country-
side free of commercial traffic, the parkway appealed to the more affluent city residents who owned cars, whether an intentional outcome of the design or not.
An aspect of the roadway’s design that is often cited as evidence to support the claim that it was designed to deny access to the masses is its bridges, which have unusually low clearances.
“It appears to be accurate that the state parks and beaches reached by the Nassau and Suffolk County parkways were deliberately designed to accommodate motorists rather than people who used public transportation,” Cascone said. “The inference that many people make, however, is that Black people used public transportation — which they
Photos courtesy Babylon Town Historical Society
The Southern State Parkway under construction at Belmont Avenue in Babylon.
A colorized photo of the Southern State Parkway when it opened in 1927.
Southern State’s century of vehicular history
surely did — along with all the other people who could not afford to, or simply chose not to, own a car. This ignores the fact, however, that Black people did own automobiles, and drove them on the parkways and to the beaches.”
For some, however, the low parkway bridges are an unfortunate, lingering reminder of classism and inequity in the guise of public works, Cascone concluded.
Thomas J. Campanella, a professor at Cornell University, a historian and a writer on city planning and the urban environment, sees the potential evidence of discrimination in the lower height of the Southern State bridges compared with those on other parkways Moses designed.
“The low-bridge story is a microbiography of Moses, a tragic hero who built for the ages, but for a narrowly construed public,” Campanella wrote. “It also shows how something as inert as a stone-faced bridge can be alive with politics and meaning.”
He also noted that Moses’s attitude appeared contradictory, as he approved the construction of a swimming pool and play center in Harlem — now the Jackie Robinson Park — which is considered one of the best public works projects of the New Deal era anywhere in the United States, and established other recreational sites in communities of color across New York state.
In a press release dated July 23, 1934, Moses argued for the construction of more recreational facilities for all New Yorkers, noting, “It is no exaggeration to say that the health, happiness, efficiency and orderliness of many of the city’s residents, especially in the summer months, are tremendously affected by the presence or absence of adequate swimming and bathing facilities.”
Next installment: Accident statistics and causes.
■ Originally designed with quaint wooden lampposts, which became affectionately known as “woody” lights.
■ When the parkway was first built, then Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to have a western extension that reached into Brooklyn. That stretch of highway is known today as the Belt Parkway.
■ Following the suburban expansion of Long Island after World War II, the parkway was widened and straightened in places to allow for higher speeds and more traffic.
■ A state police substation and barracks were built on either side of the parkway in North Valley Stream.
■ A median service station was built in the 1930s east of Exit 32 (Route 110). It closed in 1985, but its abandoned ramps can still be seen in the median.
Jeffrey Bessen/Herald
Heading east on the south side of today’s Southern State Parkway.
Annual dinner honors local businesses
Hempstead Town Councilman Chris Schneider.
Chamber President Cathy McGrory Powell said it was an exciting evening to celebrate local businesses. “I always love this,” McGrory Powell said. “It’s like an intimate dinner while honoring the community who go above and beyond all the time.”
Following the swearing-in, chamber members announced the award recipients, who received plaques and flowers.
Sisters Ann Durkin and Ellen Dolan, owners of Olde Towne Garden Irish & Victorian Gift Shop, received the Nassau Council Chambers of Commerce Small Businessperson of the Year award. Originally from Galway, Ireland, the sisters established their shop in 1994, selling a selection of imported Irish goods, including Claddagh jewelry and Aran knitwear in an old Victorian house.
Dolan said that the Wantagh community had supported their business for years, with loyal customers stopping by regularly.
“We’re a little overwhelmed by the recognition,” Durkin said, “but it’s wonderful to receive it.”
The Wantagh Preservation Society, which was founded in 1965 to save an 1885 Victorian railroad station, won the Organization of the Year Award. Since its inception, the society has maintained the Wantagh Museum and promoted the community’s historical values. Its president, Matt Susco, accepted the award.
The Jones Beach Deli, formerly the Causeway Deli, on Merrick Road in Wantagh, received the Beautification of the Year Award, after owner Justin Heath renovated it following his 2020 purchase.
Ira Reiter received the President’s Choice Award for his donations and volunteer work supporting animal rescues, as well as his participation in the Merrick and Wantagh chambers. Reiter operates the Barking Biscuit, a familyowned business that makes homemade dog treats, and he and his wife, Hillary, donate a portion of their sales to local rescues.
“He’s the epitome of an entrepreneur,” McGrory Powell said. “And he’s just very kindhearted too.”
Barbara Rooney, of Wantagh, received the Citizen of the Year Award for her involvement with the chamber and the John Theissen Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit that helps sick and underprivileged children through donations and fundraisers. After retiring from teaching in the East Meadow School District for 30 years, Rooney, who’s now 65, became active in the foundation as a volunteer, gathering raffle items and working at fundraiser events.
“I’m honored,” Rooney. said “This is something I do because I love Wantagh.”
John Theissen, executive director of the foundation, who has known Rooney for almost two decades, credited her with helping to introduce his annual holiday toy drive to the East Meadow
School District.
“Barbara is incredible,” Theissen said. “She does so much for others and is always willing to lend a hand to the Wantagh community.”
Christopher Brown, president of Mid-Island Medical Supply Co., received the Leadership Award for his decades of dedication to the chamber and the community. A former chamber president, Brown helped organize the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, raised funds for scholarships and charitable causes, and supported recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy.
Delaney Behan, Reagan Muchow, Madison Nordquist and Emma Sellars, all fifth-graders at Wantagh Elementary School, received Junior Achievement Awards for their academic success, community service and involvement in local activities. The four students took part in a variety of sports, school clubs and volunteer efforts, including raising funds for the Last Hope Animal Shelter in Wantagh.
This year, the chamber renamed its Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of the late Town of Hempstead Councilman Christopher Carini, and awarded it to him posthumously. Carini, whose district included parts of Bellmore, Merrick, Wantagh, Seaford and Freeport, died unexpectedly last July, at age 49, while visiting family in Florida.
According to McGrory Powell, Carini had done so much for the Wantagh community that the chamber decided to permanently name the award after him. His widow, Danielle, accepted it, joined by their children, Ava, 18, and Joey, 13, and described it as a “heartfelt” moment.
“He loved the community so much,” she said of her late husband. “I wish he could be here to see how people really felt about him.”
County Legislator michael giangregorio swore in Wantagh Chamber of Commerce trustees during the annual installation and awards dinner.
Danny Gillespie/Herald photos
matthew Kondrup, the chamber’s corresponding secretary, presented ann durkin and ellen dolan, of olde towne garden irish & Victorian gift Shop, with the Small Businessperson of the Year award.
guests at the chamber’s’ annual installation and awards dinner applauded danielle, ava and Joey Carini as they accepted the renamed Lifetime achievement award in honor of the late Councilman Christopher Carini.
Lions Club plants seeds of environmental awareness
By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
The Wantagh Lions Club continued its tradition of encouraging fourth graders to plant trees in observance of Arbor Day, delivering more than 200 saplings to students in the Wantagh School District.
Larry Lamendola, the club’s first vice president, along with his wife, Eileen, and member Anthony Cortese, distributed Colorado blue spruce and eastern white pine saplings to fourth graders at Mandalay, Forest Lake and Wantagh elementary schools on April 18. Each student received a sapling and instructions on how to plant it.
For Lamendola, the event is a meaningful way to connect young people with the environment.
“I think all districts across Long Island should do this,” he said.
The Wantagh Lions have embraced this Arbor Day tradition since 2016, after member Ben DiMarco proposed the idea of delivering saplings and teaching children how to plant trees. DiMarco, a member of the Arbor Day Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to planting trees in neighborhoods, cities and forests — has long been passionate about environmental causes.
Since then, Lamendola said, the project has grown and attracted interest from other Lions Clubs looking to participate.
Students are given step-by-step
instructions from a pamphlet, guiding them on how to properly care for the plant. These steps include soaking the roots, digging a hole, and placing the sapling in the hole with enough soil and mulch to give it proper nutrition. Making sure the sapling has enough water, according to Lamendola, is crucial to growth.
The Wantagh Lions Club is part of Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest service organization with around 1.4 million members and more than 40,000 clubs worldwide. The organization takes its motto, “We serve,” seriously, and the Wantagh Lions encourage people to make a difference in their community, which includes literally planting roots.
Forest Lake principal Thomas Burke said the club’s Arbor Day event is a great way to get students engaged with the environment. He added that it allows students to give back to the Earth while connecting with the community.
“It brings our community together for a good cause,” Burke said. “If we can get community involvement with the schools, it makes everything better.”
Forest Lake students Reagan Warch and Cali Torres are no strangers to planting trees with their families. Warch planted a tree three years ago, naming it “My Tree.” Watching it thrive, Reagan said, has been a special experience.
“I like how in the spring, all the beautiful colors of the flowers grow,” Reagan said.
Torres also planted a sapling in the past and said she is excited to plant her new one.
“I like how we get to plant them with our family and watch them grow,” she said.
Lamendola said the Lions have received “thank you” cards from kids over the years they’ve delivered saplings. Since students bring the saplings home to plant, Lamendola said he hasn’t seen the results of the club’s Arbor Day tradition, but one day he would like to see the progress.
“I’d love to see in the future what happens to the saplings,” Lamendola said. “We always ask every year.”
Charles Shaw/Herald
The Wantagh Lions Club celebrated Arbor Day by delivering more than 200 saplings to fourth graders in the Wantagh School District, encouraging students to connect with nature by planting trees with their families.
Las Vegas Sands pulls out of casino bid
By KELSIE RADZISKI kradziski@liherald.com
Las Vegas Sands is no longer pursuing its $6 billion proposal to build a casino resort on the Nassau Coliseum site.
The company will not apply in June for one of three available downstate gaming licenses in New York. Executives cited a range of market forces, including the rise of online gambling, economic uncertainty in the U.S. and a strategic shift to preserve shareholder value.
The proposed project included a 400,000-square-foot casino, hotels, restaurants, retail space and a convention center. It was projected to create more than 8,500 construction jobs and over 5,000 permanent positions across the 72-acre site.
Last August, the County Legislature approved a 42-year operational lease agreement with Las Vegas Sands for the Coliseum and surrounding land in an 18-1 vote, meaning that Sands was responsible for the general upkeep and maintenance of the property but could not build or develop. The next steps for the project would have been for the company to apply for a lease that allowed it to develop the property, and to bid for one of the gaming licenses.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a forceful advocate for the project, issued a statement through Chris Boyle, his director of communications.
“County Executive Bruce Blakeman
Kelsie Radziski/Herald
Las Vegas Sands has withdrawn its plan to build a $6 billion casino on the Nassau Coliseum site. The project sparked debate from the start, with groups like the Say No to the Casino Civic Association, above, protesting outside legislative meetings.
has been aware of certain pressures that have factored into Las Vegas Sands’ rethinking of land-based brick and mortar casinos in the United States,” the statement read.
“The County Executive is grateful that Las Vegas Sands is committed to the development of the Coliseum site with or without a casino,” Boyle added. “However, there is strong interest from gaming organizations which have been in confidential discussions with Nassau County in taking the place of Las Vegas Sands in
the licensing application process.”
“Nassau County will crystallize within the next 30 days whether or not to entertain a casino component or develop the site without,” Boyle stated. “In either event there will be an exciting new development that will create jobs and positive economic activity.”
The Say No to the Casino Civic Association, whose members have been vocal opponents of the project since the beginning, is “thrilled” after a long fight against the “wholly destructive casino,”
according to a statement issued by members Monica Kiely and Allison O’Brien Silva.
“While we are concerned the door remains open for the county to find a new casino partner, it was always a bad idea, and it will continue to be a bad idea, whether the county works with Las Vegas Sands or another predatory gambling company looking to extract wealth from our community,” the statement read.
On April 24, County Legislator Seth Koslow sent a cease-and-desist letter to Blakeman demanding that all expenditures surrounding the Sands casino be terminated. Koslow said at a news conference that morning that there was no clear path forward for the project, and he was concerned about “wasting time, energy and money” on something that is “not what people wanted.”
Koslow, who is the Democratic candidate for county executive, supports development on the site that both brings in the money that the casino promised and aligns with what he maintains community members want.
