Great Neck 2020_04_24

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Friday, April 24, 2020

Vol. 95, No. 17

this crisis

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BY G AY L E R . B E R G

HEALTH & LIBRARY 3-D PRINTS EX-MINEOLA RESIDENT BRIAN DENNEHY DIES WELLNESS FACE SHIELDS PAGES 19-22

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Cuomo rolls out plan to conduct antibody tests Announces at Feinstein Institutes BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z

PHOTO BY KAREN RUBIN

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the initial steps for antibody testing throughout New York Sunday at Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that New York will take on an “aggressive” testing process in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, an integral step in reopening the state’s economy. The governor said participants who are chosen for random testing will be sent to supermarkets in various regions throughout the state. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said testing in Nassau will be conducted at an unidentified site within the county.

The program began Monday with a randomized survey of 3,000 New Yorkers to determine how many people have the coronavirus antibodies in their systems. The test of antibodies shows a person had the disease but has since fully recovered. Cuomo made the announcement on Sunday at Northwell’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset. Prior to the press conference, Cuomo toured Northwell’s Core Laboratories with the company’s President and CEO, Continued on Page 29

Struggling with small business aid BY E M M A J ON ES

businesses left out in the cold when funding dried up for the Business leaders in Nassau Small Business Administration’s and elected officials expressed initial loan program. A number of small businesshope the new COVID-19 rescue package that passed the U.S. Sen- es in the county failed to obtain ate this week would help small loans as larger publicly traded

companies around the nation qualified for aid and depleted the SBA’s disaster fund. The U.S. Senate approved a $484 billion aid package Tuesday that would replenish the Paycheck Protection Program, designed to help small businesses affected by COVID-19, and provide more funding for hospitals and testing. The measure includes $320 billion in loans to small businesses as well as

$50 billion for the SBA’s disaster relief fund. The loan program, part of the $2 trillion stimulus package enacted March 27 and administered through the SBA, is intended to help businesses maintain payroll and retain employees. Loans are forgivable if used to cover payroll, benefits, rent and mortgage. The initial $359 billion aid package ran out last Thursday, two weeks after its launch. Con-

gressional leaders and the Trump administration were at a stalemate over the next phase of the relief fund before reaching a consensus Tuesday. Many Democrats argued that the initial aid did not reach the businesses that need it the most, including minority-owned businesses and “smaller” small businesses. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer Continued on Page 30

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The Great Neck News, Friday, April 24, 2020

GN

Pandemic causes delays Ed board addresses at Great Neck post office remote concerns

USPS anticipates $13 billion in revenue loss for 2020 Teachers, parents discuss challenges BY JA N E LL E CL AUSEN

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS

The United States Postal Service said they anticipate revenue losses of more than $54 billion over the next ten years. BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z The post office in Great Neck is feeling the impact of the pandemic as the head of the U.S. Postal Service warned in Washington last week that the business is anticipating a loss of $13 billion in revenue this year. Postmaster General Megan Brennan also said the postal system is facing a loss of another $54 billion in the next 10 years due to the coronavirus. She discussed the expected revenue losses with the House Oversight and Reform Committee on April 9. Brennan told lawmakers that the agency would need $25 billion in federal grants to cover the revenue already lost at the invisible hands of the pandemic. Brennan said an additional $25 billion would be required to enhance aging infrastructure, another $14 would be needed to pay off long-term debt related to a retirement benefits program, and another $25 billion would be essential for unrestricted borrowing authority, according to The New York Times. “At a time when America needs the postal service more than ever, the reason we are so needed is having a devastating effect on our business,” Brennan said. “The postal service relies on the sale of postal products and services to fund our operations, and these sales are plummeting

as a result of the pandemic. The sudden drop in mail volumes, our most profitable revenue stream, is steep and may never fully recover.” Branches of the agency have been hurt by the virus in Nassau, with one representative from the Great Neck Annex saying their branch has been operating at 50 percent, on their best days. “The plant is operating at 50 percent at best, many employees are out and are also doing the best they can processing mail since this COVID-19 has devastated our ranks and will change the way we operate forever,” the representative said in an email. A spokesperson for the postal service said 693 of the agency’s 600,000 employees had tested positive for the coronavirus and several had died from it as of April 13, according to ABC News. The network said that number increased in 11 days from 259 confirmed cases throughout the agency. Brennan warned the House Oversight and Reform Committee almost a year ago that the postal service would run out of money by 2024 without any congressional reform, even before the coronavirus pandemic. “Absent legislation and regulatory reform, in all probability, we’ll be out of cash in 2024,” Brennan said. “That will threaten our ability to meet our obligation to the American public and to our

business partners.” According to statistics provided by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the postal service has lost $69 billion over the past 11 fiscal years, including $3.9 billion in the 2018 fiscal year. The agency’s total unfunded liabilities and debt —$143 billion at the end of the 2018 fiscal year — have grown to twice its annual revenue, according to the statistics. While losses in revenue appear to be inevitable going forward without any federal aid, the postal service released a statement that highlighted what precautions have been taken to ensure the health and safety of their employees. “We have implemented measures at retail facilities and mail processing facilities to ensure appropriate social distancing, including through signage, floor tape, and “cough/sneeze” barriers,” according to a statement on the postal agency’s website. “We have changed delivery procedures to eliminate the requirement that customers sign our mobile delivery devices for delivery.” One representative from the agency’s Roslyn branch, who asked not to be identified, declined to comment aside from saying the branch “has been complying with safety and social distancing measures set in place by the governor and the federal government.”

Great Neck school board trustees and district administrators responded to distance learning concerns from residents Tuesday morning, saying teachers, parents and students are all navigating through “incredibly trying times” and trying to improve the teaching experience. The meeting, conducted via Zoom and watched live on YouTube by more than 500 people, honed in on the district’s remote learning plan, the current teaching experience and calls for more face-to-face teaching. The school board had received 140 questions and comments through its online submission form, a handful of letters about real-time teaching, and an online petition with more than 200 signatures calling on the district to implement live instruction for elementary school students as of Tuesday afternoon. The meeting also came as a letter from the Great Neck Teachers’ Association drew mixed reactions on Facebook, with some expressing solidarity with the teachers while others believed more interaction was

needed and took issue with the union’s tone. There were more than 250 comments on a post as of Tuesday afternoon. The letter, penned by GNTA President Jim Daszenski, said “we need to continue to offer our students educational opportunities in a variety of creative ways” and that teachers “are actively doing that.” It then said it is “unrealistic” to think students can go through normal school schedules while at home, that sitting in front of a computer screen for seven hours is not “the healthiest option” for students, and that the benefits of the classroom cannot be recreated from afar. The letter went on to say that teachers have their own personal needs to balance, including caring for family and figuring out “where the next meal is coming from,” and said the greatest challenges amidst the coronavirus crisis are yet to come. “Now that schools are closed and kids are home around the clock,” the letter concluded,”it sounds like some people are waking up to the realization that teaching is a difficult profession.” Continued on Page 37

SCREENSHOT BY JANELLE CLAUSEN

Great Neck school district administrators met remotely on Tuesday, discussing distance learning, teaching and other issues.

