In an effort to build a pair of artificial-turf fields in memory of William Desroches — the Wantagh High School student who died in a watercraft accident in 2023 — friends, family and supporters kicked off their first fundraiser on May 8. Launched in January, the William Desroches Foundation was created to raise funds for new turf fields for soccer and lacrosse next to Forest Lake Elementary School’s baseball field. According to Donald Desroches, William’s father, his ContinueD on page 10
Seaford School District proposes $85.1 million spending plan Building fields in William’s memory
By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
Residents of the Seaford Union Free School District will head to the polls next week to vote on a budget that includes facility upgrades, classroom renovations and infrastructure improvements, all without exceeding the state’s tax levy cap.
The $85.1 million spending plan, adopted last month, is 1.93 percent larger than the current budget and includes a tax levy increase of about 2.49 percent — well under the cap. According to Andrew Casale, the district’s assistant superintendent
for business and operations, the levy is also lower than the average projected levy in Nassau County, which is around 2.55 percent.
“We always try to provide taxpayers with the most relief possible,” Casale said at an April 9 Board of Education meeting, “and this year we are not maxing out our levy.”
State aid for the 2025-26 budget, according to Casale, is estimated to be around $19.4 million, an increase of roughly 0.7 percent over the current year.
Capital projects will include upgrades to playgrounds at Seaford Manor Elementary School such as artificial turf replace-
ment and the addition of inclusive playground equipment. Additional projects include renovations to the Career Development/Life Skills Program classroom and library at the middle school, renovations to high school cafeteria B, and the installation of a dust collection system in the high school’s woodshop.
In addition to the budget, voters will be asked to approve two propositions to use reserve funds for infrastructure, safety and security improvements. According to Casale, both propositions would come at no additional cost to taxpayers.
“This is money that we have
saved,” he noted. “It’s not money that we have to go out and ask the community for or levy.”
Proposition 2 would authorize the use of up to $1 million from the 2018 capital reserve fund for the installation of a door-ajar alarm system at the middle and high schools, districtwide security camera upgrades and additions and
renovations to the high school elevator.
Proposition 3 would authorize the use of up to $6.5 million from the district’s 2024 capital reserve fund for roof improvements at the Harbor and Manor elementary schools. At the April 9 meeting, Casale displayed photos taken after a recent rainstorm that showed
ContinueD on page 7
Holden Leeds/Herald
Rock band Vinyl Revival performed during a May 8 raffle fundraiser at Mulcahy’s to support the effort to build artificial-turf fields in memory of Wantagh High School student William Desroches.
Honoring the legacy of historian Ed Smits
State Sen. Steve Rhoads presented the New York State Senate Commendation Award to the family of Ed Smits on April 12, recognizing his extraordinary contributions to preserving Nassau County’s rich history.
A Wantagh resident, Smits served as Nassau County Historian from the early 1980s until his retirement in 2024. He was the founding Director of the Cradle of Aviation Museum, creator of the Nassau County Museum System,
and past president of both the Nassau County Historical Society and the Levittown Public Library. He also served as vice president of the Agricultural Society of Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties.
A prolific historian and author, his works include Nassau – Suburbia USA, The Creation of Nassau County, and Long Island Landmarks. Rhoads expressed admiration for Smits’ lifelong dedication to honoring the past.
LWV to host First Amendment talk
The League of Women Voters of East Nassau will hold its general meeting on Wednesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. at the Levittown Public Library, 1 Bluegrass Lane.
The featured speaker will be Hon. Christine Quigley of the Nassau County Bar Association. Quigley will lead a discussion on the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, offering clarification and insight into its protections and current interpretations. The meeting is open to the public.
— Charles Shaw
Courtesy Office of State Sen. Steve Rhoads
State Sen. Steve Rhoads honored longtime Nassau County Historian Ed Smits with a New York State Senate Commendation Award for his decades of preserving and promoting local history.
Herald file photo
The League of Women Voters of East Nassau will host a public meeting at the Levittown Public Library on May 21 featuring Hon. Christine Quigley discussing the First Amendment.
HERALD neighbors
PTA throws it back to the ‘90s for fundraiser
The Seaford Harbor PTA hosted a 1990s-themed auction fundraiser on May 1 at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh. Attendees dressed in retro outfits and danced the night away to the sounds of DJ Savage. The evening featured a silent auction of autographed memorabilia and dozens of raffle baskets, all in support of the PTA’s ongoing efforts to benefit Seaford Harbor Elementary School.
— Charles Shaw
Worgul, left, with Mike
and Lauren
donned a grungeinspired look at the ‘90s-themed event at Mulcahy’s.
Holden Leeds/Herald photos
Stefanie Greco looking to win big prizes at the auction fundraiser.
Meghan Schaaf and Beth Gross placed their tickets in the bag to win baskets.
Crissie
Worgul
Hartmann
Seaford Harbor parents came out to Mulcahy’s in Wantagh to support the PTA fundraiser.
RichnerLIVE and Herald Gives Back
On April 8th the Herald and RichnerLIVE hosted the Top Lawyers of Long Island Awards Gala at the Heritage Club of Bethpage. The WE CARE Fund, the charitable arm of the Nassau County Bar Association, which supports a range of local nonprofits was the evening’s charity beneficiary and the recipient of $2000.
From left to right: Herald publisher and CEO Stuart Richner; RichnerLIVE executive director Amy Amato, Elizabeth Post, Jeffrey Catterson and Sandy Strenger of the Nassau County Bar Association.
Future
A Forgotten American Treasure
Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac appeared from 1732 to 1758. Amongst other information, it provided pithy sayings and proverbs, many of which have withstood the test of time.
“An empty bag cannot stand upright.”
“Anger is never without a reason, but seldom a good one.”
“Anoint a villain and he’ll stab you: stab him and he’ll anoint you.”
“An old young man will be a young old man.”
“Don’t think to hunt two hares with one dog.”
“Eat few suppers and you’ll need few medicines.”
“Great almsgiving, lessens no man’s living.”
“Happy’s the wooing that’s not long a doing.”
“He that lies down with dogs, shall rise up with fleas.”
“If your riches are yours, why don’t you take them with you to the other world.”
“Lost time is never found again.”
“The noblest question in the world is, what good may I do in it?”
“They who have nothing to trouble them, will be troubled at nothing.”
“The sleeping fox catches no poultry.”
“The tongue is ever turning to the aching tooth.”
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Career Day brings a glimpse of the future at Gardiners Avenue
Students at Gardiners Avenue Elementary School in the Levittown School District got a taste of the career paths that may lie ahead of them during the annual Career Day on May 5.
Smiles shined brightly as students walked outside to see police cars, a firetruck, a garbage truck and an ambulance. The professionals described how they made a career serving their community as students viewed the equipment used by the Nassau County Police Department and the Wantagh Fire Department. Inside the school, there was much more to explore as professionals visited classes and represented a wide range of careers, including an insurance investigator, an electrician, a fashion designer, a geneticist and a doctor of physical therapy. In the all-purpose room, students gathered to see a K-9 service dog in action. Each visitor gave an in-depth presentation about their career and brought in their everyday tools for students to observe.
The annual Career Day helps broaden the horizon for some of Levittown’s youngest minds as they look toward the future.
Photos courtesy Levittown Public Schools
Students interacted with Nassau County Police Department officers during the annual Career Day on May 5.
Luca Vacchio donned a firefighter’s gear.
VALENTINA KESABIAN
Clarke Senior Lacrosse
IT’S BEEN AN IMPRESSIVE rise for Clarke’s girls’ lacrosse program since it endured a winless 2022 campaign, and Kesabian has been a major part of the turnaround. Last spring she helped lead the Rams to 10 wins, scoring 26 goals and earning All-Conference honors in the process. This season, both the third-year attack and the team continued to flourish. Kesabian finished with 39 goals and 13 assists, and Clarke won 12 of 15 games.
GAMES TO WATCH
Thursday, May 15
Softball playoffs: First round at higher seed ...................TBA
Boys Lacrosse: Freeport at Kennedy .........................5 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse: Elmont at Lawrence
Baseball: Elmont at West Hempstead
G.N.
Friday, May 16
Boys Lacrosse: Garden City at Carey....................4:30 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse: Oceanside at Farmingdale................5 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse: Plainedge at South Side ...................5 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse: Massapequa at Syosset ...................5 p.m.
Saturday, May 17
Softball: Nassau quarterfinals at higher seed ................TBA
Monday, May 19
Softball: Nassau semifinals GM1 at higher seed ...........TBA
Tuesday, May 20
Softball: Nassau semifinals GM2 at lower seed.............TBA
Baseball: Nassau Class A quarterfinals GM 3................TBA
Baseball: Nassau Class B semifinals GM 2 ...................TBA
Baseball: Nassau Class AAA play-in games ...................TBA
Nominate a “Spotlight Athlete”
High School athletes to be featured on the Herald sports page must compete in a spring sport and have earned an AllConference award or higher last season. Please send the following information: Name, School, Grade, Sport and accomplishments to Sports@liherald.com.
MacArthur a tough playoff foe
By MARC BERMAN sports@liherald.com
The MacArthur girls’ lacrosse team’s regular-season record isn’t snazzy but feels it won’t be a pushover in the playoffs.
MacArthur finished the regular season at 7-8 – 3-7 in rugged Conference 2. The Generals suffered a heartbreaking double-overtime defeat to Calhoun, a one-goal loss to first-place Lynbrook and a 2-goal setback to Mepham.
Because of its powerful conference, MacArthur still qualified for the Class B playoffs and is seeded sixth, hitting the road Thursday for a 5 p.m. matchup with No. 3 Long Beach.
“I don’t think (the record) indicated how well we’ve been playing, how competitive we’ve been in the conference,’’ said MacArthur coach Dan Agovino, who stepped down as North Shore football coach but remained as leader of his alma-mater’s lacrosse squad. “We’ve been competitive - just a couple of things didn’t bounce the way we wanted them to.’’
There was one stirring highlight when the ball bounced fortuitously – a rousing comeback win over cross-town rival, Levittown Division. The Generals led at halftime but let go of the rope in the second half before their riveting finish.
Danielle Kupcs scored the tying goal with 2:05 left to tie it at 8 and Caileigh O’Shea scored the game winner with 10 seconds to go off a screen by Rylee Fanning.
“When they needed to step up at the end of the game, they did and didn’t panic,’’ Agovino said.
The team’s strength is in goal. Junior goalie Abby Clarkson continued to shine in what figures to be a second straight All-County season. Clarkson racked up 143 saves for a career tally of 434. She’s committed to Youngstown State.
“She’s lived up to the hype of what we expected of her and exceeded it,’’ Agovino said. “The bonus of what she does is she makes a lot of big-time pointblank saves. That’s such a momentum
Kayleigh Huggard (22 goals, 14 assists), right, and the Generals enter the Nassau Class B playoffs as the No. 6 seed after a 7=8 regular season.
builder. She’s so quick to get it out and up the field. She’s creating opportunities on both ends of the field.’’
Clarkson credits her defense. “”People around me have allowed me to become better,’’ she said. “My best attribute is after making a save, I can make a clear outlet and get my team up for transition. We’re a real good transition team.’’
Surrounding Clarkson on defense is her twin sister, Olivia and Fanning, both top-notch defenders.
On a junior-dominated team that bodes well for 2026, Evie Larkin, a Drex-
el commit, leads the offense with 44 points (29-15). Junior attacker Kayleigh Huggard pitched in 22 goals, 14 assists, emerging as a potent lefty attacker with a polished finish.