“We need to invest in a real project that’s going to get done, that people want, that has community buy-in,” he said at the conference. “We can certainly do a hotel, an entertainment facility, with a convention center, something that’s going to bring more people here, something that’s going to bring tourism here.”
STEPPING OUT
“Choc”-full of delights
The Chocolate Expo is all sorts of delicious
By Danielle Schwab
Prepare for a day coated in all things chocolate.
Over 90 vendors soon set up shop at Hostra University’s David Mack Sports & Exhibition Center. The unique foodie experience returns, May 4, with sweet and savory tastes all in one place.
“We call ourselves the official home of chocolate, food, and fun,” Marvin Baum, the Chocolate Expo’s founder, says. “We’re using chocolate as a platform, not only to support small local businesses, but also to do good for the community.”
It all began in 2006, after Baum realized there was a strong desire to bring food vendors and communities together. Since 2012, the chocoholic’s delight has been sweetening Long Island and has grown to be the confectionery hot spot it is today.
“Long Island has always been a special spot for me. It helped us go to the next level in terms of what we could offer the public in terms of an experience,” Baum says.
From chocolate classics like bonbons, fudge and chocolate-dipped treats to interesting twists such as chocolate-covered bacon, there are no shortage of desserts to indulge in. For more savory pairings, baked goods, specialty foods, wine, and cheeses are also tempting; there’s surely something to satisfy everyone’s palate.
Visitors can check out the Long Island confectioners represented, including Bellmore’s Chocolate Works, a chocolaterie selling chocolate-covered pretzels, platters, and more.
“Last year was our first year at the Expo. We had a great experience,” Nimisha Patel, who owns the store with her husband, Raj, reports.“People always buy chocolate, and we get to be creative and decorate with different designs.”
Other local favorites include Chez Hedwidge, an artisan gluten-free bakery, based in Valley Stream; Massapequa’s Swizzled Desserts, a purveyor of small batch alchohol-infused ice creams and sorbets; and Sunflower Bakeshop, a Kosher bakery in West Hempstead that caters to customers with
• Sunday, May 4, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Tickets are $20, $10 ages 5-12 when purchased online, children under 5 free, $30, $15 child at door; available from thechocolateexpo.com
• Hofstra University, David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex, Hempstead
food and dietary restrictions, offering a wide range of glutenfree and vegan options.
This year, the choice of treats is more enticing than ever.
“There are a limited number of chocolate shops on Long Island. We’re bringing vendors from other states and countries, so we can bring unique things that people from Long Island have not seen elsewhere before,” Baum says.
Be sure to sample the diverse offerings that include the trendy Dubai chocolate (Omniya), rich artisanal chocolates from Paris (Chocolaknin), and luxury Swiss assortments (Canonica).
The binge-worthy experiences don’t stop with chocolate. Guests can meet up with this years’ special guests — everyone’s favorite 1970s TV family, “The Brady Bunch.”
“There’s a strong nostalgic quality to connecting with the original show. This is a chance to get together, to connect without a television screen, in a much more informal kind of way,” says Barry Williams, who fans will know as the eldest Brady child, Greg Brady.
Williams is readu to answer all your eager-to-know questions about the show — along with his castmates Christopher Knight (Peter Brady), Mike Lookinland (Bobby Brady), and Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady) — during the morning panel discussion. He’s also bringing some “Tikis” that fans may recognize from the iconic Hawaii episode.
“I see happen quite often is a fan will approach us, they might be middle-aged, and in front of my eyes they will turn into the giggling teenager that they were when they were watching the show,” he notes.
Balloon artist Robbie Furman adds to the magic, creating a life-sized ‘Brady Bunch’ — made entirely out of balloons!
For more family-sized fun, young visitors can drop by the Kidz Zone for face painting, balloon twisting and chocolate smashing. You may even catch a glimpse of a Stormtrooper — don’t forget to respond “May the Fourth be with you!”
At the end of the day, kids can enjoy a balloon popping party.
“We let the kids pop them with safe little picks at the end of the event, which we’ve never done on Long Island before,” Baum says.
Whether you’re familiar with the Expo or a curious newcomer, it’s always a delectable outing.
“We have a relationship with people on Long Island, and they look forward to it every year. I recently saw a Facebook post [about the Expo] saying ‘My friend and I had a magical day that we will never forget,’” Baum says.
“This is why we do what we do with the Chocolate Expo, for our guests have a magical time.”
Pink Talking Fish
Three mammoth bands. Three musical phenomenons. One idea inspired by love of the music. That’s Pink Talking Fish. The hybrid tribute fusion act takes the music from three iconic bands creating a remarkable musical jam. PTF brings their unique sound to the Landmark on Main Street stage, on their latest tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of the incredible Pink Floyd album “Wish You Were Here.” This show consists of two sets. The first set will be a full rendition of this epic album from start to finish, with “Classic PTF” combinations for the second set. “Wish You Were Here” is extremely meaningful to the band members and so many music lovers around the world and PTF is thrilled to bring this album to life in 2025. Although the music from each act is different, PTF has discovered that fusing the material together creates an amazing story. The epic emotion of Pink Floyd; the funky, danceable layerings of The Talking Heads; the styles, unique compositional structures and pure fun of Phish — to merge these three into one gives music lovers a special experience.
Friday, May 2, 8 p.m. $49 and $46. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Tickets available at landmarkonmainstreet.org or call (516) 767-6444.
Regency Romance is afoot
Old Westbury Gardens welcomes everyone to Regency Romance Weekend, a most splendid affair in honor of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. Families can wander the gardens for storybook strolls and hands-on crafts, while those with a playful spirit can enjoy lawn games fit for the finest estates. Also find inspiration in creative activities, while music lovers are serenaded with classical takes on familiar tunes. Of course, what would a Regency gathering be without fashion and society gossip? Take in a discussion on Regency fashion —fact versus fiction. And for those with a keen mind and a love of Austen’s world, Austen trivia will put your knowledge to the ultimate test. Plus indulge in a proper afternoon tea, or treat yourself to confections at the café.
Saturday and Sunday, May 3-4. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury. For more information and program/events schedule, go to oldwestburygardens. org or call (516) 333-0048.
Photos courtesy Chuck Fishman Every bite is a sweet discovery at The Chocolate Expo.
Your Neighborhood CALENDAR
MAY
1
On Exhibit Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, the original “Deco at 100” coincides with the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes) that publicly launched the movement. The direct follow-up to the well-received 2023 exhibit, “Our Gilded Age,” it comparably links the period’s signature innovation in the decorative arts, Art Deco, to the fine arts. On view through June 15.
• Where: 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor.
• Time: Ongoing
• Contact: (516) 484-9337 or nassaumuseum.org
‘Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a
Play!’
The beloved musical adventure, ripped from the pages of Mo Willems’ beloved award-winning, best-selling children’s books, is back on stage at Long Island Children’s Museum. Willems’ classic characters Elephant and Piggie storm the stage in a rollicking musical romp filled with plenty of pachydermal peril and swiney suspense perfect for young audiences.
• Where: Museum Row, Garden City.
• Time: Also May 2-3, and May 7-8, times vary
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
Game time
Play Mah Jongg and Canasta at Congregation Beth Tikvah. Snacks and drinks are provided. $5 contribution.
• Where: Congregation Beth Tikvah, 3710 Woodbine Ave., Wantagh
• Time: Thursdays, noon–4 p.m.
• Contact: mahjonggCBT@ yahoo.com or (516) 785-2445
MAY
2
Long Island Marathon Weekend
The Long Island Marathon and additional races return to Eisenhower Park with three days packed with races for runners of all ages and abilities, through May 4.
• Where: Eisenhower Park, East Meadow
• Time: Varying times on Friday, Saturday & Sunday
• Contact: RunSignUp.com/ Race/NY/EastMeadow/ LongIslandMarathon
MAY
11
Brian Regan
Critics, fans and fellow comedians agree: Brian Regan is one of the most respected comedians in the country with Vanity Fair calling Brian, “The funniest stand-up alive,” and Entertainment Weekly citing him as “Your favorite comedian’s favorite comedian.” Having built his 30-plus year career on the strength of his material alone, Brian’s non-stop theater tour continuously fills prestigious venues across North America, visiting close to 100 cities each year. His comedic talent extends beyond the stage. He’s released two acclaimed Netflix specials, “Brian Regan: Nunchucks And Flamethrowers” and “Brian Regan: On The Rocks,” showcasing his knack for finding humor in everyday situations. He also starred in his own Netflix series,”Stand Up And Away! With Brian Regan,” and even made history with “Brian Regan: Live From Radio City Music Hall,” the first live broadcast of a stand-up special in Comedy Central’s history. Regan also co-stars in three seasons of Peter Farrelly’s series, “Loudermilk,” which moved to Netflix in January 2024, ranking in the Top 10 TV shows on Netflix for over a month. He’s also a familiar presence on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” He’s the standup guest who the show invites on for two segments: a performance segment and also on the couch to chat with Jimmy. $99.50, $79.50, $69.50, $49.50.
MAY
Mary Poppins
Temple B’nai Torah
3
Mainstage Players presents “Mary Poppins,” at Temple B’nai Torah. $20, $15 for seniors 65 and over, $10 for children 17 and under.
• Where: 2900 Jerusalem Ave., Wantagh
• Time: May 3 and 10, 8 p.m.; May 4 and 11, 2 p.m.
• Contact: tbtwantagh. seatyourself.biz, email tbttix@temple-bnai-torah.org or call (516) 221-2370
Seaford Spring Fling
The Seaford Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Spring Fling with entertainment, food trucks, shopping, and a kids fun zone. Rain date is May 17.
• Where: Seaford LIRR, 1933 Jackson Ave., Seaford
• Time: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 644-5615 or visit lifairs.com
‘Bridgerton’-inspired dance workshop
Learn to dance like Simon and Daphne! Enjoy an hour of grace and merriment at Old Westbury Gardens
and learn some of the dances from the “Bridgerton” and “Queen Charlotte” series. No experience is necessary and no partner is needed. Instructor Susan de Guardiola guides participants through easy choreographies inspired from the TV series and talks about how the Bridgerton dances differ from the dances of the actual Regency/Jane Austen era. Ages 16+ welcome.
• Where: The Barn at Orchard Hill, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury
• Time: Noon-1 p.m.
• Contact: oldwestburygardens.org
Storybook Stroll
Bring the kids to Old Westbury Gardens for a storybook adventure. Stroll the gardens and listen to “Jane Austen: Little People Big Dreams” by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. Later create a unique take home craft. For ages 3-5. Storybook Strolls start at the Beech Tree (next to Westbury House), and end at the Thatched Cottage. Registration required.
• Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury
• Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• Contact: oldwestburygardens. org or (516) 333-0048
MAY
7
Bingo at Temple B’Nai Torah
Temple B’nai Torah hosts weekly bingo with prizes, progressive games, and refreshments every Wednesday and Thursday.
• Where: Temple B’nai Torah, 2900 Jerusalem Ave., Wantagh
• Time: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m.; Thursdays, 7:15–10 p.m.
• Contact: 516-221-2370
MAY
8
William Desroches Fundraiser
Support the fundraiser honoring William Desroches. With entertainment, raffles and auctions Proceeds will support a new soccer and lacrosse field at Forest Lake Elementary. Admission is $75; includes food, drinks, and an open bar for adults 21+.
• Where: Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall, 3232 Railroad Ave., Wantagh
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.
• Time: 8 p.m.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
MAY
Splish Splash… Animal Baths
4
Hang out with some Long Island Children’s Museum’s “residents,” Join an animal educator in the Hive Studio in the Feasts for Beasts Gallery to learn what goes into the care of LICM’s animals. Observe animal bath time.
• Where: Museum Row, Garden City
• Time: 1:30-2 p.m.
• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800
Walk like MADD
Long Island
Join Walk Like MADD Long Island to raise funds for 24/7 victim services and support efforts to end impaired driving. In addition to the walk, the event will feature a Community & Engagement Fair with live music, art activities, and a special Victim Tribute Area.
• Where: Northwell at Jones Beach Theater, 895 Bay Pkwy, Wantagh
• Time: 10 a.m.