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The Great Neck News, Friday, April 24, 2020

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Library lab produces face shields

Using 3-D printer from STEM program generates equipment for local hospitals BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Adam Hinz said he never imagined a $50,000 grant for the Great Neck Library’s STEM lab would be used to develop personal protective equipment for health-care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. “The staff I work with is great at remotely helping with any problems that arise throughout the process,” Hinz said. “Helping out the hospital employees anyway we can is something we’re all willing to do.” Hinz, the library’s youth services coordinator since 2015, said he was grateful that the grant was obtained with the help of Nassau County Legislator Ellen Birnbaum (D-Great Neck). “Securing the grant provided the library with some incredible resources for the library patrons,” Hinz said. “The fact that this technology is now being utilized to undergo a project like this is pretty amazing.” The Community Revitalization Program grant was used to purchase laptops, gaming computers, a smart television, virtual-reality systems, and a 3-D printer. The printer, Hinz said, is the key component of creating the protective face shields. “Tracy [Van Dyne], the acting library director, sent out an email a few weeks ago asking staffers to let her know if they needed any supplies from the library,” Hinz said. “I asked if I could take home a 3-D printer, and she said it was no problem.” All branches of the Great Neck Library have been shut down since March 14. Hinz, who has had the printer in his possession for the past few weeks, said he began collaborating with

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM HINZ

Adam Hinz of the Great Neck Library has created more than 60 protective face shields for employees in regional hospitals.

VGN holds hearing on $10.14M budget

PHOTO FROM THE ISLAND NOW ARCHIVES

Trustees from the Village of Great Neck continued a public hearing on a tentative $10.14 million budget. BY R OB E RT PELAEZ The Village of Great Neck continued its virtual public hearing Tuesday on the tentative $10.14 million budget for fiscal 2020-2021, an increase of

$107,680, or 1.07 percent from last year. The village plans to spend $2.09 million, or 20.6 percent, of its budget on general government support, an increase of $116,600, or 5.92 percent, from just over $1.97

million. This year revenues from parking violations have increased by $47,500, or 44 percent, from $106,800 last year to $154,300 this year, according to the budget. Continued on Page 29

other members of his team to find the safest and most streamlined way to create the shields. Hinz said he went out to collect overhead projector sheets for the mask aspect, and 3-D printed the visor and elastic components. He said he has utilized a laser cutter to precisely drill the three holes in the overhead projector sheets and to smooth out the finished product as well. Fellow library employee Chris Van Wickler has helped with managing the online file templates that Hinz said originally came from Sweden. “The original templates were actually used on a different size paper than the typical 8-1/2- by-11-inch paper,” Hinz said. “So Chris stepping in and converting the files to the proper dimensions we used was a big help.” According to Hinz, the average time frame to create one mask from start to finish can exceed an hour and a half. While there are some shortcuts in the process that others have used in the past, Hinz said, taking the time to ensure the product is up to hospital standards is well worth the wait. “The time difference with some shortcuts wouldn’t have made much of a difference, plus we want to make sure what we’re creating is safe and secure for the healthcare workers,” he said. After purchasing 100 overhead projector sheets, Hinz said, he has made more than 60 masks, half of which were already donated to Queens Hospital Center and Elmhurst Hospital. Hinz said another drop-off was scheduled for Friday Continued on Page 39

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The Great Neck News, Friday, April 24, 2020

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G.N. teachers donate $15K to food pantry BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z The Great Neck Teachers Association donated $15,000 to the Saint Aloysius Interfaith Food Pantry last week to aid local residents throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Jennifer Snyder, a fourth-grade teacher and the association’s vice president for professional rights and responsibilities, spoke on the need for donations that Saint Aloysius and other food pantries require in the midst of the pandemic. “There are people throughout Great Neck, Long Island, and the world who are going through incredibly difficult times right now,” Snyder said. “As teachers, we work with families so closely. Yes, we are a well-funded school system and a financially secure district, but people still need that help.” Snyder said the teachers association started a social justice committee about two years ago, of which she is a chairperson. Snyder said the committee, composed of six teachers, identifies social justice issues within the community and finds ways to aid in resolving them. “Over the past few years we have developed relationships with and worked through some of the social workers in the area,” Snyder said. “Through them, we created a relationship with [Saint Aloysius] and we identified the interfaith food pantry as a place that needs our resources, even before the pandemic.” A representative from Saint Aloysius declined to comment on the matter but did confirm the association’s $15,000 donation to the food pantry. According to Snyder, the association took funds that were initially allocated to fund other endeavors the organization planned throughout the remainder of the school year but were unable to because of the pandemic.

Snyder said the association allowed the interfaith food pantry to decide how to allocate the funds depending on the needs of its community.

There are people

throughout Great Neck, Long Island and the world who are going through incredibly difficult times right now. Jennifer Snyder FOURTH-GRADE TEACHER AND THE ASSOCIATION’S VICE PRESIDENT FOR PROFESSIONAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

“We initially provided them with some of the essentials like rice and beans,” Snyder said. “But we felt that Bertha and everyone else at Saint Aloysius would know the best way to spend that money and could best determine how to allocate it.” Snyder encouraged others to get involved with donations of non-perishables by going on Saint Aloysius’ website, http://stals592.com/. Saint Aloysius is located at 592 Middle Neck Road. The food pantry serves the Nassau County community every other Saturday from 9 a.m.- 11 a.m., according to their information page. “Saint Aloysius is highly respected throughout the community and serves people from many walks of life, so the teachers were happy to donate to them,” Snyder said. “There’s certainly more work to be done, but hopefully this allows for some initial progress to be made throughout the community.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS

The Great Neck Teachers Association donated $15,000 to the Saint Aloysius Interfaith Food Pantry last week.

The Great Neck News, Friday, April 24, 2020

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The Great Neck News, Friday, April 24, 2020

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From Hilltop Beacon to Hollywood Rebekah Rombon recalls lessons learned reporting on Roslyn officials that led to ‘Bad Education’ BY R O S E W E L D ON

On a March morning in 2004, Roslyn High School senior Rebekah Rombom was awaiting the publication of a special issue of the Hilltop Beacon, the school’s paper where she served as co-editor. “I knew we were breaking news, and I was excited about that,” Rombom recalled in a telephone interview. “I’m not sure I had the experience or foresight to really understand what might happen next. I certainly didn’t imagine I’d be watching a movie about it.” In the issue was a story Rombom had written about Pamela Gluckin, an assistant superintendent for business, who had been quietly fired by the school board after it was discovered she had embezzled $250,000 from the Roslyn district, which had seen its seniors regularly accepted into top colleges and the schools themselves ranked among the country’s best. The issue made the Hilltop Beacon the first media outlet — and Rombom the first journalist

- to report on the district’s embezzlement scandal, which in due time would take down not only Gluckin, but Roslyn’s beloved superintendent of schools for over a decade, Frank Tassone. Roslyn alumnus Mike Makowsky would later adapt the ordeal into “Bad Education,” a major motion picture featuring Hugh Jackman as Tassone and Allison Janney as Gluckin, which is set to air on HBO Saturday. Australian actress Geraldine Viswanathan co-stars as student journalist Rachel, a fictional character Makowsky partially based on Rombom. Rombom, who grew up in East Hills and went to Roslyn schools all her life, worked on the paper throughout high school, having “always loved writing.” “While I was a student journalist, I took the endeavor pretty seriously and tried hard to do a good job,” Rombom said. The interest became even more serious when in her senior year she “received some information about an alleged em-

PHOTO COURTESY OF HBO

Geraldine Viswanathan as Rachel in “Bad Education.” The character was partially based on Roslyn High School alumna Rebekah Rombom, who initially broke the story about Assistant Superintendent Pamela Gluckin’s embezzlement from the district in her school newspaper. bezzlement taking place.” “Along with that information, I learned I should probably

attend the school board meeting that was going to happen,” Rombom said. “And it was at

that school board meeting that Continued on Page 39

Eight injured in G.N. Plaza fire ADD YOUR BUSINESS TO OUR

BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Five first responders and three residents, including a woman who jumped out of a third-floor window, were injured during a fire in Great Neck Plaza Sunday morning, according to the Nassau County Police Department’s Arson Bomb Squad. The third-floor fire occurred just after 7 a.m., according to officials. As the Arson Bomb Squad entered the four-story apartment building at 50 Brompton Road, a woman on the third floor leaped out of the window, while an officer attempted to catch her and braced her fall, officials said. The woman was taken to a local hospital for a compound fracture of her right ankle and a partially collapsed lung, officers said. Efforts to determine her current status were unavailing. Officials said 85 fire personnel and 15 trucks arrived at the sceneto combat the flames, including members of ManhassetLakeville, Roslyn, Plandome, Port Washington, Garden City Park, New Hyde Park, Floral Park, and Great Neck Vigilant Fire Department. Three members of the Nassau County Police Department were transported to a local hospital for injuries, two for smoke inhalation and one for neck and back pain. Officials said two other residents of the building and two firemen were treated

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MANHASSET-LAKEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT

More than 80 first responders throughout the North Shore aided in extinguishing a fire in Great Neck Plaza on Sunday. for minor injuries at the scene but did not require transportation to a hospital. The cause of the fire has yet to be de-

termined but officials said it appeared to be non-criminal in nature as the investigation remained ongoing.