“I thought our season was good,’’ Clarkson said. “Our record doesn’t define how good we are as a team.’’ No playoff foe scares the Generals. “One of the things that’s been our strong point is our girls really do compete regardless if we’re playing a traditional powerhouse,’’ Agovino said. “We’ll play to the final whistle.’’
Derrick Dingle/Herald
Budget includes roof, security upgrades
water pooling on the roofs of both schools.
“Water should not be puddling up and remaining on the roof,” he said. “It should be draining down our roof drains, and it’s not.”
Also included in Proposition 3 are improvements to address water and drainage issues in the high school courtyard, which have impacted the school’s wrestling room. Casale said the district is considering several options to resolve the water intrusion, including installing a sub-slab drainage system along the interior perimeter of the basement and injecting grout into the foundation wall and slab. A third option, excavating and waterproofing the exterior wall, would prevent water from entering the building, allowing the district to repave the courtyard and creating a potential outdoor seating area.
The spending plan also includes the first year of a new five-year transportation services contract covering home-toschool transportation, athletic events, field trips and summer programs. The district estimates that the first year will cost $3.6 million, with the total cost of the agreement projected at $20.7 million over five years, based on current service levels.
At the April meeting, district Superintendent Adele Pecora described the
budget as “robust,” noting that it balances facility upgrades and academic offerings while remaining within the tax levy limit.
“It provides our students with tremendous facilities,” Pecora said, “as well as academic programs, while staying under the tax levy.”
The budget vote will take place on Tuesday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., at the Harbor and Manor schools. For more information, visit seaford.k12.ny.us.
Herald file photo
Seaford residents will vote next tuesday on an $85.1 million school budget that stays below the tax levy cap and includes funding for facility upgrades, classroom renovations, and infrastructure improvements through reserve funds.
Chalk S. State crashes up to bad judgment
By AINSLEY MARTINEZ amartinez@liherald.com
Second story in a series on the Southern State Parkway.
Ana Marte, 67, said that a fatal car accident on the Southern State Parkway in January changed her life.
Her grandson Anthonie Marte, 23, was severely injured in a one-car crash shortly after 11 p.m. on Jan. 12, in the eastbound lanes not far from Exit 30, near Farmingdale and Massapequa, according to the New York State Police.
Investigators said that the car in which Marte was a passenger, a black 2016 Dodge Dart, was traveling at a high rate of speed and weaving between lanes before the driver lost control and crashed into a tree.
Two rear-seat passengers, ages 23 and 21, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Jaden Dsouza, 19, of College Point, Queens, and Marte, of East Elmhurst, Queens, who was in the front passenger seat, were both extricated from the vehicle and transported to a nearby hospital in serious condition.
Marte’s grandmother said he suffered major head injuries, and she still takes care of him daily, feeding him and giving him pain medicine. He is slowly recovering, with doctors’ appointments and physical therapy. “He’s like a baby again,” she said. “He doesn’t want to go outside because he’s scared, and all he does is sleep.”
Marte does not remember the accident, his grandmother said.
Dsouza was later charged with one count of driving while ability impaired by drugs, second-degree manslaughter, first-degree vehicular manslaughter, second-degree assault and aggravated vehicular homicide, police said.
Crash data from the New York State Police shows a fluctuating, but persistent, pattern of accidents on the Southern State Parkway over the past six years, with the number of fatal crashes in a year reaching as high as six.
Crashes resulting in serious personal injury in Nassau have remained relatively low throughout the period, with no more than two reported in any given year.
While most incidents are non-fatal, serious crashes often involve an added risk: intoxication. Speed and distraction remain consistent contributing factors, but impairment by drugs or alcohol increases the potential for deadly outcomes.
“It’s on the driver for the most part,” State Police Capt. Mike Rhodes said. “If they’re inattentive, if they’re speeding, if they’re not following the vehicle and traffic law, they do not understand the severity of what could happen.”
Rhodes oversees 56 state troopers and eight sergeants, many of whom patrol the 25.3-mile long Southern State. Most accidents, he said, occur during peak congestion, at around 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Crash data from the state police show a fluctuating but persistent pattern of accidents on the parkway over the past six years, with fatal crashes increasing in 2024.
In 2019, there were 3,127 crashes on the Nassau County stretch of the parkway, including six fatalities. That number dropped to 2,331 in 2020, but rose again in subsequent years, reaching 2,716 in 2022 and 2,725 in 2023. In 2024, state police recorded 2,549 crashes and five fatalities. Thus far this year, there have been 328 crashes and one fatality.
“A lot of these things, they hit every single age category,” Rhodes said.
To combat the persistent problem, state police focus on enforcement and outreach. Not every traffic stop results in a citation; many serve as opportunities for education.
Personal injury attorney Stephen Cohen said that in his more than five decades of handling lawsuits, most of those that involve accidents on the Southern State involve intoxicated drivers.
Cohen, a partner at the law firm Cohen and Jaffe, in New Hyde Park, said that speed, intoxication and reckless driving continue to be the common factors in the region’s most serious accidents.
“I don’t believe road design is an issue at all,” Cohen said. “Posting more signs to slow down isn’t an answer, because when somebody is either speeding or just intoxicated, they don’t really care what the sign says.”
Many collisions during rush hour, he explained, stem from traffic congestion and insufficient braking distance. “People are gliding along, and they hit a certain spot, and all of a sudden they weren’t prepared, because they’re going 70 miles an hour,” Cohen said. “So you
see a lot of rear-end collisions, not necessarily death-related.”
Fatal crashes, he noted, often involve younger drivers, high speeds and intoxication or impairment.
“You don’t see fatalities at 11 o’clock in the morning,” Cohen said. “You just don’t. You may see them at 4 in the morning. When your ability to observe is not sharp because of either impairment or intoxication, the car is going to go airborne. And if there happens to be a tree there, that’s the next thing you’re going to hit.”
In his practice, Cohen said, the firm represents victims or passengers, but not intoxicated drivers.
Under state law, he noted, lawsuits require plaintiffs to meet the “serious injury” threshold defined in insurance law. In cases involving fatalities, death, families must petition a Surrogate’s Court to appoint a representative for the estate before filing a lawsuit. That process can take over a year, he said.
Insurance coverage limits often dictate how quickly a case can be resolved. “If somebody has — let’s say, the responsible party — has a $100,000 policy, that case is going to be over in two seconds,” Cohen said.
Efforts to reform wrongful death laws in New York have repeatedly stalled, despite advocacy from legal organizations.
Despite changes in laws and vehicle technology over the years, Cohen said, the root problems remain unchanged.
“It only seems to get worse because cars are faster than they were 20, 30 years ago,” he said. “There’s more people drinking or doing some sort of drugs. And that’s what you see in all horrific accidents.”
Additional reporting by Mohammad Rafiq.
Accident data from the New York State Police
2019 – Total: 3,987
(3,127 Nassau, 860 Suffolk)
Serious personal injury: 2 (Nassau)
Fatal: 8 (6 Nassau, 2 Suffolk)
2020 – Total: 2,977
(2,331 Nassau, 646 Suffolk)
Serious personal injury: 3 (2 Nassau, 1 Suffolk)
Fatal: 9 (6 Nassau, 3 Suffolk)
2021 – Total: 3,566
(2,782 Nassau, 784 Suffolk)
Serious personal injury: 1 (Nassau)
Fatal: 9 (6 Nassau, 3 Suffolk)
2022 – Total: 3,552
(2,716 Nassau, 836 Suffolk)
Serious personal injury:
5 (1 Nassau, 4 Suffolk)
Fatal: 13 (5 Nassau, 8 Suffolk)
2023 – Total: 3,500 (2,725-Nassau, 775-Suffolk)
Serious personal injury: 1 (Nassau)
Fatal: 6 (3 Nassau, 3 Suffolk)
2024 – Total: 3,405 (2,549 Nassau, 856 Suffolk)
Serious personal injury:
2 (1 Nassau, 1 Suffolk)
Fatal: 15 (5 Nassau, 10 Suffolk)
2025* – Total: 426 (328 Nassau, 98 Suffolk)
Serious personal injury: 0
Fatal: 3 (1 Nassau, 2 Suffolk)
* To date
Tim Baker/Herald
Water providers are tested in taste contest
By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
What’s the best-tasting tap water on Long Island?
That was the question posed to students at Farmingdale State College during the Long Island Water Conference’s 37th annual drinking water tasting contest, held during National Drinking Water Week.
The conference, also known as LIWC, is made up of members of public and private water suppliers across Long Island. According to LIWC Commissioner Robert McEvoy, the event has taken place at the Farmingdale campus for the past four years, sparking student interest in water quality.
“It draws in a lot of the students,” McEvoy said. “They’re interested in where the water comes from, and if there’s any variance in taste. We also try to promote tap water as being the most regulated and tested, even more so than bottled water.”
The finals, held on May 7, featured 16 Long Island water providers competing for the title of best-tasting drinking water in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Students, faculty and staff on campus participated in a blind taste test, sampling water from each provider and casting their votes.
The Oyster Bay Water District won the Nassau County competition, while
the Greenlawn Water District took the top spot in Suffolk. Both districts will advance to the New York State Regional Metro Tap Water Taste Contest in New York City in August, where they will compete for a spot in the statewide competition held later that month at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse.
LIWC representatives at the event also took the opportunity to educate attendees about the water supplied to their homes, and assured them that Long Island’s drinking water remains of high quality.
McEvoy, who is also a commissioner
and the chairman of the Oyster Bay Water District, said that frequent testing is conducted by the state Department of Health to ensure the water’s quality.
“It’s safe, it’s highly regulated and it’s extremely affordable,” McEvoy said. “It’s something that should be utilized by the public, and it’s a far greater value than bottled water.”
Michael Rich, a commissioner and the secretary of the Oyster Bay district, has taken part in the competition for the past 10 years, educating the community about local water supplies.
“It’s great to come out to the commu-
nity and have everyone get involved with local water,” Rich said.
He noted that most people aren’t aware of where their water comes from. On Long Island, drinking water comes from an aquifer system, a naturally formed underground storage area.
In an aquifer system, unwanted chemicals are capable of seeping into the water supply. The LIWC urges residents to dispose of hazardous household waste properly at designated town drop-off sites and never pour it down drains, into storm sewers or on the ground.
“Anything that we put on the ground will ultimately find its way into the aquifer,” Rich stated.
Lawn irrigation, he said, accounts for much of Long Island’s water use. He urged residents to follow odd/even watering schedules, watering on days that match their house numbers. He also highlighted the importance of leak detection, noting that undetected leaks can waste hundreds of thousands of gallons each month, making it vital for both residents and water providers to monitor and address them.
Rich added that it doesn’t take much water to maintain a healthy lawn.
“You don’t have to water your lawn for a half-hour a day,” Rich said. “You’ll get the same results 15 minutes a day, so we try to stress that.”
For more information on the local water supply, visit liwc.org.
Attend Hofstra’s Virtual
GRADUATE OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, June 7, 2025 10 a.m.
At Hofstra University, graduate students grow the seeds to advance in their career. Hear from representatives across 200 programs that include business, communications, education, engineering, health sciences, nursing, and psychology, and learn all the ways your success can sprout at Hofstra University. Your future awaits.
For event details and to RSVP, visit hofstra.edu/visit
Charles Shaw/Herald
Oyster Bay Water District Secretary Michael Rich, second from right, and Treasurer Nick Niznik offered samples to students during the Long Island Water Conference’s annual water tasting event at Farmingdale State College.