• Contact: Register at walklikemadd.org/longisland
• Time: 6-10 p.m.
• Contact: ticketbud.com
MAY
10
Art Explorations
Converse, collaborate and create at Nassau County Museum of Art. Kids and their adult partners can talk about and make art together. Enjoy reading and play in the Reading Room, and contribute to The Lobby Project, a collaborative art installation. Registration required. Where: 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor.
• Time: noon-3 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 484-9337 or nassaumuseum.org
Having an event?
Items on the Calendar page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to kbloom@ liherald.com.
News briefs
Maria Regina students bring spooky fun to the stage with ‘Addams Family’
The gym at Maria Regina School in Seaford transformed into a spooky stage for a two-night run of The Addams Family on April 4 and 5, as student performers brought the eerie charm of Wednesday Addams, Lucas Beineke and the rest of the cast to life.
The show featured plenty of humor, heart, and Halloween-style fun. Families turned out in support, cheering on the young cast and crew who had been rehearsing for weeks.
Organizers said on social media said that the performances were a huge success, calling it a night to remember for the school community.
Seaford Cinemas shuts its doors after years of serving community
Seaford Cinemas, a longstanding theater in the community for over 25 years, announced on its website that it will permanently close on Monday, April 28.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has come to enjoy movies at our theater over the last few years,” the website stated. “It has been an honor serving the community.”
Other entertainment organizations expressed sadness over the closure.
United Skates of America Inc., based in Seaford, shared a post on Facebook about the news.
“We are so sad to hear about the closing of Seaford Cinemas,” the post read, “a longstanding local business in our community that our family has been to many times.”
For years, the cinema not only showed movies but also hosted private parties. Some customers who placed
deposits for upcoming events say their parties have allegedly been canceled and deposits lost for May and beyond, according to posts on social media.
United Skates also offered assistance to families impacted by the closure. In its Facebook post, the organization encouraged those who lost their party deposits to reach out.
“If you are in this situation and have lost your deposit for your party, please
call us,” the post said. “We will find a time for you and credit your party $50 (which we believe is half of your deposit). If you were doing a Stitch movie party, we have a Stitch-themed party available.”
United Skates asked affected customers to call 516-795-5475 or send a message to arrange a time.
— Charles Shaw
PSEG Long Island Hosts First “Business First” Workshop for Entrepreneurs
By Maureen Fitzgerald
On April 15, nearly 50 Long Island business owners attended PSEG Long Island’s first “Business First” workshop at its Bethpage headquarters, hosted in collaboration with the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce. The morning session featured a networking breakfast and expert-led presentations on reducing energy costs, managing utility bills, and securing funding for energy-efficient upgrades.
“Small businesses power our communities and fuel economic growth,” said Veronica Isaac, Manager of Customer and Community Partnerships at PSEG Long Island, reflecting on the vital role small businesses play here — a theme that resonated throughout the day’s program. “By helping them thrive, we unlock local jobs, boost reinvestment and create a cycle of shared success. A strong small business is a win for all of us.”
Christine Bryson and Shamisha Sims kicked off the event with an overview of financial and technical resources available through PSEG Long Island and partner agencies. Bryson explained how federal, state, and local programs—including grants, loans, and tax credits—can support energy-saving improvements. She also provided tips on working with economic development agencies. Sims introduced PSEG’s Business First program, which offers free or low-cost energy assessments, and shared sample audit reports highlighting quickreturn upgrades like LED lighting and HVAC controls.
The technical portion of the workshop focused on implementation. Matt Connors shared case studies of local companies that cut energy use by up to 25% and explained how to apply for rebates tied to improvements like programmable thermostats and motor retrofits. Nicole Jones-Cumberbatch followed with a presentation on PSEG’s renovation support services, which help businesses navigate permits, hire contractors, and stay on schedule. Paul DiBenedetto wrapped up the segment with a discussion on EV charging stations and available
Long Island business
incentives, sparking interest from several attendees planning future installations.
Thenaris Godbolt walked through PSEG Long Island’s commercial billing system, helping attendees better understand rate schedules, online tools, and cost-saving features like budget billing and prompt-payment discounts. The session closed with Jimmy Alty offering procurement tips to help businesses evaluate vendor bids, negotiate terms, and leverage PSEG Long Island’s contractor network — their Prime Efficiency
Partners — for quality assurance and cost control. Attendees also had the opportunity to meet one-onone with Business First Advocates to discuss next steps, from rebate applications to project planning, receiving personalized advice and customized next steps and key contacts for follow-up support. Future workshops are planned throughout the year. Businesses can email PSEGLI-BusinessFirst@pseg. com to schedule a free energy assessment or learn more.
— Charles Shaw
Susan Grieco/Herald
Student performers at Maria Regina School in Seaford brought the eerie charm last month for a two-night run of The Addams Family.
photo courtesy PSEG Long Island
owners attend PSEG Long Island “Business First” workshop on April 15.
May 1, 2025 —
LEGAL NOTICE
Public Notices
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING, ELECTION AND PERSONAL REGISTRATION, LEVITTOWN UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Annual Meeting of the School District, the vote on the School District budget and election of candidates for the School Board of Levittown Union Free School District, Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, and the vote on the Public Library budget and election of a candidate for the Board of Trustees for the Levittown Public Library, will be held in the several election districts of the School District at the voting places designated below on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 between the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM, to vote by ballot on voting machines on the proposition or propositions set forth below, as well as any other propositions which may properly come before the electorate, and to elect members of the Board of Education and to elect a member of the Library Board of Trustees.
Shall the following resolutions be adopted:
PROPOSITION NO. 1
SCHOOL DISTRICT
BUDGET
BE IT RESOLVED, that the School District budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026, as presented to the Board of Education, in the amount of $274,120,957 approved and the necessary taxes be levied therefore on the taxable real property of the district.
PROPOSITION NO. 2
EXPENDITURE OF THE 2023 CAPITAL RESERVE FUND AND UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE FOR SCHOOL BUILDING
IMPROVEMENT
PROJECTS
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Levittown Union Free School District is hereby authorized to expend the following remaining balances of the District Reserve Funds listed below: 2023 Capital Reserve in the amount of $18,000,000
In addition the Board
of Education is hereby authorized to expend up to the sum of $4,000,000 in unassigned fund balance, so that the total expenditure in an amount not to exceed $22,000,000 is hereby approved for purposes of performing school building improvement projects, including District-wide safety system upgrades, District-wide electrical system upgrades; District-wide roof reconditioning and replacement; Districtwide HVAC upgrades and replacements; District-wide interior and exterior masonry restoration; Districtwide asbestos abatement projects; District-wide athletic field renovations and tennis court lighting; District-wide roadway reconstruction and site improvements; Districtwide bathroom reconstruction; Districtwide instructional space renovations, and for any similar projects as contained in the District’s five year Capital Facilities Plan adopted by the Board of Education on March 19, 2025. Expenditures funded from the Capital Reserves and unassigned fund balance will not increase the tax levy.
PROPOSITION NO. 3
SALE OF SEAMANS NECK SCHOOL BUILDING
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Levittown Union Free School District (the “District”) is hereby authorized to sell the premises known as the Seaman’s Neck Road School, excluding the athletic fields which shall remain owned by the District, located at 1100 Crestline Place, Seaford, New York 11783, at a price of Seven Million Two Hundred Sixteen Thousand Dollars ($7,216,000) to Nassau BOCES, pursuant to the terms of a certain Contract of Sale dated as of February 25, 2025, which contract is available for review at the office of the District Clerk, 150 Abbey Lane, Levittown, New York 11756, and on the District’s website: www.levittownschools. com.
PROPOSITION NO. 4
AUTHORIZING TRANSPORTATION TO STUDENTS WITHIN THE CHILD SAFETY ZONE Shall the Board of Education of the Levittown Union Free
School District be authorized to provide transportation to those students attending District schools and residing in the Child Safety Zone established by the Board of Education, area bounded by the following: South of the Southern State Parkway, North of Jerusalem Avenue, West of Wantagh Avenue and East of Wantagh State Parkway; plus the area known as Lea Ann Terrace, and such transportation shall be provided by the District, starting in the 2025-2026 school year, for an estimated annual cost of $25,000.
PROPOSITION NO. 5
LIBRARY BUDGET
RESOLVED, that the Public Library Budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026 proposed by the Library Board of Trustees of the Levittown Public Library heretofore filed pursuant to law shall be approved and the necessary taxes be levied therefore on the taxable real property of the district.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education and for the office of member of the Library Board of Trustees must be filed with the District Clerk between the hours of 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM but between the hours of 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on April 21, 2025. Forms of the petitions may be obtained from the District Clerk.
The following vacancies are to be filled on the Board of Education: Two (2) members for the term of three (3) years, commencing July 1, 2025 and expiring June 30, 2028.
A separate petition is required to nominate a candidate for member of the Board of Education. The two candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected. Each petition must be directed to the District Clerk, must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District, or 2% of the voters who voted in the 2024 election, whichever is greater, and shall state the residence of each person who signed, must state the name and residence of the candidate and the length of the term of
office. This year all nominating petitions must include 44 signatures. The following vacancies are to be filled on the Library Board of Trustees: One (1) member for the term of five (5) years, commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2030; one member for a term commending July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2028; and one member for a term commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026.
A separate petition is required to nominate a candidate for member of the Library Board of Trustees. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be elected to the term which ends June 30, 2030. The candidate receiving the second highest number of votes will be elected to the term which ends June 30, 2028. The candidate receiving the third highest number of votes will be elected to the term which ends June 30, 2026. Each petition must be directed to the District Clerk, must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District, or 2% of the voters who voted in the 2024 election for members of the Library Board of Trustees, whichever is greater, and shall state the residence of each person who signed, must state the name and residence of the candidate and the length of the term of office. This year all nominating petitions must include 44 signatures.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that a statement of estimated expenses for the 2025-2026 school year will be presented at a Public Hearing on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 7:30 PM in the Board Meeting Room of the Levittown Memorial Education Center and copies of such statement, as well as the statement of the amount of money required for the 2025-2026 fiscal year of the Public Library, will be made available on the District’s website and at each schoolhouse and library in the District during the hours of 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM on each day other than a Saturday, Sunday or holiday during the fourteen (14) calendar days immediately
preceding the election together with the text of any resolution which will be presented to the voters.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law, personal registration of voters is required and only those persons whose names appear on the register of the said school district, or who are registered pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law, shall be entitled to vote at said meeting and election.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that all qualified voters who have previously registered for any annual or special meeting or election and have voted at any annual or special election held or conducted at any time within four (4) calendar years prior to this year are not required to register with the Board of Registration for this meeting.
All other persons who wish to vote must register. A voter may register at the office of the District Clerk of the Levittown UFSD between the hours of 8:00 AM. and 1:00 PM on school days provided that such registration is effected no later than May 15, 2025.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that said register will be filed in the office of the District Clerk and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District on each of the five (5) days prior to the day of the election, except Sunday, between the hours of 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, on Monday through Friday by appointment on Saturday ( May 17, 2025), in the office of the District Clerk and at each voting place on the day of the election.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that absentee ballots for those eligible pursuant to the provision of Section 2018a of the Education Law are available, and that applications for absentee ballots may be applied for at the office of the District Clerk. A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots have been issued will be available in the office of the Clerk on each of the five (5) calendar days prior to the day of election except Sunday, between the hours of 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM
on Monday through Friday and by appointment on Saturday (May 17, 2025), in the office of the District Clerk. Such application must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) calendar days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter or by the day before the election if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. No absentee voter’s ballot will be canvassed unless it has been received in the office of the District Clerk not later than 5:00 PM on the day of the election.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that pursuant to Section 2018-e of the Education Law, applications for early mail ballots may be obtained at the Office of the District Clerk of the School District, during all days in which the School District is in session. Completed applications must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than April 21, 2025 and by May 13, 2025, if the early mail ballot is to be mailed to the voter. If the early mail ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter at the Office of the District Clerk the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later than May 20, 2025. No early mail voter’s ballot will be canvassed unless it has been received in the Office of the District Clerk of the School District no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 20, 2025. A list of all persons to whom early ballots have been issued will be available in the Office of the District Clerk’s office during office hours on and after May 14, 2025 until May 19, 2025, except on Saturday May 17, 2025, by prearranged appointment. A challenge to an early voting ballot may not be made on the basis that the voter should have applied for an absentee ballot.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that during the voting hours on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM, in the various election districts, the Board of Registration will meet to receive registrations for subsequent elections. During the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM on voting days, the
District Clerk shall be in her office at the Levittown Memorial Education Center.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law requires the District to attach to its proposed budget an Exemption Report. Said exemption report, which will also become part of the final budget, will show how the total assessed value of the final assessment roll used in the budgetary process is exempt from taxation, list every type of exemption granted by statutory authority, and show the cumulative impact of each type of exemption, the cumulative amount expected to be received as payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) and the cumulative impact of all exemptions granted. In addition, said exemption report shall be posted on any bulletin board maintained by the District for public notices and on the District’s website. FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to Education Law §2018-d, Military Voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the District by submitting a Military Voter Registration Application to the District Clerk, no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 24, 2025. A copy of the Military Voter Registration Application is available both by contacting the District Clerk by email a t vesposito@levittownsc hools.com and online at the District’s website located at <http://www.levittown schools.com/>.