For the latest news, visit us at: www. theislandnow. com

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

Mineola’s Brian Dennehy dies at 81

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Award-winning actor attended Chaminade High before starring on Broadway, TV, in film BY E M M A J ON ES Mineola’s Brian Dennehy played an extraordinary range of roles off-screen as well as on, metamorphosing from football star to Marine to stockbroker before launching a five-decade career as a wildly successful film, television and stage actor. He died April 15, in New Haven, Conn., at age 81. The cause of his death was cardiac arrest as a result of sepsis, his agent, Brian Mann, told The Chicago Tribune. Dennehy is perhaps best known for his Tony Award-winning performance in “Death of a Salesman” on Broadway in 1999. He also notably had film roles in “First Blood” in 1982, “Gorky Park” in 1983, “Cocoon” in 1985 and “Presumed Innocent” in 1990. Family, friends and co-workers voiced their sadness at Dennehy’s death. “It is with heavy hearts we announce that our father, Brian passed away last night from natural causes, not Covid-related,” wrote his daughter, Elizabeth Dennehy, last Thursday. “Larger than life, generous to a fault, a proud and devoted father and grandfather, he will be missed by his wife Jennifer,

family and many friends.” Actor Michael McKean described him as “brilliant and versatile” and “a powerhouse actor.” “Just devastated to learn that the magnificent Brian Dennehy has died,” actor Mia Farrow tweeted. “There is no one I enjoyed working with more. And there are few friends as valued in my life.” Dennehy was born to Edward and Hannah Dennehy on July 9, 1938, in Bridgeport, Conn. They later moved to Brooklyn, and then to Mineola when Dennehy was 12. He attended Chaminade High School and then went to Columbia University on a football scholarship, but left school to join the Marines. Dennehy married Judith Scheff in 1959 and had two children. The couple later divorced, and Dennehy married costume designer Jennifer Arnott in 1989. After leaving the Marines he returned to Columbia, where he completed his bachelor’s degree in 1965 while holding various positions, such as butcher and truck driver, to support his family. Dennehy also worked for Merrill Lynch as a stockbroker prior to transitioning into acting. “I was sitting in the bullpen at Merrill Lynch down at Liberty Plaza

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR

Brian Dennehy is remembered as a brilliant actor onstage as well as onscreen. and 30 guys got off the elevator with their attaché cases and headed for their desks,” he told the Columbia publication. “I thought to myself, ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’ And I did. Eventually, I was an overnight success — after 15 years.” He spent years acting in community theater productions on Long Island. “The thing was,” he told Newsday in 1991, “you could work in

community theater for 30 years and no one would spot you, no matter how good you were. Eventually, I had to take a chance in New York.” His acting career took off after an agent saw Dennehy in a showcase production of “Ivanov” at the Impossible Ragtime Theater and got him a role in the movie “SemiTough.” He subsequently nabbed a series of roles in movies and televi-

sion shows. In 1990 he received the first of six Emmy nominations for the TV movie “A Killing in a Small Town.” Dennehy was lauded for his stage acting as well as his onscreen roles. “He was a towering, fearless actor taking on the greatest dramatic roles of the 20th century,” said Robert Falls, artistic director of the Goodman Theater in Chicago, where Dennehy played many roles, in an interview with The New York Times. “They were mountains that had to be climbed, and he had no problem throwing himself into climbing them.” Throughout his long and varied career, Dennehy won two Tony awards, one for his role in “Death of a Salesman” and another for “Long Day’s Journey into Night.” He has more recently held recurring roles in TV series “Public Morals,” “Hap and Leonard” and “The Blacklist.” He is survived by his wife Jennifer Arnott and their two children, Cormac and Sarah, as well as by three daughters, Elizabeth, Kathleen and Deirdre from his first marriage to Judith Scheff, and several grandchildren.

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

St. Francis takes part in two Infected Skelos clinical trials in COVID-19 fight to get released BY R O S E W E L D ON St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn is among a number of hospitals participating in two clinical trials aimed at developing treatments for COVID-19, according to a release from the Catholic Health Services of Long Island. The first study he hospital is involved with concerns using the medication remdesivir, which was developed to treat the Ebola virus and has been successfully used for other coronaviruses including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Using remdesivir to treat COVID-19 follows limited testing in the United States, Canada, China and elsewhere that led to an improvement in the condition of some patients afflicted with the virus. The treatment takes place over 10 days and includes a 200-milligram dose on the first day and a 100-milligram dose on days two to 10. St. Francis is one of only two hospitals conducting the trial, with the other being Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip. The first study the hospital is participating in is a Mayo Clinic-run trial

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS

St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn is among a number of hospitals participating in two clinical trials aimed at developing treatments for COVID-19. that will use plasma donated by recovered COVID-19 patents to treat individuals who continue to fight the virus. Initial data available from the convalescent plasma study indicates that a single dose (200 milliliters/6.8 ounces) of plasma showed a benefit for some patients, leading to improvement. “People who recover from COVID-19 do so, in part, because their blood contains antibodies that are able to fight the virus,” a release from CHSLI stated. “Prior research of other viruses found that treating patients with plas-

ma obtained from those who have recovered from the same virus leads to rapid improvement.” Potential plasma donors must have a prior, verified diagnosis of COVID-19, but are now symptom-free and fully recovered, as well as be at least 18 years of age and weigh at least 110 pounds. The plasma can be administered only to a consenting COVID-19 patient or a patient whose family member offers consent. Additionally, the treatment will only be given to patients judged by a physician to be at high risk of disease progression to severe or life-threatening. Dr. Jason Golbin, CHS Senior vice president and chief quality officer, expressed excitement at the studies. “Catholic Health Services is excited to be on the front lines and participate in these clinical trials for COVID-19,” Golbin said. “Our clinical teams have spent several weeks caring for COVID-19 patients. It means a great deal to everyone to take part in these two cutting-edge research efforts.” Details on how to donate plasma and additional information on the two clinical trials may be obtained by calling CHSLI at 1(855) CHS-4500.

BY R O S E WELDON Former State Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), who was twice convicted on corruption charges, will be released from prison after testing positive for COVID-19, according to court papers filed by federal prosecutors in Manhattan last week. The court papers say Skelos, 72, has been symptom-free and in quarantine

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Former state Sen. Dean Skelos

since April 8, and has been approved by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons for furlough and home confinement in an effort to lower prison populations and avoid spread. Skelos, who represented the State Senate’s 9th District, was forced to vacate his seat when he and his son Adam were convicted on federal corruption charges after taking official actions to benefit two private firms in 2015, but a U.S. Supreme Court decision overturned the convictions two years later. In a retrial held in 2018, both men were again found guilty, and the elder Skelos was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. The former state senator had begun serving the term in January 2019. Skelos will be released once the Bureau of Prisons approves his proposed residence.