HERALD — May 15, 2025
friends
Effort to build memorial fields moves forward
son played on the field at Forest Lake, inspiring him to approach the Wantagh School District about constructing and naming the new fields in his memory.
The foundation’s first fundraiser, held at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh, featured live music by the band Vinyl Revival, auctions and a raffle to support the project. More than 150 people attended the fundraiser, Desroches said, which raised around $12,000 toward the memorial fields.
For Desroches, the event was a great celebration to honor his son and to talk about what kind of person he was.
“I really felt grateful and appreciative that everyone took time out of their day to honor William and help with the fundraising cause,” Desroches said.
Assisting with the fundraiser was John Theissen, founder and executive director of the John Theissen Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit that aids sick and underprivileged children.
On Aug. 6, 2023, William, 15, and another teenager were riding personal watercraft on Crescent Lake in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. At some point, New Hampshire police said, one of the riders slowed down, and the other collided with him from behind. William was rushed to a hospital, where he died. The other teen was not hurt.
William’s mother, Kathryn Walsh, and his father told the Herald in 2023 that their son was fiercely determined and excelled at numerous outdoor activities, including soccer and lacrosse.
Desroches said the foundation has received approval from John McNamara, the Wantagh School District’s superintendent, and school board to raise around $1.2 million for the project. He estimated it would take “a year or two” to raise the money.
“The fact that I’ll be able to have something here in his memory that will last for a while is really amazing to me,” Desroches said.
The planned state-of-the-art turf fields will serve students, local sports teams and the broader Wantagh community. Designed for soccer and lacrosse, the
fields will offer a durable, weather-resistant surface that can be used year-round. According to the foundation’s website, the turf will also provide a safer playing surface engineered specifically for sports.
Raising money for the new fields will be a challenge, Desroches said, but friends and family are determined to create a lasting legacy for William that will benefit future generations.
He added that more fundraising events are in the works, including a one-hour “Launch-A-Thon” telethon on June 1, hosted by Leading Edge Fundraising, a national organization that supports such efforts. In the coming months, the foundation also plans to host a pickleball tournament, a 5K run, an outdoor field day and a rock concert featuring Wantagh High School seniors.
Proceeds from the events will support the foundation’s effort to build the new turf fields in William’s
memory.
During the foundation’s announcement at Forest Lake in January, State Sen. Steve Rhoads praised Desroches for launching the initiative and commended the family’s determination to honor William’s memory.
“In the face of an incredible tragedy, (family members) have tried to use that loss as an opportunity to do something positive for future generations,” Rhoads said. “It’s really inspirational.”
Desroches added that he looks forward to providing a space where students and community members can engage in sporting events, especially when it becomes a place that memorializes his son.
“It’ll be an honor to have my son’s name on the field,” he said.
For more information and to donate to the William Desroches Foundation, visit williamunited.org.
donald desroches, William’s father, addressed the crowd during the fundraiser at mulcahy’s, expressing gratitude for the strong turnout.
rosalyn Steele, at rear, joined olivia and robert randazzo as they hoped for a win during the raffle fundraiser.
Holden Leeds/Herald photos
and family gathered at mulcahy’s to support the effort to build artificial-turf fields in memory of William desroches, a Wantagh High School student who died in a 2023 watercraft accident.
Pope Leo XIV is the first pope from the United States
By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com
Cardinals in the Vatican have selected Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Prevost, 69, who has adopted the papal name Pope Leo XIV, is the first pope from the United States. The conclave, comprising of 133 cardinal electors, reached the required two-thirds majority in just over a day, signaling their decision with the traditional white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney on May 8. Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago, and received a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University. A member of the Order of St. Augustine, he took his first vows in 1978 and his solemn vows in 1981. He earned a master’s degree in divinity in 1982 from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He has spent much of his career as a missionary in Peru, eventually becoming a naturalized Peruvian citizen and serving as Archbishop of Chiclayo. In 2023, he was appointed by Pope Francis to lead the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops, an important role in overseeing the selection of bishops around the globe.
Upon his first appearance as pope on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV greeted the thousands assembled with the words, “Peace be with you” in Italian
community dedicated to poverty, service and evangelization.
Pope Leo XIV is expected to continue efforts toward modernization and inclusivity within the Catholic Church.
As well-wishes poured in from global and local leaders, The Most Reverend John Barres, Bishop of Rockville Centre, said: “With my brother bishops, the clergy, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, I give thanks to the Almighty God for the gift of our new Holy Father, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
“As the 267th Successor of Saint Peter, we pray Pope Leo XIV will receive every grace to strengthen the Church in unity and peace, preach Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and confirm the Faith.
“With years of global missionary experience in Peru and leadership in his Augustinian community here in the United States, we pray, too, that his evangelizing pastoral charity and wisdom will guide the mission of the Church he now serves as Supreme Pontiff.”
County Executive Bruce Blakeman said: “Congratulations Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope and proud son of Chicago. His election marks a new chapter of hope, unity and spiritual leadership for Catholics around the world.
Nine & Dine
Teeing Off for Change
HONORING MEN & COMPANIES ADVANCING WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
Courtesy Press Office of the Holy See
A bipartisan effort to protect IVF access
Gillen leads push for bill safeguarding fertility treatments, hoping for congressional momentum
By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com
U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen, a Democrat representing New York’s 4th Congressional District, and Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, of the 17th District, have reintroduced a bipartisan bill aimed at protecting access to in vitro fertilization across the country.
The Access to Family Building Act, which Gillen is shepherding with support from Lawler and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, seeks to federally codify the right to access IVF services. The legislation is in response to growing concerns that reproductive technologies like IVF are being threatened by recent state-level legal developments and court rulings.
During a virtual press conference on May 7, Gillen emphasized the importance of ensuring legal certainty for families relying on reproductive technology. Infertility, she said, is a widespread issue affecting Americans of all backgrounds, and she called for Congress to act swiftly to protect the procedure.
“We believe, like most Americans do, that the right to start and grow family through IVF should be protected,” Gil-
len said. “The Access to Family Building Act will simply ensure that IVF remains accessible to families in every state.”
Lawler echoed Gillen’s sentiments, sharing his own family’s experience with fertility challenges. He reaffirmed his support for protecting IVF access, calling it a nonpartisan issue with widespread public backing. Lawler also referenced other related legislative efforts he supports, including tax credits and insurance mandates to reduce the financial burden of IVF treatments.
“Access to IVF should not be a partisan issue,” he said. “We want to help people through this journey and certainly make sure that their right to IVF is protected.”
The press event also featured Barbara Collura, president and CEO of Resolve: The National Infertility Association, who stressed the emotional and financial toll of infertility and the need for guaranteed nationwide access to IVF.
“There are so many challenges that our communities face in building their families,” Collura said. “Our goal is to reduce and eliminate those barriers. We know firsthand that our communities want to know that IVF is protected in all 50 states.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IVF accounted for nearly 3 percent for U.S. births in 2022, with over 91,000 babies born through assisted reproductive technology.
Democrats that year introduced the Right to Build Families Act, to protect access to IVF and other fertility treatments amid concerns after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The bill was blocked by Senate Republicans.
The lawmakers emphasized the bipartisan nature of the new legislation, with Gillen noting that Republican support like Lawler’s is vital to passing it in the current Congress.
When the Herald asked about the path forward, both lawmakers said they planned to advocate within their parties and with the congressional leadership to advance the bill through committee and onto the House floor.
The legislation comes amid renewed national attention to IVF following recent court rulings in states like Alabama, where embryos created through IVF were legally recognized as children, prompting clinics to suspend services due to the legal risks.
“I think it’s really important to dem-
onstrate that this is not a partisan issue,” Gillen said. “This is an easy one for us to agree on. We want to support couples and individuals who want to bring a child into the world. IVF may be the only way that they can do that.”
Herald file photo
U.S. Representatives Laura Gillen and Mike Lawler announced bipartisan legislation to protect nationwide access to in vitro fertilization at a virtual press conference on May 7.
Focusing on
Could it be depression?
Your ‘bad mood’ may be something else
Being unhappy isn’t the same as being depressed. Depression is a term often used loosely to describe how we feel after a bad week at work or when we’re going through a breakup. But major depressive disorder a type of depression is much more complicated. There are specific symptoms that determine whether it’s depression or the sadness we all sometimes experience in life.
Determining if persistent, unshakable dark feelings are a result of depression can be the first step toward healing and recovery.
Hopeless Outlook
Major depression is a mood disorder that affects the way you feel about life in general. Having a hopeless or helpless outlook on your life is the most common symptom of depression.
Other feelings may be wor thlessness, self-hate, or inappropriate guilt. Common, recurring thoughts of depression may be vocalized as, “It’s all my fault,” or “What’s the point?”
Lost Interest
Depression can take the pleasure or enjoyment out of the things you love. A loss of interest or withdrawal from activities that you once looked for ward to sports, hobbies, or going out with friends is yet another telltale sign of major depression.
Another area where you may lose interest is sex Symptoms of major depression include a decreased sex drive and even impotence.
Increased Fatigue/Sleep Problems
Par t of the reason you might stop doing things you enjoy
is because you feel ver y tired. Depression often comes with a lack of energy and an overwhelming feeling of fatigue, which can be among the most debilitating symptoms of depression. This could lead to excessive sleeping.
Depression is also linked with insomnia, as one might lead to the other and vice versa. They can also make each other worse. The lack of quality, restful sleep can also lead to anxiety.
Anxiety
While depression hasn’t been shown to cause anxiety, the two conditions often occur together. Be aware of the symptoms.
√ Ner vousness, restlessness, or feeling tense
HEALTH
MEMO
Alcohol and cancer — what will you do?
In a recent Mount Sinai South Nassau “Truth in Medicine” public health poll, 51 percent of metro area residents said they would consider drinking less as a result of the advisory by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, linking alcohol use to certain types of cancer.
According to the Surgeon General’s advisory, alcohol consumption contributes to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year in the United States. Studies show alcohol use increases the risk for breast, colorectal, liver, and esophageal cancer, as well as cancers of the mouth, throat, and voice box.
The poll, sponsored by Four Leaf Federal Credit Union, has sparked a debate over the benefits of reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption, highlighting the tough road ahead for public health experts trying to shift behaviors. Although 58 percent of respondents agree that alcohol can lead to overeating and smoking, fewer than half—46 percent—said they believe it increases the risks of cancer. Meanwhile, 58 percent believe there is a safe level of alcohol that can be consumed without raising one’s risk of cancer.
“Alcohol is a carcinogen, so the more alcohol a person drinks — particularly over time — the greater their risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer,” said Adhi Sharma, MD, President of Mount Sinai South Nassau. “It would be prudent to add the cancer risk to the warning label, which could have a dual effect of reducing alcohol-related accidents as well as a range of serious health complications, such as liver and heart disease, stroke, depression, and brain damage.”
Studies show that alcohol may increase cancer risk by disrupting cell cycles, triggering chronic inflammation, damaging DNA (which controls cell growth and function), and elevating hormone levels, including estrogen, which plays a role in breast cancer development.
“As a hepatologist and gastroenterologist, I remind my patients
that while complete abstinence is the safest path, reducing consumption (no more than 1 standard drink for women and no more than 2 for a man), staying hydrated, avoiding binge drinking, and supporting liver health with a balanced diet might help mitigate some of alcohol’s toxic effects,” said Pruthvi Patel, MD, Associate Program Director of Outpatient Hepatology, Division of Gastroenterology, Mount Sinai South Nassau, and Associate Professor of Medicine (Liver Diseases), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “But there’s no completely safe level when it comes to cancer risk.”