Military voters who are qualified voters of the District may submit an application for a military ballot. A Military Voter is entitled to designate a preference to receive a Military Voter Registration Application, Military Ballot Application or Military Ballot by mail, facsimile or electronic mail. Such designation will remain in effect until revoked or changed by the voter. If no preference is designated, the District will transmit the Military Voter Registration Application, Military
Ballot Application or Military Ballot by mail. Military Voter Ballot Application forms must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 24, 2025. Military Ballots will not be canvassed unless they are received by the District Clerk on or before 5:00 p.m. on May 20, 2025.
SCHOOL ELECTION DISTRICTS:
The boundaries of the school election districts and the place of each election district for voting and registration shall be as follows:
ELECTION DISTRICT #1 - GARDINERS AVENUE SCHOOL
Beginning at Wantagh Parkway and Chase Lane; east on Chase Lane to Center Lane, thence south to Prairie Lane; thence east to Gardiners Avenue; thence south to Slate Lane; then east and north to Swan Lane; then east and north to Grey Lane; continuing east to Wantagh Avenue; thence south on Wantagh Avenue to Jerusalem Avenue; thence west to Oakfield Avenue; continuing north to Old Jerusalem Road; thence east on Old Jerusalem Road to Wantagh Parkway Line; north along Line to the point of beginning.
ELECTION DISTRICT #2 - EAST BROADWAY SCHOOL
Beginning at north side of Southern State Parkway and east side of Wantagh Avenue; north on Wantagh to Miller Place; thence east to Exit Lane; thence south to Elm Drive; thence west to Elbow Lane; thence southwest to End Lane; south to End Lane and Elm Drive East to Pope Street; thence east to District Line; thence south to Regent Lane; thence east to Red Maple Drive; thence northeast, and south to Regal Lane; east on Regal Lane and Cordwood Lane to Arlington Drive; thence southeast to Town Line; thence south to Southern State Parkway; west along Parkway to point of beginning. Beginning at south side of Southern State Parkway and west side of Town Line; south on Town Line to Jerusalem Avenue; thence west to Wantagh Avenue; thence north to Southern State Parkway; thence east to point of beginning.
ELECTION DISTRICT #3
Public Notices
- LEVITTOWN
MEMORIAL
EDUCATION CENTER
Beginning at east side of Wantagh Parkway and south side of Hempstead Turnpike; east on Hempstead Turnpike to Silver Lane; thence south to Forge Lane; thence east to Cotton Lane; thence southeasterly to Wantagh Avenue; then south to Grey Lane; thence west to Swan Lane; then southwesterly to Slate Lane; then south to Gardiners Avenue, thence north to Prairie Lane; thence west to Center Lane; thence north to Chase Lane; thence west to Wantagh Parkway Line; north along Line to point of beginning.
ELECTION DISTRICT #4
- DIVISION AVENUE
HIGH SCHOOL
Beginning at north side of Hempstead Turnpike and west side of Jerusalem Avenue; west on Hempstead Turnpike to District Boundary Line at Wantagh State Parkway; thence northeast to northerly border of School District; east on Boundary Line (Flamingo Rd., Magpie Lane, Blacksmith Rd) to Jerusalem Avenue; thence south to point of beginning.
Dated: Levittown, New York March 2025 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
LEVITTOWN UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK 152588
as 3388 Maplewood Drive South a/k/a 3388 Maplewood Drive, Wantagh, NY 11793.
All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 57, Block 219 and Lot 11. Approximate amount of judgment is $820,538.42 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #614238/2022.
Tara Mayerhofer, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 221849-1 152824
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT WANTAGH (UNINCORPORATED)
TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 604783/2017. Lisa Segal Poczik, Esq.Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 152953
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF Nassau, U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as Trustee of the LBCabana Series IV Trust, Plaintiff, vs. Michael K. Carbone, ET AL., Defendant(s).
Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on May 8, 2024, 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 May 14, 2025 at 2:30 p.m., premises known
LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR MERRILL LYNCH MORTGAGE INVESTORS TRUST, MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2004-OPT1, -againstMICHELLE KAPLAN, 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 January 27, 2025, wherein WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR MERRILL LYNCH MORTGAGE INVESTORS TRUST, MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2004-OPT1 is the Plaintiff and MICHELLE KAPLAN, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the CALENDAR CONTROL PART (CCP) COURTROOM OF THE SUPREME COURT, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on May 20, 2025 at 2:00PM, premises known as 1021 BARRIE AVENUE, WANTAGH, NY 11793; and the following tax map identification: 51-281-25.
LEGAL NOTICE
At a meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead, in the County of Nassau, New York, held at the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, Town Hall Plaza, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on April 29, 2025 P R E S E N T :
Hon., Donald X. Clavin, Jr., Supervisor Dorothy Goosby Dennis Dunne, Sr. Thomas E. Muscarella
Melissa Miller
Laura A. Ryder Chris Schneider, Council Members
X IN THE MATTER : of: THE INCREASE AND IMPROVEMENT : OF THE LEVITTOWN WATER DISTRICT IN THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD : COUNTY OF NASSAU, STATE OF NEW YORK
- X ORDER CALLING PUBLIC HEARING WHEREAS, the Commissioner of the Town of Hempstead Department of Water as the Representative of the Levittown Water District (the “District”) proposed certain improvements consisting of exterior façade and site improvements at Well 14, and any other minor repairs to such structure, and
requested the Town Board hold a public hearing regarding said improvements of the District; and, WHEREAS, said Commissioner submitted to the Town Board an estimate of costs relating to said improvements; and, WHEREAS, the proposed increase and improvement is a Type II Action pursuant to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act and 6 N.Y.C.R.R. Part 617; WHEREAS, it is in the public interest that the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead consider the proposition herein set forth and to call a public hearing thereon; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT, ORDERED, the proposed increase and improvement is a Type II Action pursuant to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act and 6 N.Y.C.R.R. Part 617; and, be it further, ORDERED, a public hearing be held by this Town Board on May 13th 2025 at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon o’clock at the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, Town Hall Plaza, 1 Washington Street, Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, on the increase and improvement of the Levittown Water District at an estimated maximum cost of $500,000.00 to be financed by the issuance of obligations of the Town.
ALL PERSONS desiring to be heard concerning the subject of the above-mentioned hearing will be given an opportunity to be heard at the time and place aforesaid.
Dated: Hempstead, New York April 29, 2025 /s/________________
Donald X. Clavin, Jr., Supervisor /s/________________
Dorothy L. Goosby /s/________________
Dennis Dunne, Sr. /s/________________
Thomas E. Muscarella /s/
Melissa Miller
/s/________________
Laura A. Ryder /s/
Chris Schneider, Members of the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead 153234
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS
Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 05/07/2025 at 9:30
A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:
THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M.
201/25. WANTAGHRonald E. & Meredith L. Katz, Renewal of grant to maintain 2-family dwelling., W/s Freeport St., 220’ S/o Bellport Ave., a/k/a 2380 Freeport St. 212/25. - 214/25. LEVITTOWN - Michael P. Madden & Joan E. Passarella, Use variance, maintain detached garage converted to recreation room; Special exception to maintain 2nd accessory structure (pond) exceeding horizontal maximum; Special exception to maintain 3rd accessory structure (gazebo) higher than permitted., W/s Circle La., 337.95’ W/o Quarry La., a/k/a 32 Circle La.
ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in Wantagh & Levittown within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.go v/509/Board-of-Appeals The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.go v/576/Live-StreamingVideo Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on
the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it 153226
To Place A Notice Call
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING, BUDGET VOTE AND ELECTION OF THE WANTAGH UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT WANTAGH, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a Public Hearing of the qualified voters of the WANTAGH UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, Nassau County, Wantagh, New York will be held in the Senior High School, Wantagh, New York, in said school district on May 8, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. prevailing time, for the transaction of business as authorized by the Education Law, including the following items:
1. To present to the voters a detailed statement (proposed budget) of the amount of money which will be required for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
2.To discuss all the items hereinafter set forth to be voted upon by voting machines at the Budget Vote and Election to be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
3.To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting pursuant to Education Law of the State of New York and acts amendatory thereto.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a copy of a detailed statement in writing of the amount of money which will be required for the 2025/26 school year for school purposes (the proposed budget) will be made available, upon request, to any resident of the District between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., prevailing time, beginning May 1, 2025, except Saturday, Sunday or holidays, at the office of the Assistant Superintendent for Business, Administration Building, 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, New York 11793, at each school house in the District, at school district offices, on the District’s website at www.wantaghschools. org, and at the Wantagh Public Library.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that said Budget Vote and Election will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, between the hours of
7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., prevailing time, in the Three (3) Election Districts, described below, at which time the polls will be opened to vote by voting machine upon the following items:
1. To adopt the annual budget of the School District for the fiscal year 2025/26 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the District.