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Message from Congressman Tom Suozzi

We are in this together! Yes, this is a tough time. No getting around that. Some of us are sick. We all know someone who has died. Some folks are truly worried about not only their health, but their finances. We are isolated from our friends, neighbors and family. Some are doing their jobs from home while also home schooling their children. And some are suiting up with face coverings and gloves to do their â&#x20AC;&#x153;essentialâ&#x20AC;? jobs or just to go shopping. We are all grateful. We are all affected. Throughout our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history, the resilience and spirit of Americans in times of hardship have been proven over and over again. We will come out on the other side of this. In the meantime, we are a country that has faced crisis many times, and standing strong and standing together, we survived and thrived. We will survive this crisis, but it will be much easier if we do it together, taking care of each other, lending a helping hand to our neighbors. We are in this together! Stay Home. Stay Safe. Stop the Spread.

SuozziForCongress.com

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

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Property tax Suozzi joins corona task force extension eyed BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z

BY R OB E RT PELAEZ Majority members of the Nassau County Legislature have submitted an emergency resolution to provide county residents and businesses with a one-month extension to pay property taxes without interest or penalties. The current deadline for paying taxes is May 11. Residents and businesses who pay their property taxes after that date are subject to additional interest and penalties. The tentative measure would extend the deadline to pay property taxes until June 11 before becoming subject to penalties and growing interest. Presiding Officer Rich Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park) said the majority legislators drafted this measure to provide an additional layer of relief for the thousands of Nassau County residents who may have lost their jobs or whose businesses are ef-

fectively closed for the time being. “Officials at every level of government should be looking for ways to ease crushing financial burdens on residents and businesses as they struggle to deal with the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak,” Nicolello said. “With thousands of residents out of work and many businesses shuttered or having their operations drastically reduced, this extension will provide additional time to pay their property taxes without being hit with interest and penalties.” According to a release sent out by Nicolello’s office, members of the majority met with Town of Hempstead Supervisor Donald Clavin and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino to ask Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a 30-day extension for residents to pay school taxes. Nicolello said that Cuomo has yet to respond to that request. Continued on Page 26

As the nation’s economy has suffered lost revenues at the invisible hands of the coronavirus, U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) was appointed by the White House to the Opening Up America Again Congressional Group last Thursday. The bipartisan group includes 97 members of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The group is one of the task forces set up by the White House to assess when the country will lift restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Suozzi is the lone Democrat from the New York delegation and one of 10 Democrats in the nation on the task force. He has undertaken bipartisan efforts to increase federal funding for New York, where more than 30 percent of the nation’s confirmed coronavirus patients live. “New York is at the epicenter of this storm and as a result we need special attention for our hospitals and our state and local governments,” Suozzi said. “We need to create funding formulas that are based on the rate of coronavirus infection and not irrelevant formulas that short New York and Long Island, diverting funding that is desperately needed here and now. Serving on this task force, I will give our region a voice and a fighting

PHOTO BY ROSE WELDON

U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) chance.” Suozzi appeared on NPR Monday and discussed the fight to supply New York with more federal funding. Suozzi is also pushing to replenish the Payroll Protection Program for small businesses. The congressman spoke on the needs of “smaller” businesses rather than “big” small businesses. “Companies looking for $1 million are getting funded, but doctors, dentists, and plumbers with small practices looking for $50,000 or $100,000 are hearing ‘Sorry, no more money left,’ Suozzi said. “Too many banks prioritized existing clients with bigger businesses and ignored the little guys.” Suozzi is also a member of the

Problem Solvers Caucus, another bipartisan group composed of members of Congress that aims to find common ground on issues the nation faces. On Monday, the group released a Reopening and Recovery “Back to Work” Checklist, a proposal focused on safely reopening the country and reigniting the economy. The plan will establish guiding principles that the caucus hopes to see incorporated and addressed in the country’s plan to combat the global pandemic, according to Suozzi’s office. Items on the public health checklist include operational protocols, rapid and ubiquitous testing, real-time health system capacity, and logistical supply chain disruption support plans. On the economic checklist, items such as regulatory fixes, agriculture relief, infrastructure investment, and financing for businesses to reopen are among topics that the caucus will address. “Our Problem Solvers checklist presents a common-sense path forward. More testing, contact tracing, and heeding the advice of experts will be essential,” Suozzi said. “We must also understand that reopening the economy in New York is very different than reopening it in North Dakota and we will need special help in New York. Everyone must put aside partisanship and work for the common good.”

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14 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

Opinion Editorial Cartoon

OUR VIEWS

N.Y., small biz short-changed

A

s of Wednesday, New York had nearly one-third of the 822,572 reported cases of the coronavirus and more than 43 percent of the 46,054 deaths in the United States. So you might naturally have thought that New York companies would receive a comparable share of the $349 billion in Paycheck Protection Program funds intended to help small businesses keep their employees and stay afloat. You might also have expected that hospitality businesses — including restaurants, bars and hotels — that have suffered the highest rate of job losses in a month in which nearly 17 million Americans filed for unemployment would receive their fair share. But if you thought that money for that program, like other stimulus programs, would go to businesses in the hardest-hit state in the country and the hardest-hit businesses in that state you would be wrong. As of April 13, the amount loaned to New York businesses as a percentage of payrolls was 23 percent, well below just about every other state. States like Iowa, Kansas and Montana, which have low rates of infection, received loans for more than 60 percent of their payrolls. New York companies have secured half as many loans as Texas companies in a state with less than 10 percent of New York’s cases. And early reports show that the Paycheck Protection Program funds — loans that will in part be forgiven for those who maintain their payroll — are going disproportionately to manufacturers, construction firms and professional services at the expense of hospitality businesses and retailers. Even though since March eight million restaurant employees — two-thirds of the workforce — have lost their jobs and many restaurants

in Nassau County and across the country may need to shutter their doors for good. What’s worse is where the money has been going. Spoiler alert: not to what most people would call small businesses. At least 75 companies that received the aid were publicly traded, according to the Associated Press, and some had market values well over $100 million. The AP identified the 75 companies as recipients of a combined $300 million in low-interest, taxpayer-backed loans — out of the $349 million in the program. A provision in the Paycheck Protection Program pushed by lobbyists allowed big chains like Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Potbelly and Shake Shack to get tens of millions of dollars while many smaller restaurants walked away with nothing. Ruth’s Chris, a chain that has 150 locations and is valued at $250 million, reported receiving $20 million in funding from the Paycheck Protection Program. The Potbelly chain of sandwich shops, which has more than 400 locations and a market value of $89 million, reported receiving $10 million last week. Shake Shack, a $1.6 billion burger-and-fries chain based in New York City, received $10 million. After complaints from small business advocates when the fund went dry, Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer and Chief Executive Randy Garutti announced Sunday evening that they would return the money. “Late last week, when it was announced that funding for the PPP had been exhausted, businesses across the country were understandably up in arms,” the two wrote in a letter postedonline. “If this act were written for small businesses, how is it possible that so many independent restaurants whose employees

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needed just as much help were unable to receive funding?” Among other beneficiaries of money intended to help small businesses were McDonald’s and Burger King, which used their corporate muscle to navigate through the borrowing process. The entire application process started badly and went downhill from there. Customers of Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase have sued the banks in federal court, saying data provided by the Small Business Administration on the average size of the loans shows that they doled out money to large customers first. This was made possible by defining a small business as having 500 or fewer employees. The lawsuits say smaller customers were not given the chance to apply as quickly as larger businesses in some instances. In other cases, the banks sat on some smaller customers’ applications instead of submitting them to the SBA. Chase said in astatement on its website Sunday that some of the disparity between the speed at which certain clients’ applications were processed compared with others had to do with which parts of Chase’s sprawling operations the clients applied to for help. “Within each business, we did not prioritize certain clients, large or

small,” it said. For some, receiving approval was a matter of the luck of the draw. Many local business owners said they were delayed in applying for loans because their banks had not been set up to accept the PPP applications or had internal issues with the terms of the program — after being told they had to apply to a bank with which they had a banking relationship. The banks said they were delayed in processing applications by the number that they received. At the same, customers of banks either more willing, more able or both got their applications processed and their loans approved. All of this seems to have a familiar ring to it. Elected officials love to talk about how small businesses are the backbone of the nation’s economy, the driving force behind innovation and entrepreneurship. Which is true. But then they invariably back the big guys who can afford to hire lobbyists and make campaign contributions that help make the playing field less even for small businesses. It is not just a matter of luck that a company like Amazon will make billions of dollars — often at the expense of small businesses — and not pay federal income taxes.