According to the American Association of Cancer Research’s 2024 Cancer Progress Report, 40 percent of all cancer cases in the United States are associated with modifiable risk factors like alcohol consumption. The Surgeon General affirmed in the advisory that, “The largest burden of alcohol-related cancer in the United States is for breast cancer in women, with an estimated 44,180 cases in 2019, representing 16.4 percent of the approximately 270,000 total breast cancer cases for women.”
Adding the cancer risk warning to alcohol labels may be the inspiration some need to quit drinking alcoholic beverages, as 54 percent of poll respondents say they generally trust warning labels on food and beverages. Seeing the warning in print could provide the motivation for the 20 percent (of those who said they drink alcoholic beverages) to act on their desire to cut back on alcohol.
“I strongly encourage everyone to make it a priority to consider whether they should reduce the amount of alcohol they drink,” said Aaron Glatt, MD, Chief of Infectious Diseases and Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau. “Additional benefits of drinking less include lowered blood pressure, weight loss, a healthier complexion, sharper mental clarity, balanced mood, reduced anxiety, and better liver function.”
Mount Sinai South Nassau has provided behavioral health and substance use disorder services to Nassau County residents for more than 50 years. The hospital is committed to providing the highest-quality treatment and support to children, adults, and
√ Feelings of danger, panic, or dread
√ Rapid heart rate
√ Rapid breathing
√ Increased or heavy sweating
√ Trembling or muscle twitching
√ Trouble focusing or thinking clearly about anything other than the thing you’re worried about
Uncontrollable Emotions
One minute it’s an outburst of anger. The next you’re crying uncontrollably. Nothing outside of you prompted the change, but your emotions are up and down at a moment’s notice. Depression can cause mood swings.
Getting Help
Recognizing that you’re depressed is essential to getting the right help.
Depression affects millions of people, but there are var ying treatments available, from lifestyle changes to medications. No matter the path of treatment you choose, asking for professional help is the first step to getting back to feeling like yourself again.
Depression is a ver y treatable condition. Psychotherapy (talk therapy), medications or a combination thereof can be very effective in managing symptoms. Mental health professionals can work with individuals to find the right therapy based on symptoms and severity of the depression. Also, it may take some time to find the right medication or treatment; therefore, people are urged to remain patient and hopeful.
The sooner action is taken, the more quickly the condition can be addressed.
Photo: It’s normal to experience feelings of sadness and grief from time to time. But when these feelings are prolonged or interfere with daily life, it may be time to seek professional help.
A recent Mount Sinai South Nassau “Truth in Medicine” public health poll revealed that 51 percent of metro area residents said they would consider drinking less as a result of the advisory by former U.S. Surgeon General, linking alcohol use to certain types of cancer.
families with a wide variety of symptoms and diagnoses, from substance abuse to anxiety and depression to attention deficithyperactivity disorder and more.
The hospital counseling centers offer outpatient, in-person, and telehealth services in Baldwin and Hempstead; they accept a variety of payment options and use a sliding scale for uninsured patients. Treatment is provided in English and Spanish, as well as in more than 100 other languages via interpreter services. Call (516) 3775400 to schedule an appointment.
Mount Sinai South Nassau is Improving Health Care on the South Shore
The new Fennessy Family Emergency Department at Mount Sinai South Nassau doubles the size of our previous emergency department, o ering 54 private exam rooms with clear lines of sight for physicians, nurses, and support sta . Our new emergency department also o ers a separate triage area, dedicated areas for children and behavioral health patients, and has been designed to reduce wait times and improve patient outcomes.
The Fennessy Family Emergency Department is located within the new Feil Family Pavilion, opening later this year, which will have 40 new critical care suites and nine new operating rooms, designed to support the most complex surgeries on the South Shore.
To learn more visit www.mountsinai.org/feilpavilion
Personalized Solutions: No one-size-fits-all here – only customized solutions that work for you.
Trusted Expertise: We are your go-to partners for hearing health, using the latest in hearing technology and care.
Ongoing Support: Hearing needs can change, and we are with you every step of the way on your hearing journey.
Dr. Amy Sapodin, Au.D., F-AAA, CCC-A
Stress
What’s one of the most significant contributors to heart troubles and brain fog? You guessed it, stress. It is a pesky little thing that seems to sneak into our lives when we least expect it. But fear not; Dr. Keith Darrow, Ph.D., CCC-A, has a treasure trove of stress-busting strategies to share with you.
Let’s start with a classic: Deep Breathing. It might sound simple but taking a few moments to focus on your breath can work wonders for your stress levels. Close your eyes, inhale deeply through your nose, hold for a few beats, and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat as needed and feel that tension melt away.
Dr. Alison Hoffmann, Au.D., F-AAA, CCC-A
Day, You Deserve to Say
Next up: The Power of Movement. While we already know that exercise is where it’s at, there are stress-reducing exercises that can be gamechangers. Whether you’re hitting the yoga mat, going for a jog, or dancing around your living room like nobody’s watching, getting your body moving is a surefire way to lift your spirits and soothe your soul.
And a favorite of mine: Self-Care. Whether it’s treating yourself to a bubble bath, curling up with a good book, or spending time with loved ones, finding activities that bring you joy and relaxation is key.
Here’s one you might not have thought of: The Power of Perspective. Sometimes, all it takes to conquer stress is a shift in mindset. Try reframing negative thoughts into positive affirmations, practicing gratitude, or simply reminding yourself that you’re doing the best you can with what you’ve got. Trust me, a little bit of positivity can go a long way.
Last but certainly not least: The Importance of Boundaries. Learning to say no, setting realistic
expectations for yourself, and carving out time for rest and relaxation are all essential components of stress management. Remember, it’s okay to put yourself first sometimes you can’t pour from an empty cup!
So, there you have it an easy toolkit to get you started on stress-busting strategies to help you keep your heart happy and your brain sharp. Pick and choose what works best for you, and don’t be afraid to experiment until you find your perfect stress-relief formula. After all, when it comes to living our best lives, nobody has time for stress to get in the way!
STEPPING OUT
Young imaginations shine
Little Learners Art Lab at Long Island Children’s Museum is filled with year-round creativity
By Danielle Schwab
Long Island Children’s Museum transforms into a colorful hub of creativity for some of its smallet visitors, every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. Its Little Learners Art Lab welcomes young artists — and the grownups with them — for a handson art adventure designed to spark curiosity and imagination.
Whether it’s painting, planting or playing with textures, sessions offer an inviting space where toddlers and preschoolers can explore the world through art. This is more than about creating something beautiful — it’s about growing minds and nurturing self-expression.
“We try to infuse in all of the themes different mediums, exposure to different artists and different approaches to art,” says Ashley Niver, the museum’s director of education.
Each week, children are introduced to artists, techniques, and styles through engaging projects and materials, led by museum educators. Parents and grandparents are welcome to join in the fun, making it a bonding experience that’s as enriching for adults as it is for kids. Through these immersive projects, the tots explore their creativity and even make new friends.
“Around a third of our visitors are under the age of five. It’s important for early childhood development to have activities that are process-focused to give them that expressive freedom [to create],” Niver explains.
In each class, young learners are encouraged to ask questions, try new things and take the lead in their creative journey. The program mixes play with gentle guidance, helping children explore big concepts in age-appropriate ways.
The activities act as a gateway to talk about new concepts for young learners as they discover the world around them, combining inquisitive thinking with instructional supervision. On the schedule, May 22, families can explore the lifecycle of a plant while decorating terracotta pots during Art In Bloom. Kids will plant seeds in those pots and take their tiny gardens home to watch, water and nurture as litle sprouts grow into blooming plants.
That’s followed by Crystallized Creations on May 29. The salt-based art project allows kids experiment with textures and observe how salt and paint interact — adding a rocky twist to their creativity.
“Science isn’t just happening behind the scenes. It can
‘Murr’ goes solo
Get ready to laugh — and laugh you will. Prepare for an unforgettable night filled with comedy, chaos and wild antics as Impractical Jokers’ James “Murr” Murray hits the stage on The Errors Tour. Known for his outrageous pranks, laugh-out-loud moments and unpredictable humor, Murr brings the party to you with a show packed full of hilarious stories, ridiculous mishaps and plenty of jaw-dropping moments. With his signature style of comedy and a few unexpected surprises, Murr will have you in stitches from start to finish. It’s surely a non-stop ride of comedy, antics and pure fun you won’t want to miss. For more than a decade, Murr and his lifelong Friends — Sal, Joe and Q — have been making audiences laugh across the country, and now he’s bringing the laughs to you. Murr Live is hysterical — of course, interactive — stand-up comedy, in true Impractical Jokers style. Hangout with Murr as he tells funny stories, shows off his own personal never-before-seen videos from Impractical Jokers and plays Jokers “live” on stage with the audience.
• Weekly Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-noon
• Admission: $18 adults and children over 1 year old, $16 for seniors, free to members and under one year; additional fees for theater and special programs may apply
• For more information, visit licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
happen when you’re mixing paint and looking at changes in color or how, for instance, the salt disperses the paint pigment,” Niver says.
Other sessions examine techniques like pointillism or even introduce self-portraits in a thoroughly kid-friendly approach.
“When the parents see these ‘sticky moments’ for younger kids where they’re ingrained in these memories and these experiences, they are right there for the ride,” Niver adds.“They’re going through it with their children, and seeing their children light up and experience joy and learning of these new concepts connects the parents to the activities.”
Of course, art doesn’t have to happen in a classroom or museum space, it can also be done right at home! Niver encourages families to use these classes as an accessible way to bring the creativity back to their households.
“We want to give the opportunity for parents to incorporate making art in easy forms at home that may be less daunting for them,” Niver says.
And often, the youngsters can try materials and methods they may not have access to elsewhere. The sessions offer an introduction to new media as well.
“We also try to balance with materials that maybe they wouldn’t be exposed to normally at home. We could bring in easels one day and have the kids do canvas painting,” she adds.
The fun doesn’t stop when class ends. The museum’s exhibits and upcoming events are often tied into the weekly themes. So, when the class concludes, there’s plenty more to explore!
For example, in celebration of National Zoo and Aquarium Month, in June, kids can make majestic underwater creatures using recycled materials and bubble wrap. This is a creative “sneak peek” teaser what’s to come as the museum prepares to open its newest permanent exhibit, “Saltwater Stories,” in October.
Accessibility is another important component of the museum’s approach to arts programming. Little Learners Art Lab provides families with high-quality early childhood education at a fraction of the cost of private art classes or specialized preschool programs, according to the leadership team. The program’s affordability ensures that all children in the community have access to enriching artistic experiences that contribute to cognitive, social, and emotional development.
“Our whole point is to bring people in, and celebrate and cater to the audience that is coming to us daily, and that is the early childhood audience,” Niver says.
“We hope that for years to come families will bring back other children in their family, as their family grows, and continue to value the museum.”
Photos courtesy LICM
Kids and their adult partners play and create together at the Art Lab. Artistic inspiration involves developing young motor skills as everyone fully engages in the moment.
Friday, May 16, 7 p.m. $65, $55, $45, $35. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny. com.
and Chad Hoopes
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Artistic Directors David Finckel (piano) and Wu Han (cello) have assembled a scintillating collection of works that reveal the joy and depth of the chamber music literature. Starting as frequent collaborators, Finckel and Han have been married since 1985. As a duo, they began to tour regularly while retaining residencies in New York. In this program, volin sonatas from the Baroque and Classical eras are performed by the young virtuoso Chad Hoopes, followed by Mendelssohn’s invigorating Second Sonata for cello and piano, a gem of the Romantic era. The art of romantic music hits a high point in the concluding work, in which all combine for a trio by the founder of Czech music, Bed�ich Smetana.