2. Shall the Board of Education be authorized pursuant to Section 3651 of the Education Law to expend an amount not to exceed One Million Nine Hundred NinetyOne Thousand Dollars ($1,991,000) (including accrued interest) from the Capital Reserve Fund established by voters of the School District at the annual meeting held on May 15, 2018, and to expend an amount not to exceed One Hundred Nine Thousand Dollars ($109,000) (including accrued interest) from the Capital Reserve Fund established by voters of the School District at the annual meeting held on May 21, 2024 (“Reserve Funds”) for the following projects: Roof replacement at Wantagh Elementary School main building, ceiling replacements at the Wantagh Middle School and Wantagh High School, Wantagh High School auditorium lighting replacements and upgrades, and security camera and related network upgrades and replacements districtwide; all of the foregoing to include site improvements, furnishings, equipment, apparatus, machinery, demolition and other incidental work or improvements required in connection therewith, and to expend from the Reserve Funds therefor, including preliminary costs and costs incidental thereto an amount not to exceed the total estimated cost of Two Million One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,100,000) (including accrued interest); such costs of the components of the capital improvements/ projects may be reallocated among such components/projects as the Board of Education shall determine to be in the best interest of the District 3. To elect two (2) members of the Board of Education for a three-
year term commencing July 1, 2025 and expiring on June 30, 2028. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law, the School District is required to attach to its proposed budget an exemption report. Said exemption report, which will also become part of the final budget, will show how much of the total assessed value on the final assessment roll used in the budgetary process is exempt from taxation, list every type of exemption granted, identified by statutory authority, and show: (a) the cumulative impact of each type of exemption expressed either as a dollar amount of assessed value or as a percentage of the total assessed value on the roll; (b) the cumulative amount expected to be received from recipients of each type of exemption as payments in lieu of taxes or other payments for municipal services; and (c) the cumulative impact of all exemptions granted. The exemption report shall be posted on any bulletin board maintained by the District for public notices and on any website maintained by the District. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education shall be filed with the Clerk of said School District at her office in the Administration Building, 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, New York 11793, not later than April 21, 2025, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., prevailing time. Vacancies on the Board of Education are not considered separate, specific offices; candidates run at large. Nominating petitions shall not describe any specific vacancy upon the Board for which the candidate is nominated; must be directed to the Clerk of the District; must be signed by at least thirty-seven (37) qualified voters of the District (representing the greater of twentyfive (25) qualified voters or 2% of the number of voters who voted in the previous annual election); must state the name and residence of each signer, and, must state the name and residence of the candidate. AND FURTHER NOTICE
Public Notices
IS HEREBY GIVEN, that personal registration of voters is required either pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law or pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law. If a voter has heretofore registered pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law and has voted at an annual or special district meeting within the last four (4) calendar years, he or she is eligible to vote at this election. If a voter is registered and eligible to vote under Article 5 of the Election Law, he or she is also eligible to vote at this election. All other persons who wish to vote must register. Registration shall be conducted for the purpose of registering all qualified voters of the District pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law through Thursday, May 15, 2025, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., prevailing time, on all regular days during which the office of the District Clerk is in operation, located in the Administration Building, 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, New York 11793, at which time any person will be entitled to have his or her name placed on such register, provided that at such time he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of said District Clerk to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such election for which the register is prepared. The Board of Registration will also meet for the purpose of registering all qualified voters of the District pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law on May 6, 2025, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., prevailing time, in the Senior High School Lobby, and on Saturday, May 10, 2025, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 pm., at the Administration Building, 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, New York 11793, to add any additional names to the Register to be used at the aforesaid election, at which time any person will be entitled to have his or her name placed on such Register, provided that at such meeting of the Board of Registration he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of said Board of Registration to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such election for which the register is prepared. The last day to register shall be Thursday, May 15, 2025. The register
so prepared pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law will be filed in the Office of the District Clerk, 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, New York 11793, and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District beginning on Thursday, May 15, 2025, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., prevailing time, on weekdays, and each day prior to the day set for the election, except Sunday, and on Saturday, May 17, 2025 between the hours of 9:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m., and at the polling place(s) on the day of the vote.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the Wantagh Union Free School District by requesting and returning a registration application to the District Clerk in person, by mail to 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, New York 11793, by email to mcguigane@ wantaghschools.org or fax sent to (516) 7654154. The request for the registration application may include the military voter’s preference for receipt of the registration application by either mail, fax or email. Military voter registration application forms must be received in the office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 24,2025.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military voters who are qualified voters of the Wantagh Union Free School District, may request an application for a military ballot from the District Clerk in person, by mail to 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, New York 11793, by email to mcguigane@ wantaghschools.org, or fax sent to (516) 765-4154. In such request, the military voter may indicate their preference for receiving the application by mail, fax or email. A military voter must return the original military ballot application by mail or in person to the office of the District Clerk at 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, New York 11793. In order for a military voter to be issued a military ballot, a valid military ballot application must be received in the office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m., on
April 24, 2025. Military ballot applications received in accordance with the foregoing will be processed in the same manner as a non-military ballot application under Section 2018-a of the Education Law. The application for military ballot may include the military voter’s preference for receipt of the military ballot by mail, fax, or email. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a military voter’s original military ballot must be returned by mail or in person to the office of the District Clerk at 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, New York 11793. Military ballots shall be canvassed if they are received by the District Clerk before the close of polls on May 20, 2025 showing a cancellation mark of the United States Postal Service or a foreign country’s postal service, or showing a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States Government; or received not later than 5:00 p.m. on May 20, 2025 and signed and dated by the military voter and one witness thereto, with a date which is ascertained to be not later than the day before the election.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law of the State of New York, the Board of Registration will meet on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., prevailing time, at each of the three (3) separate election districts to prepare the Register of the School District to be used at the Budget Vote and Election to be held in 2026, and any special district meetings that may be held after the preparation of said Register, at which time any person will be entitled to have his or her name placed on such Register provided that at such meeting of said Board of Registration he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of such Board of Registration to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at the school election for which said Register is prepared, or any special district meeting held after May 20, 2025.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that absentee and early mail voting will be permitted in accordance with
Sections 2018 a and 2018-e of the Education Law. All applications for absentee and early mail ballots may be applied for at the Office of the School District Clerk beginning Monday, April 21, 2025. Beginning Thursday, May 15, 2025 a list of all persons to whom absentee and early mail ballots shall have been issued will be available during regular Office hours in the Office of the School District Clerk (between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., prevailing time) on each of the five days prior to the day of the election except Sunday or holidays, and available on Saturday by appointment only.
An application for an absentee ballot, on a form to be provided by the School District Clerk, shall be made to the School District Clerk. Such application must be received at least seven (7) days before the election if the School District Clerk is to return the absentee ballot to the applicant by mail. If the applicant or their agent is to personally pick up the absentee ballot, the application must be received by the School District Clerk at least one (1) day before the election.
An application for an early mail ballot, on a form to be provided by the School District Clerk, shall be made to the School District Clerk.
For any early mail ballot applications received at least seven (7) days prior to the election, the District Clerk shall mail an early mail ballot to each qualified voter who requested that such an early mail ballot be mailed to the address set forth on the submitted application no later than six (6) days before the election. If an applicant or their agent delivers an application for an early mail ballot after May 14, 2025 and not later than the day before the election, the District Clerk shall deliver the early mail ballot when the applicant and/or their agent appears in the District Clerk’s office.
No absentee or early mail voter’s ballot shall be canvassed, unless it shall have been received in the Office of the School District Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m., Prevailing Time, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the day of the election. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that any referenda or propositions to amend
the budget, or otherwise to be submitted for voting at said election, must be filed with the District Clerk of the Board of Education at the Administration Building, 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, New York 11793, on or before April 21, 2025, at 4:00 p.m., prevailing time, except that referenda or propositions required by law to be included in the notice of the annual meeting must be filed with the District Clerk on or before March 21, 2025, at 4:00 p.m.; must be typed or printed in the English language; must be directed to the Clerk of the School District; must be signed by at least ninety-three (93) qualified voters of the District (representing the greater of 25 or 5% of the number of voters who voted in the previous annual election); and must legibly state the name of each signer. However, the School Board will not entertain any petition to place before the voters any proposition the purpose of which is not within the powers of the voters to determine, which is unlawful or any proposition which fails to include a specific appropriation where the expenditure of monies is required by the proposition, or where other valid reason exists for excluding the proposition from the ballot.
SCHOOL ELECTION DISTRICTS AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that Election Districts have been established in the School District. The boundaries of the Election Districts, as adopted by resolution of the Board of Education, and the place in each election district for voting shall be as follows:
ELECTION DISTRICT
NO. 1 - All voters who reside south of Sunrise Highway vote at the Mandalay Elementary School, 2667 Bayview Avenue, Wantagh, New York 11793.
ELECTION DISTRICT
NO. 2 - All voters who reside north of Sunrise Highway and East of Wantagh Parkway vote at the Wantagh Elementary School, 1765 Beech Street Wantagh, New York 11793.
ELECTION DISTRICT
NO. 3 - All voters who reside north of Sunrise Highway and West of Wantagh Parkway, vote at the Forest Lake Elementary School, 3100 Beltagh Avenue,
Wantagh, New York 11793.
Dated: Wantagh, New York March 20, 2025 By Order of the BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE WANTAGH UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT Wantagh, New York Elaine McGuigan, District Clerk 152584
LEGAL NOTICE AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA, VOTACIÓN PRESUPUESTARIA Y ELECCIÓN DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR LIBRE DE LA UNIÓN DE WANTAGH WANTAGH, CONDADO DE NASSAU, NUEVA YORK POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA que se llevará a cabo una Audiencia Pública de los votantes calificados del DISTRITO ESCOLAR LIBRE DE WANTAGH UNION, Nassau County, Wantagh, Nueva York, en la Escuela Secundaria Senior, Wantagh, Nueva York, en dicho distrito escolar el 8 de mayo de 2025, a las 8:00 p.m. hora prevaleciente, para la transacción de negocios según lo autorizado por la Ley de Educación, incluyendo los siguientes artículos:
1. Presentar a los votantes una declaración detallada (presupuesto propuesto) de la cantidad de dinero que se requerirá para el año fiscal 2025-26.
2. Discutir todos los puntos que a continuación se exponen para ser votados por las máquinas de votación en la Votación y Elección de Presupuesto que se llevará a cabo el martes 20 de mayo de 2025.
3. Para llevar a cabo cualquier otro asunto que pueda presentarse adecuadamente ante la reunión de conformidad con la Ley de Educación del Estado de Nueva York y las leyes que la modifiquen.
Y POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL, que una copia de una declaración detallada por escrito de la cantidad de dinero que se requerirá para el año escolar 2025/26 para fines escolares (el presupuesto propuesto) estará disponible, previa solicitud, para cualquier residente del Distrito entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 4:00 p.m., hora vigente, a partir del 1 de mayo de 2025, excepto sábados, domingos o feriados, en la oficina del Superintendente Adjunto de Negocios, Edificio de Administración, 3301
Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793, en cada casa escolar del Distrito, en las oficinas del distrito escolar, en el sitio web del Distrito en www.wantaghschools. org, y en la Biblioteca Pública de Wantagh.
Y POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL, que dicha Votación y Elección del Presupuesto se llevará a cabo el martes 20 de mayo de 2025, entre las horas de 7:00 a.m. y 9:00 p.m., hora prevaleciente, en los Tres (3) Distritos Electorales, descritos a continuación, momento en el cual las urnas se abrirán para votar por máquina de votación en los siguientes elementos:
1. Adoptar el presupuesto anual del Distrito Escolar para el año fiscal 2025/26 y autorizar que la parte requerida del mismo se aumente mediante impuestos sobre la propiedad imponible del Distrito.
2. ¿Se autorizará a la Junta de Educación de conformidad con la Sección 3651 de la Ley de Educación a gastar una cantidad que no exceda un millón novecientos noventa y un mil dólares ($1,991,000) (incluidos los intereses acumulados) del Fondo de Reserva de Capital establecido por los votantes del Distrito Escolar en la reunión anual celebrada el 15 de mayo de 2018, y a gastar una cantidad que no exceda los ciento nueve mil dólares ($109,000) (incluidos los intereses acumulados) de la Reserva de Capital Fondo establecido por los votantes del Distrito Escolar en la reunión anual celebrada el 21 de mayo de 2024 (“Fondos de Reserva”) para los siguientes proyectos: Reemplazo de techo en el edificio principal de la Escuela Primaria Wantagh, reemplazos de techo en la Escuela Secundaria Wantagh y la Escuela Secundaria Wantagh, reemplazos y mejoras de iluminación del auditorio de la Escuela Secundaria Wantagh, y actualizaciones y reemplazos de cámaras de seguridad y redes relacionadas en todo el distrito; todo lo anterior incluye mejoras en el sitio, mobiliario, equipo, aparato, maquinaria, demolición y otros trabajos incidentales o mejoras requeridas en relación con los mismos, y gastar de los Fondos de Reserva para los mismos, incluidos los costos preliminares y los costos incidentales a los mismos, una cantidad
que no exceda el costo total estimado de dos millones cien mil dólares ($ 2,100,000) (incluidos los intereses acumulados); dichos costos de los componentes de las mejoras/proyectos de capital pueden ser reasignados entre dichos componentes/proyectos según el Consejo de Educación determine que es en el mejor interés del Distrito 3. Elegir a dos (2) miembros de la Junta de Educación por un período de tres años que comienza el 1 de julio de 2025 y expira el 30 de junio de 2028. Y POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL, que de conformidad con la Sección 495 de la Ley del Impuesto sobre la Propiedad Inmobiliaria, se requiere que el Distrito Escolar adjunte a su presupuesto propuesto un informe de exención. Dicho informe de exención, que también formará parte del presupuesto final, mostrará qué parte del valor total de la tasación en el cuadro de liquidación final utilizado en el proceso presupuestario está exenta de impuestos, enumerará cada tipo de exención otorgada, identificada por la autoridad legal, y mostrará: (a) el impacto acumulativo de cada tipo de exención expresado como un monto en dólares del valor tasado o como un porcentaje del valor tasado total en el rollo; (b) el monto acumulado que se espera recibir de los beneficiarios de cada tipo de exención como pagos en lugar de impuestos u otros pagos por servicios municipales; y c) el efecto acumulativo de todas las exenciones concedidas. El informe de exención se publicará en cualquier tablón de anuncios mantenido por el Distrito para avisos públicos y en cualquier sitio web mantenido por el Distrito. Y SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS POR LA PRESENTE, que las peticiones de nominación de candidatos para el cargo de miembro de la Junta de Educación se presentarán ante la Secretaria de dicho Distrito Escolar en su oficina en el Edificio de Administración, 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793, a más tardar el 21 de abril de 2025, entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 5:00 p.m., tiempo prevaleciente. Las vacantes en la Junta de Educación no se consideran oficinas separadas y específicas; Los candidatos
Public Notices
se postulan en general. Las peticiones de nominación no describirán ninguna vacante específica en la Junta para la cual se nomina al candidato; debe dirigirse al Secretario del Distrito; debe estar firmada por al menos treinta y siete (37) votantes calificados del Distrito (que representen el mayor de veinticinco (25) votantes calificados o el 2% del número de votantes que votaron en la elección anual anterior); debe indicar el nombre y la residencia de cada firmante, y debe indicar el nombre y la residencia del candidato.