REPORTERS Rose Weldon, Robert Pelaez, Emma Jones

Or that the $1 trillion tax cut approved by a Republican Congress would favor large corporations or the wealthy. Or that in the stimulus plan big corporations were able to get fast, basically unlimited help from the Fed, while small businesses and individual help is limited and slowed by congressional process and dysfunction. Now you might think that in the midst of a pandemic that has claimed more than 46,000 lives as of Wednesday and crashed the economy that things might be any different. But it appears that will only happen if voters elect representatives who back legislation to take the money out of politics. The Paycheck Protection Program ran out of money last Thursday, leaving many business owners wondering how they would survive. Lawmakers, who were warned by economists in advance that the $349 billion allocated for the program was well below what was needed, have reached agreement on a deal to add $320 billion to the program plus $60 billion for the SBA’s disaster relief funds. The terms of that deal may determine whether your favorite places to dine and shop will remain open.

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

15

ON THE RIGHT

Gov. Andrew Cuomo for president?

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hen Joe Biden was running for president in 1987-1988, he made the ludicrous claim that state governors were “uniquely unequipped to understand a broad range of issues that a senator has to deal with.” Reacting, New York’s 52nd governor, Mario M. Cuomo said Biden made “one of the dumbest statements” in the presidential campaign. Also, Sydney Blumenthal reported in “Pledging Allegiance: The Last Campaign of the Cold War,” that Cuomo referred to Biden as a “dumb blond.” Watching Biden’s antics of late, I believe Mario was prophetic. Let’s face it, Biden’s public forays have been pathetic. Campaigning from his basement, he not only looks small, but fluffs answers to simple questions, and has trouble following the scripts he reads. Biden’s behavior explains why some Democrats have been promoting New York’s 56th governor, Andrew M. Cuomo for vice president or even president. Cuomo has been talked up because his handling of the coronavirus crisis has been excellent. He’s very good in situations where he

can be an authoritarian. Cuomo’s preferred governing style: to control all decisions, even routine ones. He subscribes to the management approach articulated by Mario Cuomo: “I want myself in the center of the wheel and a lot of spokes out to the agencies.” The governor never misses opportunities to enhance his power. Time and again, Cuomo has slipped language into his budgets that strips state officials of oversight authority. This year there were provisions in over 100 appropriations that permit the governor to shift funding from one department to another without legislative approval. In April, the Legislature passed a budget that is not only woefully unbalanced but, according to Jimmy Vielkind of The Wall Street Journal, “allows the Democratic governor to unilaterally cut spending in the middle of the fiscal year without legislative approval….” This power grab was even too much for the head of the farleft Working Families Party, Sochie Nnaemeka. She criticized the governor for “using this crisis moment to attempt to squash the power of his opponents and to limit checks

GEORGE J. MARLIN On The Right and balances and restrict the structure of democracy.” Our power-hungry governor may be impressing a lot of people, but the key question is: Will he be a viable alternative to Biden? As of now, Cuomo has ruled himself out. After he told radio talk show host Sean Hannity in mid-April, that “I’m going to be governor of New York, I’m not going anywhere, period.” Hannity went on to ask: “Does this statement hold for you: if nominated I will not accept, if drafted, I will not run, if elected I will not serve? Is that your statement?” Cuomo re-

plied, “Yes.” Such “Shermanesque” statements have often been porous. For example, New York’s 44th governor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, wrote to a close friend in 1931, “… quite frankly, I mean what I have said, that I am not in any sense a candidate for 1932, partly because I have seen so much of the White House ever since 1892, that I have no hankering, secret or otherwise, to be a candidate.” Roosevelt biographer, Kenneth Davis, wondered “how or if [F.D.R.’s secretaries] Missy [LeHand] or Grace Tully kept her face straight as she took down the words in shorthand.” Nevertheless, while Cuomo’s polling numbers are soaring, the state’s tax revenues are toppling. Cuomo was grappling with a $6 billion budget deficit before the shutdown. With 1.1 million New Yorkers unemployed as of April 4, the deficit could easily exceed $12 billion. To come to grips with this fiscal disaster, Cuomo will probably stick taxpayers with more debt. The budget authorizes him to borrow up to $8 billion in Bond Anticipation Notes and $3 billion from “line of credit facilities and

other revolving financing arrangements.” Back in December 1991, when deciding whether to seek the office of president, Mario Cuomo had to deal with a fiscal crisis—albeit, not as bad as the present one. While a plane was waiting on an Albany runway to fly Mario Cuomo to Concord, New Hampshire to file a statement declaring his candidacy for president, he surprised the nation when he announced that he would not run because budget issues had not been resolved with the Legislature. “It’s my responsibility as governor,” he said, “to deal with this extraordinary severe problem…. But it seems to me I cannot turn my attention to New Hampshire while this threat hangs over the head of the New Yorkers that I have sworn to put first.” Mario Cuomo realized that he could not lecture Washington on its fiscal follies, while his state’s finances were not in order. If Biden falters, Governor Cuomo should reflect upon his father’s reasoning for declining to run in 1992 before deciding if he is going to throw his hat in the presidential ring.

A LOOK ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Simple pleasures for tricky times

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ere’s one tiny silver lining to the life we are currently living: when your phone rings, it is much more likely, these days, to be an actual person; a relative or friend — someone you’re happy to hear from! RING! “Judy, how are you?” It was a friend from recent workdays. “So good to hear from you!” I told her. “We’re alive here, but it’s so lonely!” “Me, too, that’s why I called!” “Tell me,” I asked her, “what are you doing to keep your spirits up?” “I just came from gardening.” “Gardening?! But you live in an apartment …on the 3rd floor!” “Yes, but I have an egg carton that I finished the eggs from, and some potting soil from a bag I meant to add to the ficus.” “And what are you planting?” “I sent away for some seeds,” said my green-thumbed friend, “but in the meantime, I had some dried beans that I was soaking — to cook with, you know — and I decided to pop a few of them into the dirt, and put the whole thing near a window. It’s something to watch, at least.”