Sunday, May 18, 3 p.m. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or tillescenter.org or (516) 299-3100.
David Finckel, Wu Han
Your Neighborhood CALENDAR
MAY
15
Game time
Play Mah Jongg and Canasta every Thursday at Congregation Beth Tikvah. Snacks and drinks are provided. $5 contribution.
• Contact: mahjonggCBT@yahoo. com or (516) 785-2445
Garden Days
Garden lovers, green thumbs and spring seekers: Old Westbury Gardens’ beloved Garden Days return. Four vibrant days are filled with plants, programs, and purpose, highlighted by the muchanticipated Plant Sale Preview Party on Friday evening. On May 16 (6-8 p.m.), guests are invited to sip, shop and stroll through the gardens during this exclusive first-look event, featuring live music, sweet and savory treats, and early access to a lush array of rare perennials and signature plants grown right here on Long Island. The two-day plant sale runs May 17-18, (10 a.m.-4 p.m.), where shoppers can select from a curated selection of garden favorites with expert guidance from the Gardens’ horticulture staff. Addition highlights include a panel discussion, Guided walks and garden tours and spring celebration chamber concert.
• Where: 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury
• Time: Ongoing, May 15-18
• Contact: Visit oldwestburygardens.org/2025garden-days for full schedule and ticket details
Hug a happy tree
K&A Tree Service offers free tree inspections throughout Long Island. Tree professionals will visit in person to inspect tree and provide free advice to help treat your tree right and make it happy.
• Time: Ongoing
• Contact: (516) 208-3131
On Exhibit
Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, the original “Deco at 100” coincides with the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes) that publicly launched the movement. The direct followup to the well-received 2023 exhibit, “Our Gilded Age,” it comparably links the period’s signature innovation in the decorative arts, Art Deco, to the fine arts. On view through June 15.
MAY 24
Comedy legend Jon Lovitz brings his signature wit and unforgettable characters to the Paramount stage for a night of nonstop laughs. Best known for his Emmy-nominated run on SNL and roles in hit films like “A League of Their Own” and “The Wedding Singer,” Lovitz has been a staple of comedy for over 30 years. He got his start acting in high school productions, developing his skills at the University of California, Irvine where he earned a B.A. in Drama. He also studied acting with Tony Barr at the Film Actors Workshop. At the advice of Tony Barr, Jon decided to concentrate solely on comedy. From there his trajectory took off. He began taking classes with the famed improv comedy group The Groundlings in 1982. One year later, Jon got his first acting job on the television show “The Paper Chase: the Second Year.” Two years followed and then he was accepted into The Groundlings main company. In March 1985 The Groundlings appeared on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” where Jon premiered his character “Tommy Flanagan of Pathological Liars Anonymous. SNL and numerous other offers followed and Jon was on his, working non-stop since. Along with his comedy, Jon is well known for his distinctive voice. It has served him will in his varied TV and film career. He is one of the few performers to start as an actor and then become a stand-up comedian who successfully headlines venues nationwide. Jon’s humor is unique, which is attributable to his quirky personality, and he is sure to entertain. $59.50, $49.50, $39.50, $29.50.
• Where: 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor
• Time: Ongoing
• Contact: (516) 484-9337 or nassaumuseum.org
‘Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!’
The beloved musical adventure, ripped from the pages of Mo Willems’ beloved award-winning, best-selling children’s books, is back on stage at Long Island Children’s Museum. Willems’ classic characters Elephant and Piggie storm the stage in a rollicking musical romp filled with plenty of pachydermal peril and swiney suspense perfect for young audiences.
• Where: Museum Row, Garden City
• Time: Also May 17 and May 20-22, times vary
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
MAY 17
Wantagh Spring Festival
Kiwanis Club of Wantagh hosts its ninth annual Spring Festival. With featuring over 80 vendors, a food truck show, kids fun zone, and live music.
Rain date is May 31.
• Where: Wantagh LIRR, between Beech Street and Oakland Avenue, Wantagh
• Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 644-5615
Birdwatching at Bideawee
Bideawee hosts a peaceful, onehour birdwatching walk through its serene Pet Memorial Park in Wantagh, led by local birding enthusiast Patrick Shure. Free and limited to 10 participants. Rain date is May 18.
• Where: 3300 Beltagh Ave., Wantagh
• Time: 8-9 a.m., arrive by 7:50 a.m.
• Contact: Register by May 16 at noon at bideawee.org
Concert of Contrasts
Join the Long Island Choral Society and Music Director Michael C. Haigler for their final concert of the season. “From the Sublime to the Ridiculous”, offers the beautiful melodies of Johannes Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes as well as the ridiculous antics of P.D.Q. Bach’s Liebeslieder Polkas. Liebeslieder translates as Love Song and
MAY
21
Bingo at Temple B’Nai Torah
Temple B’nai Torah hosts weekly bingo with prizes, progressive games, and refreshments every Wednesday and Thursday.
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
this concert will give two very different visions of musical expressions of love. Act I features Brahms lush waltzes, scored for 4-hand piano and sure to elicit emotions and romantic memories through its lush melodies and sublime poetry. Act II presents P.D.Q. Bach’s interpretation of love songs through energy driven polkas scored for 5-hand piano in such a manner as to create chaos, musical mayhem, visual hijinks and some seriously bad puns. $20, $10 youth. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at door.
• Where: Garden City Community Church, 245 Stewart Ave., Garden City
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: lics.org or call (516) 652-6878
Art Explorations
Converse, collaborate and create at Nassau County Museum of Art. Kids and their adult partners can talk about and make art together. Enjoy reading and play in the Reading Room, and contribute to The Lobby Project, a collaborative art installation. Registration required.
• Where: 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor
• Time: Noon-3 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 484-9337 or nassaumuseum.org
Each week in this engaging workshop, participants are introduced to hands-on materials, artmaking, and inspiration from artists and techniques. Young kids, ages 2-5, build critical thinking skills, expand vocabulary, and support imaginations as they play, create and explore. This week, families This week, students will paint a terracotta pot, plant a seed, and watch their creations bloom over the next few weeks!. $4 with museum admission.
• Where: Museum Row, Garden City
• Time: 11:30 a.m.-noon
• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800
MAY 24
Jones Beach Air Show
The 2025 FourLeaf Air Show returns Memorial Day weekend at Jones Beach. Headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the event also features military and civilian aerial demonstrations. Free admission. $10 vehicle use fee per day.
• Where: Jones Beach State Park, Ocean Parkway, Wantagh
• Time: May 24-25, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Contact: fourleafairshow.com
Having an event?
Items on the Calendar page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to kbloom@ liherald.com.
County Legislator Seth Koslow toured the Nassau County Department of Public Works wastewater treatment plant in Wantagh on April 3.
Koslow tours wastewater treatment plant
Nassau County Legislator Seth Koslow toured the Nassau County Department of Public Works wastewater treatment plant in Wantagh on April 3.
“Robust, well-maintained sanitary sewer infrastructure is essential for growing Nassau County’s economy, preserving public health and protecting our
water – vital priorities that I am especially focused upon as the representative of District 5’s many waterfront communities,” Koslow said. “I appreciate Nassau’s dedicated DPW team for welcoming me to the facility and all they do each day to serve our communities.”
— Charles Shaw
Courtesy Office of Seth Koslow
Public Notices
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
Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232
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 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
Public Notices
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) 765-4154. 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 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 escrutinio 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
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING, ELECTION AND PERSONAL REGISTRATION, LEVITTOWN UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Annual Meeting of the School District, the vote on the School District budget and election of candidates for the School Board of Levittown Union Free School District, Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, and the vote on the Public Library budget and
election of a candidate for the Board of Trustees for the Levittown Public Library, will be held in the several election districts of the School District at the voting places designated below on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 between the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM, to vote by ballot on voting machines on the proposition or propositions set forth below, as well as any other propositions which may properly come before the electorate, and to elect members of the Board of Education and to elect a member of the Library Board of Trustees. Shall the following resolutions be adopted:
PROPOSITION NO. 1
SCHOOL DISTRICT
BUDGET
BE IT RESOLVED, that the School District budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026, as presented to the Board of Education, in the amount of $274,120,957 approved and the necessary taxes be levied therefore on the taxable real property of the district.
PROPOSITION NO. 2
EXPENDITURE OF THE 2023 CAPITAL RESERVE FUND AND UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE FOR SCHOOL BUILDING IMPROVEMENT
PROJECTS
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Levittown Union Free School District is hereby authorized to expend the following remaining balances of the District Reserve Funds listed below: 2023 Capital Reserve in the amount of $18,000,000
In addition the Board of Education is hereby authorized to expend up to the sum of $4,000,000 in unassigned fund balance, so that the total expenditure in an amount not to exceed $22,000,000 is hereby approved for purposes of performing school building improvement projects, including District-wide safety system upgrades, District-wide electrical system upgrades; District-wide roof reconditioning and replacement; Districtwide HVAC upgrades and replacements; District-wide interior and exterior masonry restoration; Districtwide asbestos abatement projects; District-wide athletic field renovations and tennis court lighting; District-wide roadway
reconstruction and site improvements; District-wide bathroom reconstruction; Districtwide instructional space renovations, and for any similar projects as contained in the District’s five year Capital Facilities Plan adopted by the Board of Education on March 19, 2025. Expenditures funded from the Capital Reserves and unassigned fund balance will not increase the tax levy.
PROPOSITION NO. 3
SALE OF SEAMANS NECK SCHOOL BUILDING
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Levittown Union Free School District (the “District”) is hereby authorized to sell the premises known as the Seaman’s Neck Road School, excluding the athletic fields which shall remain owned by the District, located at 1100 Crestline Place, Seaford, New York 11783, at a price of Seven Million Two Hundred Sixteen Thousand Dollars ($7,216,000) to Nassau BOCES, pursuant to the terms of a certain Contract of Sale dated as of February 25, 2025, which contract is available for review at the office of the District Clerk, 150 Abbey Lane, Levittown, New York 11756, and on the District’s website: www. levittownschools.com.
PROPOSITION NO. 4 AUTHORIZING TRANSPORTATION TO STUDENTS WITHIN THE CHILD SAFETY ZONE Shall the Board of Education of the Levittown Union Free School District be authorized to provide transportation to those students attending District schools and residing in the Child Safety Zone established by the Board of Education, area bounded by the following: South of the Southern State Parkway, North of Jerusalem Avenue, West of Wantagh Avenue and East of Wantagh State Parkway; plus the area known as Lea Ann Terrace, and such transportation shall be provided by the District, starting in the 20252026 school year, for an estimated annual cost of $25,000.
PROPOSITION NO. 5 LIBRARY BUDGET RESOLVED, that the Public Library Budget for the fiscal year 20252026 proposed by the Library Board of Trustees of the Levittown Public
Public Notices
Library heretofore filed pursuant to law shall be approved and the necessary taxes be levied therefore on the taxable real property of the district.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education and for the office of member of the Library Board of Trustees must be filed with the District Clerk between the hours of 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM but between the hours of 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on April 21, 2025. Forms of the petitions may be obtained from the District Clerk.
The following vacancies are to be filled on the Board of Education:
Two (2) members for the term of three (3) years, commencing July 1, 2025 and expiring June 30, 2028.
A separate petition is required to nominate a candidate for member of the Board of Education. The two candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected. Each petition must be directed to the District Clerk, must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District, or 2% of the voters who voted in the 2024 election, whichever is greater, and shall state the residence of each person who signed, must state the name and residence of the candidate and the length of the term of office. This year all nominating petitions must include 44 signatures.