Y POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL, que se requiere el registro personal de los votantes ya sea de conformidad con la Sección 2014 de la Ley de Educación o de conformidad con el Artículo 5 de la Ley Electoral. Si un votante se ha registrado hasta ahora de conformidad con §2014 de la Ley de Educación y ha votado en una reunión anual o especial del distrito dentro de los últimos cuatro (4) años calendario, él o ella es elegible para votar en esta elección. Si un votante está registrado y es elegible para votar bajo el Artículo 5 de la Ley Electoral, él o ella también es elegible para votar en esta elección. Todas las demás personas que deseen votar deben registrarse. El registro se llevará a cabo con el propósito de registrar a todos los votantes calificados del Distrito de conformidad con §2014 de la Ley de Educación hasta el jueves 15 de mayo de 2025, entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 4:00 p.m., hora prevaleciente, en todos los días regulares durante los cuales la oficina del Secretario del Distrito está en funcionamiento, ubicada en el Edificio de Administración, 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793, momento en el cual cualquier persona tendrá derecho a que su nombre sea incluido en dicho registro, siempre que en ese momento se sepa o se demuestre a satisfacción de dicho Secretario de Distrito que tiene derecho a votar en ese momento o en lo sucesivo en dicha elección para la cual se prepara el registro. La Junta de Registro también se reunirá con el propósito de registrar a todos los votantes calificados del Distrito de conformidad con §2014 de la Ley de Educación
el 6 de mayo de 2025, entre las 9:00 a.m. y la 1:00 p.m., hora prevaleciente, en el vestíbulo de la escuela secundaria superior, y el sábado 10 de mayo de 2025, entre las 9:00 a.m. y la 1:00 p.m., en el Edificio de Administración, 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793, para agregar cualquier nombre adicional al Registro que se utilizará en la elección antes mencionada, momento en el cual cualquier persona tendrá derecho a que su nombre se coloque en dicho Registro, siempre que en dicha reunión de la Junta de Registro se sepa o se demuestre a satisfacción de dicha Junta de Registro que tiene derecho en ese momento o posteriormente a votar en las elecciones para las que se ha preparado el registro. El último día para inscribirse será el jueves 15 de mayo de 2025. El registro así preparado de conformidad con §2014 de la Ley de Educación se archivará en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito, 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793, y estará abierto para la inspección de cualquier votante calificado del Distrito a partir del jueves 15 de mayo de 2025, entre las 9:00 a.m. y la 1:00 p.m., hora prevaleciente, en días laborables, y cada día anterior al día establecido para la elección, excepto el domingo, y el sábado 17 de mayo de 2025 entre las 9:00 a.m. y las 12:00 p.m., y en el (los) lugar (s) de votación el día de la votación.
Y POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL, de que los votantes militares que no están registrados actualmente pueden solicitar registrarse como votantes calificados del Distrito Escolar Libre de Wantagh Union solicitando y devolviendo una solicitud de registro al Secretario del Distrito en persona, por correo a 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793, por correo electrónico a mcguigane@wantaghschools.org o fax enviado al (516) 7654154. La solicitud de la solicitud de registro puede incluir la preferencia del votante militar para recibir la solicitud de registro por correo, fax o correo electrónico. Los formularios de solicitud de registro de votantes militares deben recibirse en la oficina del Secretario del Distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. del
24 de abril de 2025.
Y POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL, que los votantes militares que son votantes calificados del Distrito Escolar Libre de Wantagh Union, pueden solicitar una solicitud para una boleta militar del Secretario del Distrito en persona, por correo a 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793, por correo electrónico a mcguigane@ wantaghschools.org, o por fax enviado al (516) 765-4154. En dicha solicitud, el votante militar puede indicar su preferencia por recibir la solicitud por correo, fax o correo electrónico. Un votante militar debe devolver la solicitud original de boleta militar por correo o en persona a la oficina del Secretario del Distrito en 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793. Para que a un votante militar se le emita una boleta militar, se debe recibir una solicitud de boleta militar válida en la oficina del Secretario del Distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m., el 24 de abril de 2025. Las solicitudes de boletas militares recibidas de acuerdo con lo anterior se procesarán de la misma manera que una solicitud de boleta no militar bajo la Sección 2018-a de la Ley de Educación. La solicitud de boleta militar puede incluir la preferencia del votante militar para recibir la boleta militar por correo, fax o correo electrónico.
Y POR LA PRESENTE
SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL, que la boleta militar original de un votante militar debe ser devuelta por correo o en persona a la oficina del Secretario del Distrito en 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793. Las boletas militares serán escrutadas si son recibidas por el Secretario del Distrito antes del cierre de las urnas el 2 de mayo de 2025 mostrando una marca de cancelación del Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos o del servicio postal de un país extranjero, o mostrando un endoso fechado de recepción por otra agencia del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos; o recibidas a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. del 20 de mayo. 2025 y firmada y fechada por el votante militar y un testigo de la misma, con una fecha que se determina que no será posterior al día anterior a la elección. Y SE NOTIFICA ADICIONALMENTE, que de conformidad con §2014 de
la Ley de Educación del Estado de Nueva York, la Junta de Registro se reunirá el martes 20 de mayo de 2025, entre las 7:00 a.m. y las 9:00 p.m., hora prevaleciente, en cada uno de los tres (3) distritos electorales separados para preparar el Registro del Distrito Escolar que se utilizará en la Votación y Elección del Presupuesto que se llevará a cabo en 2026, y cualquier reunión especial de distrito que pueda celebrarse después de la preparación de dicho Registro, momento en el cual cualquier persona tendrá derecho a que su nombre se coloque en dicho Registro, siempre que en dicha reunión de dicha Junta de Registro se sepa o se demuestre a satisfacción de dicha Junta de Registro que tiene derecho a votar en ese momento o en lo sucesivo en la elección escolar para la cual se desea dicho Registro. o cualquier reunión especial de distrito que se celebre después del 20 de mayo de 2025. TENGA EN CUENTA que se permitirá el voto en ausencia y por correo anticipado de acuerdo con las Secciones 2018 a y 2018-e de la Ley de Educación. Todas las solicitudes de boletas de voto en ausencia y por correo anticipado se pueden solicitar en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito Escolar a partir del lunes 21 de abril de 2025. A partir del jueves 15 de mayo de 2025, una lista de todas las personas a las que se les habrán emitido boletas de voto en ausencia y por correo anticipado estará disponible durante el horario regular de oficina en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito Escolar (entre las 9:00 a.m. y las 5:00 p.m., hora prevaleciente) en cada uno de los cinco días anteriores al día de la elección, excepto los domingos o días festivos. y disponible los sábados solo con cita previa. Una solicitud para una boleta de voto en ausencia, en un formulario que será proporcionado por el Secretario del Distrito Escolar, se hará al Secretario del Distrito Escolar. Dicha solicitud debe recibirse al menos siete (7) días antes de la elección si el Secretario del Distrito Escolar debe devolver la boleta de voto en ausencia al solicitante por correo. Si el solicitante o su agente va a recoger personalmente la boleta de voto en ausencia, la solicitud
News brief
Courtesy Boy Scouts of America Troop 656
Liam Fields, center, is joined by local officials during his Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony at Christ Lutheran Church in Wantagh on March 2. Fields earned Scouting’s highest rank after completing a lighting project for the church’s sanctuary and prayer garden.
Wantagh teen earns Eagle Scout rank
Liam Fields of Wantagh has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in the Boy Scouts of America.
A member of Troop 656B, which is chartered by Christ Lutheran Church in Wantagh, Fields completed a service project that involved installing exterior lighting around the church’s sanctuary and prayer garden. His
work included trenching, wiring, and lighting control systems, allowing the church to adjust colors and timing to match the liturgical season.
A Court of Honor ceremony recognizing his accomplishment was held March 2 at Christ Lutheran Church’s Steinbecker Hall.
–Charles Shaw
Public Notices
debe ser recibida por el Secretario del Distrito Escolar al menos un (1) día antes de la elección. Una solicitud para una boleta electoral anticipada por correo, en un formulario que será proporcionado por el Secretario del Distrito Escolar, se hará al Secretario del Distrito Escolar. Para cualquier solicitud de boleta anticipada por correo recibida al menos siete (7) días antes de la elección, el Secretario del Distrito enviará una boleta por correo temprano a cada votante calificado que solicitó que dicha boleta por correo anticipada se envíe por correo a la dirección establecida en la solicitud presentada a más tardar seis (6) días antes de la elección. Si un solicitante o su agente entrega una solicitud para una boleta electoral anticipada por correo después del 14 de mayo de 2025 y a más tardar el día antes de la elección, el Secretario del Distrito entregará la boleta electoral anticipada por correo cuando el solicitante y/o su agente se presenten en la oficina del Secretario del Distrito. No se realizará el escru-
tinio de ninguna boleta de voto en ausencia o por correo anticipado, a menos que se haya recibido en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito Escolar a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m., hora prevaleciente, el martes 20 de mayo de 2025, el día de la elección. Y POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL, que cualquier referéndum o proposición para enmendar el presupuesto, o de otra manera que se presente para votar en dicha elección, debe presentarse ante el Secretario de Distrito de la Junta de Educación en el Edificio de Administración, 3301 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793, en o antes del 21 de abril de 2025, a las 4:00 p.m., tiempo prevaleciente, excepto que los referendos o proposiciones que la ley requiera que se incluyan en el aviso de la reunión anual deben presentarse ante el Secretario del Distrito en o antes 2 1 de marzo de 2025, a las 4:00 p.m.; debe estar escrito a máquina o impreso en el idioma inglés; debe estar dirigido al Secretario del Distrito Escolar; debe
estar firmado por al menos noventa y tres (93) votantes calificados del Distrito (que representen el mayor de 25 o 5% del número de votantes que votaron en la elección anual anterior); y debe indicar de manera legible el nombre de cada firmante. Sin embargo, la Junta Escolar no considerará ninguna petición para presentar a los votantes cualquier proposición cuyo propósito no esté dentro de los poderes de los votantes para determinar, que sea ilegal o cualquier proposición que no incluya una asignación específica donde el gasto de dinero sea requerido por la proposición, o donde exista otra razón válida para excluir la proposición de la boleta. DISTRITOS ELECTORALES ESCOLARES Y POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL, que se han establecido Distritos Electorales en el Distrito Escolar. Los límites de los Distritos Electorales, según lo adoptado por resolución de la Junta de Educación, y el lugar en cada distrito electoral para votar serán los siguientes: DISTRITO ELECTORAL
NO. 1 - Todos los votantes que residen al sur de Sunrise Highway votan en la Escuela Primaria Mandalay, 2667 Bayview Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793. DISTRITO ELECTORAL NO. 2 - Todos los votantes que residen al norte de Sunrise Highway y al este de Wantagh Parkway votan en la Escuela Primaria Wantagh, 1765 Beech Street, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793.