“And when they grow into beanstalks?” “I’ll climb up them, of course! How about you?” “The darnedest thing happened the other day. You know how you used to make fun of my wardrobe, being just ‘grey long-sleeved turtleneck from LLBean; maroon turtleneck from Land’s End; rinse; repeat’?” “We were all aware, Judy….” “And you can’t see it these days, but the cuff on one of those sleeves had come unraveled….” “Actually, I was aware of that, too.” “Well, a grocery delivery was due later that day, and I didn’t want that sleeve flopping around onto anything we hadn’t disinfected, so I grabbed a needle and thread and sewed it up.” “You can sew?” “Yeah, well, it looked like one of those cadavers on CSI,” I confessed, “but it held. Then I ran out of time and just used duct tape on the other sleeve. But here’s the point: for the length of time I was busy sewing, I actually forgot about the pandemic!” “Because you made your world

JUDY EPSTEIN

A Look on the Lighter Side a little bit better?” “Sure…but probably more about working with my hands.” “Good point! Think I’ll try that.” Ring! It’s another friend. She and her husband sold their house, a few years ago, to just go RVing around the country. Right now, she was bored, out walking the dog. “How can you go far enough to get bored?” I asked her. “Oh, we’re out West, and there’s nobody out here. That’s the

good and the bad of it.” “Can you send me some pictures?” “Of course! I was afraid to before — afraid it might feel like I’m rubbing it in or something.” “Oh, don’t worry,” I assured her. “I just want to live vicariously!” So she’s been sending me photos from her phone and I have to say, it’s like having a magic window on the world. Just one problem: I can’t hate the internet, or smartphones, any longer! I decided to make a few phone calls, myself, to see how folks were doing (and collect any good timewasting ideas). “Judy! It’s so good to hear your voice! Wait a minute —” I heard a slight thumping noise. “Darn it!” Then I heard another thump, with a little crash. “What was all that?” I asked, alarmed. “I’m going after ants,” she said. “They’re all over the floor, right near the dog’s food dish. Who knew ants liked dog food?” “I’ve got ‘em too!” I said. “But we don’t have dog food — or a dog.

They’re just all over the sink, all of a sudden, and all the dirty dishes!” “What about the clean dishes?” “What clean ones? I’m too busy chasing ants!” “I guess it’s something to do,” said my friend. “Judy? Are you still there?” “Sorry, I got a little distracted … I’m watching this ant getting closer and closer to my coffee maker. Got him! Oops, there’s two more….” “Hey, now that there’s no sports, you could make a Youtube out of it!” suggested my friend. “ ‘Which ant will reach Judy’s coffee cup first? Will it be the little one that’s faster moving? Will he actually fall into the coffee? And will she drink it anyway?’ ” BAM! “It’s a dead heat,” I reported. “I got them both, with this book: ‘100 Things To Do Before You Die.’ They never saw it coming.” Everyone I spoke with is going crazy in isolation. At least after we chatted, we realized we could go crazy together. And since the bar for entertainment is so low, everyone’s glad to hear from you! It’s a silver lining for these crazy times.

16 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

OUR TOWN

What to expect post-COVID personality to be

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ow that a phasing in of American life has started one wonders what it will be like. The last time I was asked to describe a national identity after a trauma was when I did a TV show following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Widespread thinking was that the people of Iraq were freed and would be running through the streets in joy, have finally been released from the reign of terror. I informed the television commentator at the time that we would instead be observing a nation plagued by what is called complex post-traumatic stress disorder for an extended period of time. So now Americans have also endured a significant reign of terror in the guise of COVID-19 and its worthwhile to discuss what’s the likely psychological damage done to us. Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined as a condition that occurs when a person witnesses an event that involves actual or threatened death engendering fear and helplessness in the person. This is usually followed by recurrent recollections of the

event, dreams about same, a dissociated feeling, distress when internal cues symbolize the event, a host of psychosomatic reactions, a feeling of being numb, avoidant of people and places, diminished interest in activities, detachment, no sense of the future, poor sleep, poor concentration, anxiety, hypervigilance, startle responses and lots of survivor guilt. When a traumatic event occurs about one-third of those involved will develop these kind of symptoms acutely, chronically or in a delayed way six months later. America has gotten up close and personal with death as we witnessed upwards of 34,000 deaths as we hear of constant reports of death counts. COVID-19 has induced PTSD in many of us. Examples of this state of mind abound. I recently saw a person driving in the wrong direction on Wantagh State Parkway. This is evidence of a dissociated state or more commonly known as ‘the fog of war.’ When you observe people going through red lights now it’s evidence of poor concentration. When you see people pushing

DR. TOM FERRARO Our Town

you away in order to buy a roll of paper towels this is a sign of serious anxiety. When doctors begin to see patient after patient complaining of minor aches and pains this is a sign of psychosomatic disturbance on a high level. I have never in my career seen virtually every patient I have seen be thoroughly consumed, focused on and anxious about a single event. But COVID-19 has done just that. You have heard Trump and his scientific team constantly use words like “this is a war, we have an invisible enemy, you are all warriors in this war.” These terms are aptly used

and it implies our nation is at war and as such we are the warriors. And warriors often succumb to PTSD. So what is the right treatment for a person who has posttraumatic stress disorder? The primary damage done with PTSD is a pervasive feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. The future is foreclosed and the victim enters into an eternal present. The best way to treat this is to engage in everyday tasks that are easy to tackle. Stick to a routine. Do the dishes, make a meal, take a long walk with the awareness that you have accomplished something useful. Keep a structured bed time and get eight hours per night. Eat well and drink less alcohol. These are all proactive measures that build effectance and have the added benefit of supporting your immune system. It also helps to talk about what you are going through. The reason so many Vietnam vets contracted PTSD was because they flew back to the states right from the war zone. Following WWII the solders all took ships back to the states and had a full two weeks to discuss

what they all had endured. Talking helps. Since this enemy is biological there is enormous anxiety about bodily changes in temperature, headaches , back pain, sore throats, colds and fatigue. For the most part these commonplace symptoms are and have always been a part of daily life on the planet. If you notice that each day you become obsessed with a different bodily symptom it is likely that you’re becoming anxiously somatic. Just this realization can be calming and allows you to be comforted and at ease. Talking about your experience is curative. This pandemic forced extreme and social isolation which instilled a feeling of imprisonment, loss and fear of death. This is by no means an easy affair. But if you remain proactive and careful and share experiences, and attempt an optimistic attitude your sense of power will return as will your confidence. A strong belief in yourself and your own strength is one of the most potent weapons a warrior, an athlete and citizen can have.

ALL THINGS POLITICAL

Suggestions for Nassau COVID-19 initiatives

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he pandemic resulting from the COVID-19 virus has led to emergency initiatives on all levels of government. On a national level, the CARES act was quickly passed by Congress to inject over $2 trillion into America’s collapsing economy. On Long Island, local governments have been forced to change the way they interact with constituents, literally overnight. With that in mind, here are three “good government” ideas Nassau County should consider to better serve residents during this trying time: Create a PPE Website – There is a shortage of personal protective equipment throughout Nassau County. Health clinics, nursing homes, group homes, volunteer fire departments, local police departments, inpatient mental health facilities, outpatient

physical therapy, radiation and dialysis centers, and supermarkets, are just a small sampling of organizations outside of hospitals, in desperate need of PPE. Nassau County should create a website that acts as a clearinghouse for PPE requests, so government and non-profit charities can work together to supply PPE to organizations in need. Create a Volunteer Responder Website – The National Health System in England put out a countrywide call for non-emergency volunteers through this website link: https://www.england. nhs.uk/participation/getinvolved/volunteering/nhsvolunteer-responders/ The reason for the British government doing this was to find volunteers to “carry out simple, non-medical tasks to support people in England — including driving people to

ADAM HABER All Things Political and from the hospital and delivering food and medication. Volunteers could also support the NHS to transport equipment and supplies and make regular phone calls to check on people isolating at home.” When the British government advertised this program, they were hoping for 250,000 responses. The British patriotic call to duty overwhelmed the NHS with responses, and

they stopped accepting applications when 750,000 British citizens promptly registered. There are many Nassau County homebound elderly and disabled residents who would benefit from a similar program and one should quickly be created. Create a “Suggestion Box” Website – For many years, I ran a website named “Nassau County Suggestion Box.” The purpose behind this website was to foster crowdsourced good government ideas and to let the website’s users vote and comment on whether they supported the suggestions. Nassau County Suggestion Box was also created to let local municipalities know about their constituents’ pressing issues, so they could respond accordingly. Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth just launched a simpler version: https://northhempsteadny.