The following vacancies are to be filled on the Library Board of Trustees:
One (1) member for the term of five (5) years, commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2030; one member for a term commending July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2028; and one member for a term commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026.
A separate petition is required to nominate a candidate for member of the Library Board of Trustees. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be elected to the term which ends June 30, 2030. The candidate receiving the second highest number of votes will be elected to the term which ends June 30, 2028. The candidate receiving the third highest number of votes will be elected to the term which
ends June 30, 2026. Each petition must be directed to the District Clerk, must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District, or 2% of the voters who voted in the 2024 election for members of the Library Board of Trustees, whichever is greater, and shall state the residence of each person who signed, must state the name and residence of the candidate and the length of the term of office. This year all nominating petitions must include 44 signatures.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that a statement of estimated expenses for the 2025-2026 school year will be presented at a Public Hearing on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 7:30 PM in the Board Meeting Room of the Levittown Memorial Education Center and copies of such statement, as well as the statement of the amount of money required for the 20252026 fiscal year of the Public Library, will be made available on the District’s website and at each schoolhouse and library in the District during the hours of 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM on each day other than a Saturday, Sunday or holiday during the fourteen (14) calendar days immediately preceding the election together with the text of any resolution which will be presented to the voters.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law, personal registration of voters is required and only those persons whose names appear on the register of the said school district, or who are registered pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law, shall be entitled to vote at said meeting and election.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that all qualified voters who have previously registered for any annual or special meeting or election and have voted at any annual or special election held or conducted at any time within four (4) calendar years prior to this year are not required to register with the Board of Registration for this meeting.
All other persons who wish to vote must register. A voter may register at the office of the District Clerk of the Levittown UFSD between the hours of
8:00 AM. and 1:00 PM on school days provided that such registration is effected no later than May 15, 2025.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that said register will be filed in the office of the District Clerk and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District on each of the five (5) days prior to the day of the election, except Sunday, between the hours of 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, on Monday through Friday by appointment on Saturday ( May 17, 2025), in the office of the District Clerk and at each voting place on the day of the election.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that absentee ballots for those eligible pursuant to the provision of Section 2018a of the Education Law are available, and that applications for absentee ballots may be applied for at the office of the District Clerk. A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots have been issued will be available in the office of the Clerk on each of the five (5) calendar days prior to the day of election except Sunday, between the hours of 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM on Monday through Friday and by appointment on Saturday (May 17, 2025), in the office of the District Clerk. Such application must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) calendar days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter or by the day before the election if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. No absentee voter’s ballot will be canvassed unless it has been received in the office of the District Clerk not later than 5:00 PM on the day of the election.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that pursuant to Section 2018-e of the Education Law, applications for early mail ballots may be obtained at the Office of the District Clerk of the School District, during all days in which the School District is in session. Completed applications must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than April 21, 2025 and by May 13, 2025, if the early mail ballot is to be mailed to the voter. If the early mail ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter at the Office of the District Clerk the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later
than May 20, 2025. No early mail voter’s ballot will be canvassed unless it has been received in the Office of the District Clerk of the School District no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 20, 2025. A list of all persons to whom early ballots have been issued will be available in the Office of the District Clerk’s office during office hours on and after May 14, 2025 until May 19, 2025, except on Saturday May 17, 2025, by prearranged appointment. A challenge to an early voting ballot may not be made on the basis that the voter should have applied for an absentee ballot.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that during the voting hours on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM, in the various election districts, the Board of Registration will meet to receive registrations for subsequent elections. During the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM on voting days, the District Clerk shall be in her office at the Levittown Memorial Education Center.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law requires the District to attach to its proposed budget an Exemption Report. Said exemption report, which will also become part of the final budget, will show how the total assessed value of the final assessment roll used in the budgetary process is exempt from taxation, list every type of exemption granted by statutory authority, and show the cumulative impact of each type of exemption, the cumulative amount expected to be received as payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) and the cumulative impact of all exemptions granted. In addition, said exemption report shall be posted on any bulletin board maintained by the District for public notices and on the District’s website.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to Education Law §2018-d, Military Voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the District by submitting a Military Voter Registration Application to the District Clerk, no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 24, 2025. A copy of the Military Voter Registration
News briefs
Queens man convicted in 2020 assault
A Queens man was convicted this week for assaulting an employee and stealing more than $3,000 in merchandise from The Home Depot in Levittown nearly five years ago, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced.
Joshua Mitchell, 29, was found guilty by a jury on May 8 of multiple charges, including assault, grand larceny, and leaving the scene of an incident resulting in serious injury. The verdict came after a three-day trial before Judge Howard Sturim. Mitchell is expected back in court for sentencing on July 10, and faces up to 29 years in prison.
“What should have been an ordinary day for an employee at The Home Depot in Levittown turned into years of suffering because of Joshua Mitchell’s selfish, criminal actions,” Donnelly said in a statement. “People expect to feel safe in the workplace, not at risk of life-changing injury just for trying to do the right thing. It is my hope that this conviction will bring some solace to the innocent victim and drives home the fact that this type of reckless violence will never be tolerated by my office.”
According to prosecutors, on June 17, 2020, Mitchell was seen at the Home Depot on Hempstead Turnpike placing
Application is available both by contacting the District Clerk by email at vesposito@ levittownschools. com and online at the District’s website located at http://www. levittownschools.com/. Military voters who are qualified voters of the District may submit an application for a military ballot. A Military Voter is entitled to designate a preference to receive a Military Voter Registration Application, Military Ballot Application or Military Ballot by mail, facsimile or electronic mail. Such designation will remain in effect until revoked or changed by the voter. If no preference is designated, the District will transmit the Military Voter Registration Application, Military Ballot Application or Military Ballot by mail.
Military Voter Ballot Application forms must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 24, 2025. Military Ballots will not be canvassed unless they are received by the District Clerk on or before 5:00 p.m. on May 20, 2025.
SCHOOL ELECTION
91 high-value plumbing items into a large bin inside a shopping cart. The merchandise totaled $3,321.29. As he attempted to leave without paying, an asset protection officer confronted him. Mitchell shoved the cart into the officer before fleeing the store through a different exit.
Once outside, Mitchell entered a silver Hyundai Elantra with fake Pennsylvania license plates. A kitchen designer working at the store followed Mitchell into the parking lot, where he was struck by the vehicle and thrown into the air. Mitchell then drove away onto Hempstead Turnpike.
The victim was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital with serious injuries, including multiple fractures in his wrist and tears in his shoulder. He underwent three surgeries, including the installation of plates and screws, but ultimately lost the ability to move his wrist and thumb or grip with his fingers.
Mitchell was arrested in September 2020 at his home in Laurelton, Queens. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Bureau Chief Alexander DePalo and Assistant District Attorney James Taglienti of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau.
— Charles Shaw
DISTRICTS:
The boundaries of the school election districts and the place of each election district for voting and registration shall be as follows:
ELECTION DISTRICT #1 - GARDINERS AVENUE SCHOOL
Beginning at Wantagh Parkway and Chase Lane; east on Chase Lane to Center Lane, thence south to Prairie Lane; thence east to Gardiners Avenue; thence south to Slate Lane; then east and north to Swan Lane; then east and north to Grey Lane; continuing east to Wantagh Avenue; thence south on Wantagh Avenue to Jerusalem Avenue; thence west to Oakfield Avenue; continuing north to Old Jerusalem Road; thence east on Old Jerusalem Road to Wantagh Parkway Line; north along Line to the point of beginning.
ELECTION DISTRICT #2 - EAST BROADWAY
SCHOOL
Beginning at north side of Southern State Parkway and east side of Wantagh Avenue; north on Wantagh to Miller Place; thence east to Exit Lane; thence south to Elm Drive;
thence west to Elbow Lane; thence southwest to End Lane; south to End Lane and Elm Drive East to Pope Street; thence east to District Line; thence south to Regent Lane; thence east to Red Maple Drive; thence northeast, and south to Regal Lane; east on Regal Lane and Cordwood Lane to Arlington Drive; thence southeast to Town Line; thence south to Southern State Parkway; west along Parkway to point of beginning. Beginning at south side of Southern State Parkway and west side of Town Line; south on Town Line to Jerusalem Avenue; thence west to Wantagh Avenue; thence north to Southern State Parkway; thence east to point of beginning.
ELECTION DISTRICT #3LEVITTOWN MEMORIAL EDUCATION CENTER
Beginning at east side of Wantagh Parkway and south side of Hempstead Turnpike; east on Hempstead Turnpike to Silver Lane; thence south to Forge Lane; thence east to Cotton Lane; thence southeasterly to Wantagh Avenue; then south to Grey
Lane; thence west to Swan Lane; then southwesterly to Slate Lane; then south to Gardiners Avenue, thence north to Prairie Lane; thence west to Center Lane; thence north to Chase Lane; thence west to Wantagh Parkway Line; north along Line to point of beginning.
ELECTION DISTRICT #4DIVISION AVENUE HIGH SCHOOL
Beginning at north side of Hempstead Turnpike and west side of Jerusalem Avenue; west on Hempstead Turnpike to District Boundary Line at Wantagh State Parkway; thence northeast to northerly border of School District; east on Boundary Line (Flamingo Rd., Magpie Lane, Blacksmith Rd) to Jerusalem Avenue; thence south to point of beginning.
Dated: Levittown, New York March 2025 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION LEVITTOWN UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK 152588
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Redoing a basement, Part 3
Q. We bought our home three years ago, and are finally ready to finish our basement to make a family room, guest bedroom and a bathroom while enclosing our laundry. Right now it’s just a big open space with a lot of columns. The ceiling is low, and we’ve had estimates to cut down the basement floor. It seems like a lot of money to do all these things at once, but we understand that we need to do it before the prices for materials, as we’ve been warned, go a lot higher. We want to know what needs to be done if we want to lower the floor, take out two columns so our recreation room is bigger, and put in a bathroom. Is there any way to save money?
A. This third column ties together the previous two to state that, basically, you get what you pay for, and sometimes less. I explained that basement bathrooms may not be allowed to have a bathing fixture, tub or shower, depending on the municipal requirements, and that many communities also won’t allow a bedroom in a basement, for safety reasons. I also outlined the process for figuring out beams so that columns can be removed, and that while “guessers” may save you some money up front, repairs can erase the savings.
Now we’re up to lowering the basement floor. “Saving money” and “lowering a basement floor” should rarely be in the same sentence, except for when writing an answer as to why. In general, you want more living space, structurally sound and waterproof. Both of those needs are hard to achieve if any part of the process is left out.
It’s always best to gain the most amount of interior space, and I can often tell when either saving money was the focus or amateur work was done when I see a foundation wall projecting into the basement like a concrete bench. To avoid this look and to get the most use out of the space, you have to start with knowing where the underground water table is. Unless you dig a hole or order a soil-boring test from a professional company, you may soon find out why the floor wasn’t lower to begin with. This test could save you great expense.
The process of correctly supporting the exterior concrete foundation walls is called “underpinning.”
The excavation can be done from the interior side of the foundation wall if the exterior isn’t accessible. Either way, the underpinning process must be done in sections, not all at once. There would be complete collapses of walls and floors above if entire foundations were removed at one time. When this is done, it usually causes tremendous damage, possible death and news coverage.
Engineered sections, with waterproofing to the exterior, have to be planned. The old sections are carefully cut out, and then replaced several feet apart before the next sections are removed. Good luck!
Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.
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Local voices matter, and the RAPID Act listens
Last month, a handful of Nassau County town supervisors stood in front of a firehouse on Barnum Island and took the low road, whipping up fear, distorting facts and conflating fallacy and fantasy with reality to try to block progress. Their target was the Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment, or RAPID, Act, a new state law designed to streamline the approval process for large-scale renewable energy and electric transmission projects.
The RAPID Act creates a more efficient and transparent process for reviewing the major infrastructure projects we desperately need. If we’re serious about clean energy, grid reliability and energy security, this is our path toward resiliency and sustainability. It’s good for consumers and developers because the streamlined process reduces costs, making investments in the grid more affordable. Unfortunately these days, facts don’t seem to matter much to some. But here are the facts.
Before the RAPID Act became law in April 2024, New York state had a patchwork of laws that made siting energy
projects difficult, confusing and expensive. Today there is a clear, easy-to-follow, streamlined system under the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission. The new system saves time and money, increases consistency, and gives communities a meaningful voice from the very beginning.
Here’s how it works.
Before even submitting an application, developers are required to consult with local officials. Throughout the process, the public is invited to comment. Each project must have meaningful community outreach in which residents are invited to participate, along with ORES.
Tfor clean, reliable energy.
The reality is that most projects comply with local laws almost entirely, and the few disputes thus far have largely been resolved through mutual agreement. Waivers aren’t done casually. They must be fully justified. And towns can challenge them. As of last month, only five towns in the entire state had appealed such rulings, and all five rulings were upheld.
here have been over 50 energy project siting hearings across the state.
To date, there have been over 50 hearings across the state. That’s not secrecy. That’s real public engagement. Your comments have been heard, as have developers — who often modify projects in response to public feedback.
Another fallacy is how the RAPID Act treats local laws. It did not create new authority for the state to waive local laws — that ability has been part of the siting process in New York for decades. The act was designed to make those waivers less likely by addressing points of conflict early. And the law allows ORES to waive those laws only when they are unreasonably burdensome and conflict with the state’s goals
If that sounds like a heavy-handed state bulldozing towns, you might want to check the script the town supervisors are reading from, because it’s fiction. What we saw last month was not thoughtful concern for our future infrastructure needs. It was a political strategy that assumes that every environmental policy from Albany is a threat, every clean-energy initiative a conspiracy and every step forward something to block. Lumping everything together and crying foul to whip up outrage doesn’t benefit the New Yorkers that we public servants are here to serve. Meanwhile, our infrastructure is aging, and doing nothing is no longer an option. The RAPID Act moves us forward. It helps make sure our homes have power during extreme storms. It helps reduce pollution. It helps create good-paying jobs in clean energy. That
should be something we can all get behind.
If the supervisors want to sit down and talk seriously about how to improve the process, our door is always open. But yelling about non-existent dangers doesn’t help anyone. It misleads the public. It slows progress. And it makes it harder to build the kind of energy future Long Island deserves and desperately needs.
We believe in transparency, community input and in building a future in which Long Island is stronger, safer and cleaner. The RAPID Act is a big step in that direction.
It’s time to stop the political games. Time to stop pretending that doing nothing is somehow safer. I know firsthand that Long Islanders care about their communities, and the environment. They’re smart enough to see through rhetoric designed to instill fear, and they deserve better: They deserve leadership that tells the truth about the very real needs and demands of our infrastructure and its impacts on growing our economy. As I’ve said in countless hearings and committee meetings, the RAPID Act isn’t about taking power away from towns. It’s about keeping the lights on, making sure everyone has a seat at the table, and making sure we’re ready for the future.
Let’s move forward together.
Rory Christian is chairman of the New York State Public Service Commission.
Companies that produce packing waste must recycle it
Consumers have changed our shopping habits across New York state. The transition to online shopping has significantly increased plastic, paper and cardboard packaging waste. Those materials go to Reworld, which takes our trash, and are turned into ash. The ash needs to go somewhere, but where?
On Long Island, most of the ash goes to Brookhaven Landfill, but that clock is ticking. The Brookhaven facility will soon reach its capacity for ash, and that means it will close in the next few years, leaving towns such as Hempstead and North Hempstead with no ash-disposal options on Long Island. As packaging waste increases, recycling rates remain lackluster, which adds to our solid-waste burden. The good news is that we can reduce packaging waste and increase recycling rates to help address this challenge. Citizens Campaign for the Environment
chairs a statewide coalition of environmental leaders, local governments, stakeholders and elected officials who have joined to back state legislation called the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. This important bill is urgently needed.
p ass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act!
New York is experiencing a solid-waste crisis, with skyrocketing costs to municipalities, abysmal recycling rates, and plastic pollution littering our communities and waterways. Our state generates more than 17 million tons of municipal solid waste annually. Long Island is responsible for 1.6 million tons per year, 205,000 tons of which go to landfills off Long Island, and 1.4 million tons are sent to waste-toenergy facilities, resulting in 400,000 tons of ash that must be landfilled. There is currently no plan to manage this ash once the Brookhaven landfill is closed. The one wise choice everyone agrees on is to reduce our waste stream, and this legislation would do just that.
The financial burden of managing recyclable waste falls on local taxpayers. Municipalities are struggling with
recycling costs and outdated infrastructure that significantly limits the volume of materials that are recycled. It is estimated that local governments statewide spend more than $200 million each year to keep local recycling programs going. That is not sustainable.
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act would revolutionize New York’s approach to solid waste by shifting the responsibility of managing plastic, paper and packaging waste to corporations, not taxpayers and local governments. Those that put packaging into the waste stream are best positioned to reduce the amount of packaging that’s created in the first place.
The measure would require large corporations to reduce consumer packaging by 30 percent in 12 years, increase post-consumer recycled content in packaging and invest in new reuse/ refill infrastructure. The bill includes strong oversight and enforcement provisions to ensure that corporations comply.
Other states, including California,
Colorado, Maine and Oregon, have passed such laws, and similar policies have been in effect in parts of Europe and Canada for over 30 years. Where fully implemented, recycling rates exceed 70 percent, and the cost of consumer goods has not increased one penny.
It is time for corporations take out their own trash! Each year, companies ship billions of products with excess packaging, exacerbating the solid-waste crisis, yet they bear no responsibility for managing the waste they create. This sensible legislation promises to save money for municipalities and taxpayers, remove toxic substances from packaging, increase recycling and require producers to reduce waste.
We need to modernize New York’s recycling system and make producers take responsibility for managing their packaging waste. We need the governor, the State Senate and the Assembly to support this critical bill and get it signed into law this year. Every year we do nothing is another year we waste money, and allow our solid-waste management problem to grow.
We can do this!
RoRY CHRisTiAn
Adrienne Esposito is executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
We must restore Musk’s cuts of the 9/11 health fund
it is essential that Congress do all it can to fully restore the World Trade Center Health Program. I commend Long Island Congressmen Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota for leading a bipartisan effort to undo the damage, intentional or not, to this program by Elon Musk’s chainsaw cuts of government health programs.
During my years in Congress, no issue was more vital or intensely personal to me than ensuring that all of the surviving victims of the attacks of Sept. 11 — police officers, firefighters, emergency responders, construction workers and civilians — receive the care they require and deserve for the illnesses caused by the toxins they breathed in at ground zero in the days, weeks and months afterward.
It wasn’t until several years after 9/11 that evidence emerged of a growing number of blood cancers and lung and breathing disorders suffered by 9/11 first responders and nearby residents and students. The concern was bipartisan. Democratic Representatives Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney and
ARepublicans Vito Fossella and I were the original prime advocates. We introduced legislation in 2005 and again in 2007 to establish and fund a 9/11 illness detection and treatment program.
ed a rare and fatal blood cancer after working together at ground zero. The chances of this being a coincidence were infinitesimal. And there were countless similar situations.
session, our efforts paid off: Zadroga passed both the House and Senate.
TToday we know that more people have died from 9/11 illnesses than from the attacks, but in those early years, the numbers of victims weren’t yet especially high, and there was no proof of direct linkage to 9/11, which made it difficult to generate strong interest or support outside the New York and New Jersey congressional delegations.
hey’re causing many of the 9/11 doctors and experts to be terminated.
Soon enough, however, there was too much evidence to ignore. Anecdotally, I would see FDNY and NYPD neighbors who had worked at ground zero wearing oxygen masks as they watched their kids’ Little League games or stopped by 7-Eleven for coffee. Those scenes were repeated across Long Island and the entire downstate region, and there would eventually be victims among rescue workers who had come to New York from almost all 50 states. To make our case, we asked 9/11 heroes to visit Congress to make direct appeals to individual members. I particularly recall NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly sitting in my Washington office telling me about two cops who contract-
The enormity of what was becoming a 9/11 health crisis could no longer be denied. In 2008, we thought our legislation — named the Zadroga Bill, after James Zadroga, who was believed to be the first NYPD officer to die from a 9/11 illness — would be included in a large year-end package of legislation agreed on by Congress and the White House. Unfortunately the combined tumult of a Presidential election and a stock market collapse prevented it from coming to a vote, and there was no opportunity to salvage it.
After close but disappointing nearmisses over the next two years, primarily because of opposition from Republicans in Southern and Western states, I and others fought furiously to get Zadroga passed. I had no tolerance for opposition from the crowd who primarily represented states and districts that received disproportionate levels of federal assistance at the expense of donor states like New York, which effectively subsidized them. Finally, on Dec. 22, 2010, the last day of the congressional
Unfortunately the bill had a five-year limit, so we had to wage the fight again in 2015. This time the struggle wasn’t as difficult, and Zadroga was extended. But then, in 2019, we learned there were many more victims than expected, and the fund was running short. With the bipartisan support of Democrats like then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and House Republicans like then Whip Steve Scalise and Representatives Doug Collins and Mike Johnson, Zadroga was extended to the end of the century. I was proud to be with President Trump when he signed this legislation at a ceremony on the White House lawn.
Now the fund is seriously threatened by Musk’s misplaced cuts, which, probably made unknowingly, are causing many of the 9/11 doctors and experts to be terminated, including program Director Dr. John Howard.
Though the White House has promised to fully reinstate the program, so far it has not been done. Victims are being denied necessary testing. This insanity must end. Our nation’s commitment to the victims of 9/11 must be honored!
Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.
The new state budget is a victory for Hochul
merica is fixated on picking winners and losers. We use that term every day, applying it to sports, the stock market and every other field of endeavor. I heard it during the trial of O.J. Simpson, and I remember hearing it as far back as the 1960s, when, following a massive snowstorm, some parts of Queens were the last neighborhoods in New York City to see snowplows. Winners and losers are proclaimed extensively in politics, because politicians are tested on an almost daily basis.
Which leads to a discussion of the long-delayed New York state budget. Over the years, when there was an agreement between the three leaders — the governor, the leader of the State Senate and the Assembly speaker — they would all show up at a much-heralded news conference, at which each would take credit for some portion of the budget bill. For the past few years, that practice has changed, because the only person who has been taking the
media spotlight is Gov. Kathy Hochul. Before talking about winners and losers, it’s worth looking at this year’s budget process. The new spending plan budget is the latest to be finalized since 2010. Since the April 1 deadline, there have been 11 legislative extensions, which assures state employees that they can collect their paychecks.