DISTRITO ELECTORAL NO. 3 - Todos los votantes que residen al norte de Sunrise Highway y al oeste de Wantagh Parkway, votan en la Escuela Primaria Forest Lake, 3100 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh, Nueva York 11793. Fecha: Wantagh, Nueva York 20 de marzo de 2025 Por orden de la JUNTA DE EDUCACIÓN DE LA DISTRITO ESCOLAR LIBRE DE WANTAGH UNION
Wantagh, Nueva York
Elaine McGuigan, Secretaria de Distrito 152586
To place a notice here call us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com
Luxury and Modern Amenities
Fixing things up downstairs
Q. Our basement is unfinished, and we plan to put in walls and a finished ceiling. We know we need an escape window, but what are your suggestions on other things, like the kind of ceiling? I’m thinking about just sheetrock, but what kind of access do you recommend for the pipes and wires I’ll need to get to?
A. There are many items to include in your thought process for finishing your basement. Mistakes are made, first, by ever assuming that the people doing the work know the laws.
The biggest problem I see is that the ceiling is just a little too low, that someone dropped the entire ceiling level just because of one pipe. The minimum ceiling height in the current code is 6 feet 8 inches clearance, with 6 feet 4 inches under the center beams, air ducts or soffits anywhere in the basement. Always leave access for shutoff valves, wiring connections, cleanouts and other controls.
If you need to move pipes that were installed without any care for your future use of the basement, move them. Piping should go around the perimeter of the basement, no matter what excuse you hear. Because of poor planning and even worse execution, pipes are the No. 1 problem, because someone thoughtlessly put them in a place that was good for them and not for you.
The ceiling finish can be sheetrock in the larger areas with perimeter “hung” track ceilings outfitted with removable ceiling tiles. Again, even those lowered perimeter and under-beam soffits need to be no less than 6 feet 4 inches above the floor. Tall firefighters need to avoid hitting their heads when they’re running though your smoke-filled basement to rescue you or your loved ones.
Although you know you need an escape well window or exterior door entry, placement of the well in some side or front yards can cause a code violation if it’s closer than allowed to a property line. Verify your setback requirements for your zone, and even confirm that with an official at your local building department.
Many jurisdictions require a permit with plans and inspections, so don’t forget these important requirements. There are so many people who are frustrated that their contractor didn’t tell them that they needed a permit, and even worse, that they now have a violation that requires reconstruction to pass inspections. Don’t be one of those people.
Other important issues include what to do with enclosing your heating equipment, putting laundry sinks and washing machines too close to the main electrical service panel, using the wrong kind of wall studs for perimeter walls, not insulating correctly and forgetting to put handrails on the access stairs, inside and out. Heating equipment, to the code, must follow the manufacturer’s specifications. Installers rarely leave a manual. Sometimes the internet helps. There must be 5/8-inch type X gypsum board on the ceiling extending at least 1 foot in each direction around the boiler. Best of luck!
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opinions Battery storage is key to economic competitiveness
As a lifelong Long Islander, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when our energy system fails. I lived through Superstorm Sandy and helped lead recovery efforts in its aftermath — and I don’t need to remind those who went weeks without power and spent hours on gas lines that grid resilience isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a necessity — one we must urgently prioritize.
Unfortunately, more than a decade later, the challenge not only persists, but it’s more complex than ever. The surge in electric vehicles, the rise of data centers and the electrification of homes and businesses are pushing Long Island’s energy demand to unprecedented levels. This isn’t just about the next superstorm — it’s about how we power everyday life for families and small businesses right now. Our existing grid wasn’t designed for this kind of load, and without proactive investment, we risk higher costs, decreased reliability and a system stretched to its breaking point. And the pressure is mounting. The Long Island Power Authority anticipates a steep rise in electricity demand in the
As I fight tooth and nail for every dollar, every program, every piece of support that I can secure for my constituents, a clear pattern has emerged in the performance of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman — one that it is marred by self-promotional pageantry, misplaced priorities and big promises that ultimately collapse.
The most recent example is the failure of the NYU Langone hospital project that was supposed to rise on the campus of Nassau Community College. When Blakeman introduced it, he billed it as a multibillion-dollar economic engine that would create thousands of jobs, deliver cutting-edge medical care and provide opportunities for our students.
When it was withdrawn in March, it became just another abandoned plan — another missed opportunity that could have changed lives and transformed our economy. Questions from the public and lawmakers have been met with a lack of
coming years. Storage will be key. Planned battery storage projects in Shoreham and Hauppauge are expected to deliver 129 megawatts of capacity, enough to power 25,000 homes once they’re operational in 2028. These aren’t theoretical solutions; they’re essential to keeping Long Islanders’ lights on. And they demonstrate that the public and private sectors can work together to address infrastructure challenges with innovative solutions.
important in ensuring that clean power doesn’t go to waste.
Without it, rising demand can trigger price volatility, hurting small businesses.
Battery energy storage systems are a smart response to this challenge. By storing excess energy during off-peak times and discharging it when demand peaks, these systems stabilize the grid without requiring massive infrastructure overhauls. They help prevent blackouts, curb price spikes, and improve efficiency. In short, they let us do more with what we already have, and that’s a win for everyone.
One of BESS’s most powerful features is its flexibility. It can store energy from any source — solar, wind, natural gas — and dispatch it where and when it’s needed most. This ability to smooth out fluctuations in supply and demand is crucial not just for stability, but also for affordability. And as more renewable sources come online, storage becomes even more
And we don’t have to look far to see BESS in action. On Long Island, Brookhaven recently approved two major battery storage projects that will add more than 300 megawatts of capacity to the grid. These facilities will store renewable energy when production is high and release it during peak usage — cutting costs, improving reliability and reducing emissions. As New York state accelerates its clean energy goals, battery storage projects like these will prove to be a critical tool for making our power system cleaner, smarter and more resilient. They also mean job creation and local investment, as the clean energy economy continues to grow.
Beyond environmental benefits, BESS has an economic upside. Without storage, rising demand can trigger price volatility, hurting working families and small business owners most. Battery storage helps keep costs predictable by reducing reliance on expensive “peaker” plants. And for high-tech industries like AI, data processing and advanced manufacturing, energy stability isn’t just a bonus — it’s a requirement for doing business. The long-term economic competitiveness of our region depends on
getting this right. Of course, safety must be top of mind. Modern battery storage systems are equipped with cutting-edge fire-prevention measures, modular designs and rigorous safety protocols. Proposed updates to fire codes will go even further, requiring comprehensive emergency planning and more frequent inspections. These systems aren’t just high-performing — they’re engineered to be safe and dependable, with oversight from both developers and local authorities.
If we want Long Island to stay competitive, battery storage must become a core part of our energy strategy. That means updating regulations to enable faster deployment, incentivizing private investment and supporting community engagement. Doing nothing is not an option. The longer we wait, the more vulnerable we become — not just to storms, but also to soaring costs and system failures. The future of energy here doesn’t hinge on simply generating more power — it depends on using the power we already have more wisely. Battery storage is the bridge between today’s strained grid and tomorrow’s resilient, affordable and sustainable energy future. Let’s not wait for the next storm or the next blackout to act. The time is now.
Sammy Chu is chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council-Long Island Chapter and chief executive officer of Edgewise Energy.
Nassau has little to show for Blakeman’s big promises
transparency, and no explanation.
Just up the road from NCC, you’ll find the Uniondale Hub, where Blakeman unsuccessfully chased a casino license. Whether you supported or opposed it, you couldn’t help but notice that the pursuit was fraught. The first time it went through the Legislature, the process was so flawed that a court made him start over. The project, with his promises of jobs and tax revenues, finally fell through, and billions of dollars in promised economic development and opportunities for union workers disappeared with yet another failed attempt to develop the Hub.
accounting for how the money was used.
The same can be said of the handling of the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup. After major portions of Eisenhower Park were closed for months, and there was the promise of an economic windfall, all Nassau got in return (from what we can tell so far) is major disruptions to the park’s operations, questions about whether taxpayers made a dime and, once again, no accountability.
H e favors political theater over policies that will address our serious issues.
Worse yet, the Blakeman administration blocked the use of project labor agreements to build the temporary stadium, squandering an opportunity to boost the livelihoods of local workers.
world-class burn center and lifesaving drug detox facilities, fails, it won’t just be a health care catastrophe — it will also be an economic earthquake. Working families will lose access to care, and thousands of jobs in the medical field could vanish overnight. Finger-pointing does not suffice as a strategy.
And let’s not forget the fundamentals: Blakeman passed a county budget that was so out of balance that it violated generally accepted accounting principles, and Nassau’s fiscal monitor forced him to fix it. The county’s most recent capital infrastructure plan was stalled for months because of Blakeman’s inexplicable refusal to fund more than $1 million in grants for first responders in Democratic districts, adding political rancor where there should be none.
These are not the only things that have vanished under this administration. Remember Blakeman’s plan to use $10 million in federal coronavirus recovery funds to promote himself under the guise of the county’s 125th-anniversary celebration? While families struggled to get back on their feet after the pandemic, his administration concluded that the best use for a significant portion of those funds was gala banquets, golf outings, fireworks and parades. Yet many of these events never happened, and there is little
The disrespect for labor is further exemplified in the treatment of CSEA employees and retirees, the backbone of our county workforce. They were promised affordable health care in exchange for their service. Instead, Blakeman gutted their benefits.
Then there’s the future of Nassau University Medical Center. Instead of delivering on promises to save the hospital, the administration has installed political cronies and further deepened the crisis. If NUMC, a Level 1 trauma center with a
As someone who is fighting to make things better for our communities, it is profoundly frustrating to pick up the pieces after an administration that prioritizes political theater over implementing policies that will address the most serious issues facing our communities. Nassau County deserves better than disappearing headlines. We deserve leadership that delivers.
Seth Koslow, who represents Nassau County’s 5th Legislative District, is the Democratic candidate for county executive.
sAMMY CHU
sETH i. KosLoW
There should be nothing but support for law enforcement
in recent weeks I have been at a number of events sponsored by police organizations, including a gala honoring 100 years of the Nassau County Police Department. I also spoke at a meeting of the Long Island Shields, which comprises retired police and law enforcement officers from New York City’s five boroughs as well as Nassau and Suffolk counties. And I attended a news conference with County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Police Commissioner Pat Ryder, at which they announced the creation of a house of worship desk, and demonstrated how drones can be deployed within minutes of mass shootings at houses of worship to determine the precise location of the shooter.
I regularly attend NCPD briefings on possible terror threats on Long Island. This isn’t new for me, since for my final almost two decades in Congress after 9/11, both as chairman and as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I worked very closely with the New York
The lessons of the Holocaust are for everyone opinions
Last week, millions of people of the Hebrew faith observed an event known as the Shoah. It is the Hebrew word for catastrophe or disaster, and it is frequently used to refer to the Holocaust, the deliberate killing of six million Jews by the Nazi regime. While not all of us pause to formally recognize this event, it is a painful reminder of man’s inhumanity to man, and deserves to be observed every year.
I am very much aware of the need to pause to remember the Holocaust, because many members of my immediate family were either innocent victims of the Nazi killing machine or managed to escape the horror. Despite the fact that many of my aunts and uncles were Holocaust survivors, there was rarely any discussion about their experiences, because they were too painful to recount.
City and Nassau and Suffolk police departments on counterterrorism strategies and resources. Unfortunately, I was also in Congress during the summer of 2020, when we saw massive demonstrations against the police, a number of which turned violent, and the coordinated effort to “defund the police.” Tragically, I have also attended too many funerals of cops who have been shot and killed in the line of duty.
Too many people take the police for granted, or in some cases are even anti-police.
I say all this because too many people too often take the police for granted, or in some cases even join or support the anti-police movement, focusing on inappropriate actions taken by the smallest minority of police while ignoring that no one does more than the men and women in blue to safeguard all of us while respecting the rights of everyone regardless of race, creed or national origin — all while putting themselves at great risk.
While I understand why everyday people, who are busy trying to make a living and provide for their families, can overlook the outstanding work cops are doing to protect us 24/7, I have little tolerance for elected officials who enact laws or implement policies to tie the
hands of the police or, even worse, turn against them when it suits their political purposes. Support for police shouldn’t be subject to the shifting political winds. It is hypocritical to see politicians who, just a few years ago, were riding the “defund the police” bandwagon, or saying nothing in defense of the police, now shamelessly demanding more funding for more police. Similarly hypocritical are those legislators who hailed themselves for passing “bail reform” now claiming they never intended it to put more criminals back on the streets.