gov/concern-suggestion. Kudos to Supervisor Bosworth. With over 1.3 million residents, Nassau County would benefit from a similar portal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, for those of you who don’t know, I am a longtime board member of the international disaster relief organization All Hands and Hearts — Smart Response. Through AHAH, I spearheaded a PPE drive to benefit Long Island’s front-line health professionals and first responders. As of the writing of this article, we have raised over $167,000 and purchased 50,000 KN95 masks and 4000 face shields. We are also in the process of purchasing 10,000 Level 2 and 3 gowns. Please consider supporting our efforts. https://www.allhandsandhearts.org/

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

17

E A R T H M AT T E R S

Corona response a climate change guide

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few days ago, at a press conference on COVID19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo exclaimed that we’ve pla-

teaued. The denial expressed at the beginning of this pandemic kept infection rates rapidly rising with devastating consequences. Thankfully, with growing COVID19 awareness we changed our habits to hopefully find ourselves now “past the plateau” as virus hospitalizations are slowly dropping. It wasn’t until we all came together and made difficult choices that there was a noticeable change for the better. We’re still in the denial phase when it comes to climate change. Like COVID 19, climate change impacts us all. If we don’t take collective action soon, the long term consequences will be far worse than what we’re experiencing now in terms of disrupting “business as usual.” Pandemics offer a powerful way to sculpt the cultural consciousness. How will this experience of collective trauma change us? Are we ready to breakthrough climate denial, face our fears, and remain connected to each other as we make difficult decisions towards fossil fuel-free economy, sustainability and climate resiliency? It’s encouraging to witness the collective response to this pandemic as people world-wide, including

politicians, face the facts and make tough decisions to shut non-essential businesses and shelter-in-place. As we observe Earth Day’s 50th anniversary, the Environmental Protection Agency is held hostage by big business and short-sighted profit makers. The EPA is responding to the current crisis by relaxing enforcement of key environmental laws, hence compromising air quality. Meanwhile, a recent study from Harvard University links air pollution to higher coronavirus death rates. If you’d like to take action please call EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and encourage him to hold polluters accountable. His phone number is (202) 5644700, if his voicemail is full please email him at wheeler.andrew@epa. gov. We need to make our voices be heard. Please visit this website to learn more about how you can help https://www.mobilizeforthewild. org. Healthy ecosystems maintain a self-regulatory balance scripted by evolutionary pressures. This century, humans have unapologetically invaded and disrupted the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth and caused a serious imbalance in the biosphere. We’re now paying the price. Bats and humans descended from a common ancestor, a mammal that lived about 80 million years ago. Viruses can mutate and

HILDUR PALSDOTTIR Earth Matters

jump from our distant relatives to us, often through intermediate host species. It is shortsighted to blame the coronavirus pandemic on bats. The transmission of this virus is the result of humans invading wildlife habitats and capturing animals for consumption. When stressed out wildlife comes into contact with humans the opportunity for all sorts of exotic diseases increases (Zika, Yellow fever, MERS, Ebola, SARS, Covid19). Even here on Long Island, we have the example of the tick-borne epidemic of Lyme disease, symptomatic of habitat destruction and removal of regulatory predators from a previously self-regulatory ecosystem. It does no good to bemoan the animal for communicating disease.

Instead, we must take responsibility for our actions. We must realize the interconnected nature of all life forms here on Earth and think of ways we can co-exist without harming our non-human relatives. We need to be aware that global warming is driving animals away from their habitats and increases the risk of human exposure to zoonotic diseases. How we prepare to meet climate change — like the coronavirus pandemic — depends on the choices we make and we must respond with at least the same intensity. The consequences of not doing so will be dramatically more disruptive than sheltering-in-place at home. Joanna Macy and wisdom teachers from “The Work That Reconnects” state with calm confidence that this Great Unraveling will lead us to the Great Turning, giving us the necessary momentum for a Great Awakening, as we collectively turn towards life-sustaining practices. http://workthatreconnects.org/ spiral/the-great-turning/the-globalcontext/ I’m a perennial optimist so I’ll turn towards that view. This time of sheltering must be a time for reflection so that we can emerge from this wiser. We are after all the only species to name ourselves Homo sapiens, or “wise” humans. Right now is our opportunity to make the Turn without having to endure a full Unraveling!

If everyone turned towards regenerative and sustainable systems biology thinking and practices today, many of our world’s problems can be solved. Just as with the coronavirus, we can meet the climate challenge if we all prioritize correctly. Globally, we must protect and conserve what’s left of the remaining intact forest landscapes. We must protect wildlife habitats and stop wildlife trade. We must abandon industrial agriculture and instead turn towards organic, regenerative farming methods. Locally, we must establish community solar power plants and largescale community compost facilities. Food waste rotting in landfills drives climate change as it releases methane that traps 28 times more heat than carbon dioxide. By composting food scraps and yard waste, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and replenish the topsoil. We can then use that compost to grow vegetables, and support organic, communitysupported agriculture programs. Climate-conscious caretaking of Earth includes carbon sequestration in soil, cover crops and vegetation. When physical distancing protocols are lifted and we return to our every day non-essential distractions, let’s return with a renewed interest in life-sustaining practices. Lets not just survive this time, but also learn to thrive in a changing climate.

VIEW POINT

Coronavirus shows a crisis in leadership The coronavirus pandemic has provided a contrast in leadership that could not be starker. You only have to put side-by-side the nightly political rallies (“press briefings”) conducted by Trump and the daily press briefings by Gov. Cuomo, or for that matter, with the carefully considered, detailed plans to address the coronavirus pandemic that have come from Joe Biden. Focused solely on election, Trump is desperate to get the economy back on track and doesn’t care how many lives are lost in opening it prematurely, or if there will be a resurgence of the disease, he bets wouldn’t happen until after Nov. 3. And he fails to do anything to alleviate the suffering people are undergoing now. Look at the epidemic in hunger – a doubling among the 40 million Americans who live with food insecurity, as Trump cut access to SNAP (food stamps) and WIC. He sits back as farmers are destroying their crops and dumping milk

because hotels, restaurants and schools are closed. A competent leader would have appointed competent people to lead his agencies. He would instruct the Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, instead of handing out bailouts by the billions, to purchase that product, organize deliver to the shuttered restaurants, hotels and schools, and hire their furloughed or unemployed staff to distribute to food pantries and shut-ins. If you had a competent leader heading a functioning government, you would have Education Secretary Devos helping frustrated parents with homeschooling, forgive student loan debt; a Housing Secretary Ben Carson organizing housing for the homeless and those who need to be quarantined; Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia organizing a database to reemploy from among the 22 million unemployed into necessary jobs, creating the needed “army” of 300,000 testers and trac-

KAREN RUBIN View Point

ers, food delivery, homeschooling, health care administration, establishing new workplace guidelines to ensure safety, rather than shutting down OSHA enforcement, and lobbying for hazard pay for frontline workers many of whom endanger their life for minimum wages; you would have a Treasury Secretary Mnuchin who efficiently delivered small business loans and relief funding to people who need-

ed it most rather than the politically connected and require lenders to refinance mortgages and loans at rates that reflect the near-zero interest they are being charged. Meanwhile, some 35 million people are projected to lose their health insurance (the absurdity of tying health insurance to employment). A leader would use his actual power to reopen Obamacare enrollment. Just about everyone in the world now knows that the bridge between the health-care crisis, which has depended upon stay-athome orders to “flatten the curve” so not to overwhelm the healthcare system, taking with it the brave health workers on the front lines, and the economy is testing – you need to be doing a million tests a day, not a million a week. Indeed, if workers and consumers don’t feel safe, even if governors lift stayat-home orders, workers won’t go back to work and consumers won’t feel safe to buy.

But rather than organize this nationally, Trump has chosen to repeat the debacle of the ventilators and PPE supplies, literally standing back as 50 states and the federal government compete against each other, bidding up product and disrupting deliveries. States don’t have the ability that the federal government does to acquire critical chemical reagents from China and other countries. And Trump continues to lie about the availability of tests while blaming governors. He chided Gov. Cuomo, “stop complaining and do your job” and told Maryland Governor Hogan, who used his wife’s personal relationship with President Moon to buy 500,000 tests from South Korea that he was “misinformed” and wasted his state’s money. Wow. A leader accepts responsibility; Trump only knows how to attack and destroy – he has accused health workers of hoarding Continued on Page 31

18 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

EYE ON HEMPSTEAD

Hempstead antics undeterred by pandemic

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OVID-19 has unleashed a catastrophic financial crisis. Our economy is shuttered and it is uncertain when it will rebound. Leaders must make every effort to retain workers but also find ways to tighten spending. Shockingly, as municipalities across the country are doing just that, Supervisor Don Clavin and the Hempstead Board saw fit on March 30 to gift $770,000 in gratuitous promotions, raises and new jobs for party favorites. As unemployment in New York soars 360 percent and more than 10 million Americans are suddenly jobless with no income or health insurance, the last week of March was Christmastime in Hempstead. Supervisor Don Clavin and Councilpersons Anthony

D’Esposito, Dennis Dunne, Tom Muscarella, Bruce Blakeman, Chris Carini and Dorothy Goosby gave away almost $1 million taxpayer dollars to friends and family, while they thought no one was looking. In an empty, debate-free meeting lasting ten minutes, they doled out political favors while hard-working residents wondered how they will pay their bills. That’s right. As approximately 450,000 New Yorkers lined up for initial unemployment assistance, Clavin’s cronies, Hempstead GOP club leaders and their kids lined up at town hall to collect unbudgeted raises and promotions. This is not only morally repugnant; it is wildly irresponsible. Compounding this outrageous and irresponsible betrayal

is the equally dreadful March 30vote to reduce the Town’s fund balance by more than 50 percent. The purpose of fund balance is to reserve “rainy-day” monies to see the town through difficult times, not to infuse cash for raises. Years of Nassau GOP patronage and irresponsible hiring practices, aggravated further by

LAURAN GILLEN Eye on Hempstead last week’s largesse, have created a financial structure where payroll and related costs exceed 60 percent of the town’s budget. Couple this with the town’s debt burden, the new fund balance will not be sufficient to cover just two months of required payroll and debt service — not to mention utilities and other

important expenses. However, during the 10-minute meeting there was no call for any discipline or restraint. There was no mention of how this might ultimately harm the unconnected rank and file. (The union had no objection; a leader got a raise!) No one mentioned that the current comptroller inflated revenue projections for 2020. (This was a real concern I raised during the budget process, long before COVID- 19). There was also no mention of shrinking mortgage recording tax fees, permit fees, recreation fees, a potential increase in health and pension costs and potential decreases in utility payments from cash-strapped consumers. None mentioned how this reckless free-for-all may impact

the town’s bond rating. This matters to residents because when our bond ratings plummet, town costs go up, leaving fewer dollars for infrastructure and services. Not one board member mentioned Hempstead residents’ current pain before giving away their money. There was no voice of dissent speaking up for the rest of us. Unfortunately, while the world suffers, we will continue to witness and feel the agony of the dire fiscal consequences of greasing Clavin pals like former Parks Commissioner Dan Lino’s daughter and Clavin’s fellow Garden City GOP club leader, among others. The board’s corrupt fiscal debauchery puts all residents at risk. It seems better days are back for cronies, bitter days ahead for taxpayers.

READERS WRITE

Snapshot of G.N. on a Monday morning

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t’s 9:00 a.m. on a Monday morning. Where are the good people of Great Neck? Two cars remain idle intwo-car driveways. Dog walkers and strollers are conspicuously absent. It is oddly possible to walkfor several blocks without seeing a single soul except for the Amazon Prime delivery man. The Amazon Man is a frequent fixture on village streets.

The unsung hero. Around the corner, landscapers are blowing in full force with or without their required masks. Buzzing, blasting, blaring sounds erase the otherwise eerie calm. And suddenly I hear the familiar sound of the Village of Great Neck sanitation truck. It’s 10:00 a.m. on a Monday morning. Where are the good people of Great Neck? They are hiding in their

homes hoping to stay safe. And the sanitation truck inches closer towards my house. I breathe a sigh of relief for the familiar and irritating sound of the truck as it screeches to a dead halt. It is strangely comforting to glimpse the familiar sight of sanitation workers clad in Shasta-inspired orange sweatshirts accompanied by the dilapidated evergreen sanitation truck.

The dedicated men and women who work for the Department of Public Works, Village Hall, Postal Service, grocery stores, health services, ambulance, fire and law enforcement represent but some of the essential workers. These folks do not have the luxury of hiding at home. Let’s think of them for a moment and give thanks for their loyalty and hard work.

It’s 11:00 a.m. on a Monday morning. Where are the good people of Great Neck? We are uniting spiritually, albeit silently, house by house, block by block, bonding in our desire for this virulent enemy to leave our midst. Until then, we wash our hands and we wait. Judy Shore Rosenthal Great Neck

25th Amendment needed for Trump

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resident Trump’s incompetence is resulting in the unnecessary death of tens of thousands of Americans from the coronavirus. His supersized ego results in him placing his own interests ahead of the interest of the American people. The 25th Amendment provides that if a majority of the cabinet declares the president unable to perform the duties of the president, the vice president shall become president. It is time for the cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump as president. There is a long list of steps that Trump has taken or not taken that have bungled our effort to fight the coronavirus. In late January and all of Feb-

ruary, Trump consistently downplayed the effect of the virus and refused to take steps to acknowledge and fight the virus. For example, on Jan. 22, he said “we have it under control.” He also insisted that the CDC develop its own test and not use a variety of tests successfully being used around the world. And then we found out that the initial CDC test did not work. So we lost 6-8 weeks in gearing up for testing. This is an eternity in the life of a pandemic. On March 6, Trump said: “Anybody that wants a test can get a test.” Sadly, that is not even valid now. We still don’t have enough tests. Hospitals and other test sites have difficulty getting test kits and/ or related supplies like swabs.

Trump should have invoked the Defense Production Act in March to mandate that companies make the necessary supplies for tests, protective equipment like masks, gloves and gowns, and equipment like ventilators. He reluctantly agreed to mandate the manufacture of ventilators on April 2. Trump has still not invoked this Act to require the production of testing supplies or personal protective equipment for health professionals. As a result, Americans are needlessly dying every day. Beyond his handling of the coronavirus, Trump is acting more erratic every day. Earlier this month, he stated he had the constitutional power to do anything he wants, including

order states to restart the economy. Governors and others immediately pointed out the 10th amendment to the Constitution specifically leaves to the states any power not granted to the federal government. He also ordered a cutoff of U.S. funding of the World Health Organization at a time that the world needs guidance and leadership from the W.H.O. more than ever. He does not have the power to stop payment under a law passed by Congress mandating such payments. President Harry Truman said “the buck stops here,” referring to his desk in the Oval Office. On March 13, Trump said “I don’t take responsibility at all.” He has blamed the media, Democrats, China and now the W.H.O. This

is the complete absence of leadership. I am not a psychologist and I do not play one on TV. But it is very clear that Trump is both a malignant narcissist and a pathological liar. Some have also suggested he shows signs of being a sociopath. The cabinet and the vice president have more than enough evidence that Trump is mentally unable to perform his duties. Beyond that, he is a danger to most Americans for his careless and self-centered handling of the coronavirus. It is time to remove Trump from office to protect the health of Americans. Robert Kleinman Port Washington Letters