LCould the governor have refused to delay the passage of an agreed-on budget and submitted her own spending plan on a take-itor-leave-it basis? The answer is yes. During the administration of Gov. David Paterson, the courts decided that if the Legislature can’t agree on a budget by March 31, the governor can force a vote on his or her own plan with no further delays.
cation, housing, mental hygiene and tax reform. When the dust settled, the two leaders got their asks, but the governor got the lion’s share of what she proposed back in January.
ooking to next year’s election, she set aside money for every region of the state.
But in the spirit of harmony, succeeding governors have chosen to go through the arduous process of countless meetings and formal extensions until all of the parties sign on to a final accord. This year, Hochul made it clear that she had a long list of priorities, and had no plans to give in on them. She presented the Assembly and Senate with a long list of programs covering criminal law, edu-
With an eye on next year’s election, Hochul set aside money for every region of the state. She addressed subway crime, and sided with the state’s district attorneys on their demand for reforms that will allow them to prevent the dismissal of pending cases. Taxpayers can anticipate expansion of childcare tax credits and many other goodies, including $400 checks for families on limited incomes. School districts will get a hefty increase in education aid, and students won’t be unable use their cellphones from the first school bell to the last.
During a typical give-and-take that is part of the negotiating process, each of the parties shows some willingness to bend on their key issues. But this time, the governor stuck to her guns and yielded on very few issues. Facing what could be a very tough re-election campaign next year, Hochul dug in on almost every proposal she made and
gave little ground, which added to the delays. Albany insiders were surprised at her insistence on winning on so many issues, but she has powers, and used them.
An outsider might wonder why budgets take so long these days, compared with the process 20 and 30 years ago, when spending plans were adopted days and weeks before the deadline. Once upon a time, the state budget was strictly a numbers game. The leaders would promote their pet programs, and possibly sneak in a new program or two. But in the late 1980s, the leaders began to introduce items that were controversial and had little to do with the budget. Wrapped up in one big bill, these nonfiscal items would pass, because the members would have no choice but to swallow the whole document.
Is there a chance that state budgets will once again become just a numbers package? That’s highly unlikely, because all of the leaders have developed an appetite for inserting proposals in the budget that would have no chance of passing as stand-alone bills.
Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. Comments about this column? jkremer@ liherald.com.
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Incorporating
Editor
Welcoming home your freshman
as college dorm rooms empty across the nation, millions of parents are preparing for a significant homecoming. Your freshman is returning — perhaps changed, certainly tired, and undoubtedly with more laundry than you thought humanly possible. This transition marks the beginning of a new chapter in your family story, one that requires delicate navigation, open communication, and occasional deep breaths as you adjust to your evolving relationship.
The transformation that occurs during college’s freshman year is nothing short of remarkable. The timid student who needed reminders about deadlines may return with strong opinions about political systems you’ve never discussed. The picky eater might come home raving about kimchi or curry. The once-shy teenager might stride through your door with newfound confidence and independence. Your child has spent months making independent decisions, forming new social circles, and discovering aspects of themselves that may surprise you — and them.
What parents sometimes fail to acknowledge is that we’ve changed, too. We’ve adjusted to quieter evenings, reclaimed bathroom counter space, and perhaps discovered new routines or even aspects of our identities that had been subsumed by active parenting. Your student’s return disrupts not just their new normal, but yours as well.
The first summer home represents uncharted territory for both generations. Your student has grown accustomed to complete autonomy — deciding when to eat, sleep, study and socialize without consultation or explanation. Meanwhile, you’ve maintained a household with certain rhythms and expectations. Within the first few days of your college student’s homecoming, have a detailed conversation with them about expectations to prevent misunderstandings.
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We have to be cautious while supporting sustainability
To the Editor:
What routines did they develop at college? What do they need to feel comfortable at home? How will household responsibilities be shared? This opens the door to compromise rather than confrontation.
For many freshmen, college is their first opportunity to define themselves beyond their family context or high school reputation. They’ve experimented with new identities, beliefs and social circles. Coming home can feel like stepping backward, especially if you still see them as the person they were before they left.
This identity navigation works both ways. Your student may struggle to integrate their college self with their home self. They might seem different with college friends than with family. They might challenge family traditions or political views that once went unquestioned. These explorations, while sometimes uncomfortable, represent healthy development and should be met with curiosity rather than defensiveness.
Don’t be surprised if your student spends the first week home sleeping extraordinary hours, eating everything in sight, or displaying emotional volatility. Freshman year is physically and emotionally exhausting — particularly its conclusion, with final exams, packing and goodbyes to new friends. The transition home often reveals the school year’s toll. Students maintain a frantic pace during the semester, running on adrenaline and caffeine. When they finally reach the safety of home, their bodies and minds demand recovery time. Parents should view excessive sleeping or emotional sensitivity as necessary healing, not regression or laziness.
The social landscape for your adult child has likely shifted dramatically as well. High school friendships that once seemed permanent may have drifted. New romantic relationships may have formed. Your student might spend little
As communities across New York and the nation explore ways to transition to cleaner energy, there is growing momentum behind battery energy storage systems, particularly those using lithium-ion technology. However, we must not let the promise of sustainability blind us to the inconvenient truths of our present reality. The concept of a circular battery economy — in which batteries are reused, repurposed, and ultimately recycled to recover key materials — is a commendable goal. Yet we are far from achieving it. Our current
time at home as they reconnect with local friends or process the changes in these relationships. Alternatively, they might seem isolated if their primary social connections now exist at school. Both scenarios require your patience and understanding.
And while your instinct might be to recreate family traditions exactly as they were before, this summer presents an opportunity to develop new ways of connecting that honor your student’s developing adulthood. Ask them to teach you about their newfound passions. Take them to places that were once offlimits — a sophisticated restaurant, an art exhibit — that signal your recognition of their maturation. When they share stories about college experiences, practice active listening without immediately offering advice. Questions like, “How did you handle that?” communicate respect for their problem-solving abilities and invite deeper conversation. There’s a poignant truth most parents discover during this first post-college summer: Each homecoming from now on will be temporary. Your child’s primary residence increasingly exists elsewhere — in dorms, apartments and, eventually, their own home. The full nest you’ll experience this summer will empty again, with each cycle of departure becoming more permanent.
This realization, while sometimes painful, also brings opportunity. The time-limited nature of these summers encourages making the most of the moments you share. Rather than focusing on the inevitable goodbye at summer’s end, embrace the gift of time together, even if it seems fleeting.
What awaits in these summer months is a delicate dance of holding close and letting go — a choreography that, when performed with grace, becomes the foundation for a relationship that will sustain you both long after the last box is packed for sophomore year.
Wnal, someone and deserves is far more during have a sonal experience of the behind My arrived hope and
HerNesto GaldaMeZ
opinions
Not all immigrants are criminals
when we hear the term “illegal immigrant,” it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that the individual is a criminal, someone who has broken the law, and deserves punishment. But the truth is far more nuanced. For many immigrants, coming to the United States without legal documentation isn’t an act of criminality, but an act of survival — an effort to escape violence, political persecution or a situation so dire that the only option is to flee. As the child of immigrants who fled El Salvador during its civil war in the late 1980s, I have a perspective that is shaped by personal experience and an understanding of the deeper human motivations behind these decisions.
My parents, both from El Salvador, arrived in the U.S. with nothing but hope and fear for their lives. They
understood the risks they were taking by entering this country without legal documentation, but the alternative was staying in a country where the government was killing its own people.
FEl Salvador’s civil war, which began in 1979, was marked by brutal violence, corruption and ruthless repression. The Salvadoran government, heavily supported by U.S. military aid, waged war against leftist insurgents and civilians it accused of being sympathetic to them. Throughout the conflict, military and paramilitary forces committed countless atrocities — massacres, forced disappearances and the destruction of entire villages. Thousands of innocent civilians were murdered or disappeared simply for being suspected of opposing the government.
wasn’t just about seeking a better life; it was about survival. It was about fleeing a government that viewed its citizens as expendable.
or my parents, staying in El Salvador meant living in constant fear.
This is not to say that I support illegal immigration or that breaking the law should be excused. But I believe it’s essential to understand the perspective of those who make the difficult decision to flee their homeland. My parents did not come here to exploit the system or cause harm. They came to escape unimaginable violence, and to find a place where they could live without the constant threat of death.
the mechanic, my father was the only one in his family to leave, and he never got the chance to see his parents again. A few years ago, he and I stood at their graves for the first time — a painful reminder that the cost of leaving isn’t just physical, but deeply emotional and enduring. His journey wasn’t about breaking the law; it was about survival.
It’s easy to forget that behind every “illegal immigrant” label is someone with a story, and usually with pain, sacrifice and hope for a better future. These people don’t come here to break the law. They come to escape the laws and systems that were oppressing them. And for every immigrant like my father or that mechanic, there are countless others who face the same impossible decision every day.
For my parents, like many others, staying in El Salvador meant living in constant fear — fear of being killed, of losing loved ones, or of being caught in the crossfire of a war they had no part in starting. Their decision to leave
Letters
infrastructure for battery recycling is still in its infancy, and the environmental and economic costs of lithium extraction remain extraordinarily high.
Lithium mining is not benign — it consumes vast amounts of water, devastates ecosystems, and often occurs in regions with poor labor and environmental protections. Meanwhile, the lack of cost-effective and widely available recycling facilities means that today’s lithium-based storage systems could become tomorrow’s toxic waste problem.
Until we have robust recycling infrastructure, updated fire and safety codes, and enforceable end-oflife regulations for BESS, policymakers must exercise caution. Approving large-scale lithiumbased projects now, without these safeguards, risks trading one environmental crisis for another.
Sustainability must be more than a buzzword. It requires fullcycle accountability — from cradle to grave and, ideally, cradle to cradle. Let’s not build the clean-energy future on the unstable foundation of unresolved waste and extraction.
These are my beliefs as a private citizen, and do not reflect the official stance or opinion of the Village of Sea Cliff.
BrUCE KEnnEdy Glen Cove Sea Cliff village administrator
We must urge Israel to cease its military campaign
To the Editor:
I am not a Jew, but I am a Zionist, in that I support Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign state.
I regard Hamas as a terrorist organization guilty of a barbaric attack on Israeli civilians in October 2023 as well as vicious repression of the people it purports to represent. Hamas must free all hostages immediately and unconditionally.
But the time has come for American Jews and gentiles alike who share these views to publicly urge the Israeli government to cease its military campaign in Gaza. Our voices can be powerful — if we exercise our moral duty to speak out.
Even if Hamas has inflated the death count, it is incontestable that many thousands of non-combatant Palestinians, including children and aid workers, have been killed in Israeli strikes. It is likewise certain that civilian suffering, already acute, is intensifying as a result of Israel’s two-month-long blockade of food and medicine deliveries to Gaza. And any escalation of the war is sure to further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages, according to the Israeli forum of families of the hostages.
There’s nothing antisemitic
My father eventually found work managing an apartment complex in roslyn, contributing to society, paying taxes, and respecting the country that took him in, belying the false narrative that immigrants don’t pay taxes or contribute to the economy.
My parents’ story is far from unique. not long ago, I met a mechanic who had fled Venezuela to escape violence — just as my father had decades earlier. Like
Framework by Tim Baker
So, I ask: If you were living in a country where your government was killing its own people, where staying meant a likely death, would you remain and accept your fate, or would you flee in search of safety? Would you risk breaking the law for a chance at survival?
Hernesto Galdamez is editor of the Baldwin Herald.
about opposing Israel’s disproportionate response to Hamas’s atrocities. Indeed, this stance should rest firmly upon the core Jewish values of rachamim (mercy and compassion) and chesed
Alex Candon and her momentarily airborne daughter, Lilli, at the L.I. Marathon — East Meadow