Recent elections have shown that everyday Americans are rallying for the police and supporting policies best described as pro-law and order. For instance, most observers, Democrats and Republicans alike, would agree that Anne Donnelly was elected Nassau County district attorney over her much more well known opponent, State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, four years ago not just because of her decades-long career as a prosecutor, but because of Kaminsky’s previous outspoken support of cashless bail, which he unsuccessfully attempted to run away from during the campaign.
Similarly, the most obvious example of this growing pro-cop sentiment was Donald Trump’s election last fall. Trump ran on a clear pro-police, toughon-crime platform, moving many traditional Democrats to cross party lines to vote for him over the party they believed abandoned them.
I must admit that my support for the police is due in part to personal dealings I’ve had with members of law enforcement over the years, beginning with my father, who was in the NYPD for more than 30 years, and friends of mine who joined the NYPD and NCPD. There were also my close dealings with all levels of law enforcement — federal, state and local — in the years after 9/11, including the officers assigned to my security detail because of foreign and domestic threats against me.
But support for law enforcement must be based on more than personal or family friendships and relationships. Very basically, it is in all of our best interests to support the men and women who — often against the odds — put themselves at risk to protect our streets and communities. It’s also simply the right thing to do.
Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.
Those members of my family who were survivors were blessed to live long lives even though they suffered greatly during the war. A few lived into their 90s, and my grandma Sarah lived to be 100. Some might say that for them, long life was a blessing, but I believe it was a testament to their willingness to be living examples of what they had seen so that we didn’t forget their ordeal, or the millions who didn’t survive.
M y Grandma
Sarah never spoke of her confinement until her late 90s.
At this point, I choose to write about my grandmother and my aunt Irene. On a few rare occasions, they put aside their reticence to tell us something about the horrible past. In the case of Irene, she spoke of how she had been sent to a concentration camp, along with her mother and sister. When they got there, a German soldier directed her mother and sister to go to one area, and Irene to another. After that moment, she said, she never saw them again, because their fate was sealed. Grandma Sarah had another story, but she never spoke of her confinement
until her late 90s. We had been forced to put her in the Komanoff Pavilion, in Long Beach, due to her many physical needs. On the few occasions that we visited her, she told us that “they beat me last night.” She told us many other things that we knew she would never willingly reveal if she had control of her faculties. I share these stories out of my fear for where the world is going.
Recently there was an election in Germany. Before it, Vice President J.D. Vance decided to meet with the leaders of all of the nation’s political parties. He gave special support to the far right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party, which has strong pro-Nazi leanings. Its platform has frightened the country, and Europe in general. Vance made a plea for the party to be recognized as a partner in future governments. His visit was totally unnecessary, and sent a message to bigots around the world that their antisemitism has the approval of a White House occupant. We are currently hearing a great deal
of talk about antisemitism on college campuses as well as in the rest of America. Leaders of the Anti-Defamation League recently reported that there have been over 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. since the horrific tragedy of Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023. It is believed to be the highest number of incidents ever recorded in a similar period since the ADL started tracking them in 1979.
History tells us that hate crimes don’t just single out one particular group. People of Italian, Irish, Chinese, Muslim and other backgrounds have suffered at the hands of wicked political leaders who strategically pick some group as their scapegoats. The observance of the Shoah is a stark reminder that, once again, these horror stories can be repeated, unless we are vigilant and willing to fight against hate in all forms. The forces of evil are always there waiting to strike, especially when we fail to ignore them.
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.
JERRY
KREMER
Your Board of Education needs your attention
oWn Long Island and across New York state, incumbent trustees and new candidates for school district boards of education have submitted their petitions and are now on the ballot on May 20, when residents go to the polls to vote on their school budgets and capital improvement referendums, and elect their trustees.
For the next two and a half weeks, the candidates will hold forums with residents and plant lawn signs across their communities in an effort to keep their names in voters’ minds, as well as their stances on the districts’ spending plans.
While elected positions from village trustee to state legislator might appear more important and larger in scope, the decisions that shape our daily lives are frequently made on those school boards. And, from voters’ perspective, lifeimpacting decisions about where they choose to live are more often than not made based on where their children will go to school.
Quality public education not only prepares our children for bright futures, but also increases communities’ property values, attracts new residents, reduces crime and promotes social mobility.
For the 125 school districts in Nassau and Suffolk counties, boards of education, typically consisting of five to nine people, play a critical role in overseeing and shaping the educational system. Their responsibilities include creating a vision for the district, setting goals and
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establishing policies, overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets, and collaborating with administrators to help ensure the schools’ smooth operations. They must be accountable to the community, and offer regular, constructive public engagement.
Though trustees are volunteers, they are entrusted to guide the district and have a duty to represent their constituencies during their three-year terms. That includes being aware of, and understanding, the influence they wield.
All of the above are great reasons why you should care about your local school board: because its members represent the beating heart of civic responsibility, and because our schools deserve leadership that is not only competent and informed, but also reflective of and responsive to the communities they serve. Board trustees may have none of the glamour of state or national office holders, but the impact they have is often more immediate, and more personal. Their decisions don’t just affect students — they affect entire neighborhoods, in so many ways.
Residents have a responsibility to know who represents them and what those representatives stand for. That means researching school board candidates, attending their town halls, asking tough questions — making sure community concerns are heard — and judging the results with your vote. You can learn
‘town hall’ wasn’t much of one
To the Editor:
U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen advertised a “Town Hall Meeting” on April 16. Sadly, it was nothing more than a performative press release with an audience. What a disappointment. and waste of her constituents’ time! A 30-minute presentation with no comments, feedback or questions from the audience.
While technically meeting the definition of a Q&A by reading pre-submitted — and perhaps prescreened — questions, Gillen answered them with superficial, pre-fabricated responses that, in some cases, matched exactly the column she wrote for the Heralds last month. We could have just stayed home and read our copy of the Herald!
Gillen told us why she chose which committees she wanted to serve on, her hope and plan to work in a bipartisan fashion, and her desire to reduce roadway deaths and dangers. She shared her reason for supporting the Laken Riley Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants who commit certain crimes, but when there was criticism from the audience, the person was removed by security.
more about candidates before elections, and then their effectiveness as trustees, each week in the Herald.
And anyone can run for their local school board. You don’t need a background in teaching, or a master’s in education policy, or to be working in a profession that has anything to do with either one. What you do need is a commitment to fairness, a willingness to listen and a passion for serving your community by providing its children with the highest-quality education possible.
Public education needs leaders who understand the complexities of modern classrooms and the myriad challenges faced by working families who have kids in school, and public servants who put the needs of students above special interests. That leadership doesn’t have to come from somewhere else. It can come from you. We need more residents to step forward — not for the prestige of being a trustee, but for the purpose.
At a time when trust in institutions is fragile and divisions run deep, school boards offer a rare opportunity to focus on unity and progress, where politics can — and certainly should — take a backseat to the shared goal of improving children’s lives.
So let this be a call not only to vote, but also to get involved. Attend meetings. Volunteer to help with a school activity. Speak up — ask questions. And if you’re ready to lead, step up. Our children are depending on us.
What was never touched on was the elephant in the room, the reason so many people wanted to attend the meeting: We are in crisis in this country, our rights are being overridden, the Consti-
tution trampled. The current administration is committing illegal acts in our name, “disappearing” people and shipping them to foreign countries where our tax dollars are used to keep them
Hochul Housing ies, towns
Housing state funding. focused economic housing-related
L.I. should build on Pro-Housing Communities Program
with the State Legislature in budget season, there is a ripe opportunity to improve one state program that works to combat New York’s limited housing supply by helping fund local infrastructure: the Pro-Housing Communities Program. On Long Island, that limited supply of housing has caused prices to soar to record heights.
The average home price stands at nearly $780,000 in Nassau County and over $662,000 in Suffolk County.
Gov. Kathy Hochul created the $650 million ProHousing program in 2023, enabling cities, towns and villages to apply for ProHousing designation and pursue related state funding. That funding is broadly focused on downtown revitalization and economic development, but it includes housing-related infrastructure such as
water and sewage.
So far, 26 localities on Long Island have applied for the designation. Fifteen have been certified. The others are still pursuing it.
Those 15 localities include the cities of Glen Cove and Long Beach, as well as the Towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, East Hampton and Riverhead. They also include the villages of Farmingdale, Freeport, Hempstead, Mineola, Port Jefferson, Port Washington North, Sag Harbor, Valley Stream and Westbury.
it’s an important step in making affordable housing more available.
Those 15 localities have also now applied for related state funding. The funding decisions will be announced in June.
This is a start, but the $650 million covers the entire state. With high construction costs, these funds will not be enough to make the improvements necessary to satisfy Long Island’s housingrelated infrastructure needs. More is required.
In the governor’s proposed fiscal year
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detained without due process. Our confidential personal data is being taken by rogue invaders without any security clearance. Our Social Security, health care system and Medicaid are in grave danger. This was not addressed in Gillen’s “town hall.” The fear, concern and dissent were not acknowledged in any way.
While I guess we should be happy that at least there was a performance of a town hall, since so many legislators are totally ignoring their constituents, and in fact hiding from them, this event was barely better. She can and should do better!
LINdA ROBERTSON West Hempstead
New chief program officer at United Cerebral Palsy-LI
To the Editor:
United Cerebral Palsy of Long Island would like to introduce Robin Lane as the organization’s first-ever chief program officer.
A dedicated member of the UCP-LI family since 1993, Lane has over 35 years of experience providing services to people with disabilities.
“Robin’s career with UCP is a testament to her unwavering dedication, passion and leadership,” Colleen Crispino, president and CEO of UCP-LI, said. “Her promotion is not only well-deserved, but also a natural progression for someone who has made such a lasting impact on our organization and the people we serve.”
2026 budget, a $100 million infrastructure fund would be set aside for certified Pro-Housing Communities. Yet this fund represents a drop in the bucket of what is needed to cover the infrastructure needs across the state and Long Island. Just one project, the recently completed Central Islip sewer expansion, had a price tag of $13.7 million.
An additional $10 million in the governor’s proposed budget would fund a new housing ombudsman’s office, which would work to assist municipalities with their housing needs and provide technical support for the Pro-Housing Communities Program. These are vital steps, but they still don’t go far enough.
Recurring funding is needed, and it is crucial. This should not be just a piecemeal allocation.
The program should also provide data on the amount of housing created by it. Promoting housing is the overall goal, so its specific impact should be
Lane began her journey with UCP-LI as a residential manager, and has held various leadership roles in the program, including associate director. Her most recent position was director of quality management and corporate compliance. In that role she had the responsibility for incident management, quality assurance and compliance, ensuring adherence to regulatory standards.
As chief program officer, Lane will oversee the planning, development, and management of all program areas, including adult day services, the Children’s Center, residential services, and a wide range of family support programs.
She will also serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, where she plays an integral role in strategic planning, systems development and program innovation.
“I am honored and excited to step into the role of chief program officer,” Lane said. “UCP has been my professional home for over three decades, and I am deeply committed to advancing our mission, supporting our dedicated staff, and continuing to provide the highest quality services to the individuals and families we serve.”
Lane earned a bachelor’s degree in health policy and administration from Pennsylvania State University and a graduate degree from Stony Brook University.
For more information about UCP of Long Island and its programs, visit UCP-li. org.
JILLIAN CAVALIERI
Community relations specialist, UCP of Long Island
reported.
One improvement has been made. In response to feedback from communities on Long Island like Patchogue, applicants across the state can now be judged on a wider range of activities over a longer time frame.
The demand is clear. In July 2024, the Village of Mineola stood alone as the only Pro-Housing Community on the island. Now, 15 Long Island localities have been certified, and 11 more are pursuing it.
The momentum is growing. The need for more housing has never been greater.
The Long Island communities that are pursuing this program are taking important steps to improve the availability of more affordable housing. More localities should move in this direction, thereby creating more equitable opportunities.
The state should continue to reinforce and improve this program. Everyone will benefit.
April Francis Taylor is acting president of ERASE Racism, the regional civil rights organization based in Syosset.
Framework by Tim Baker At
apriL FranCis taYLor
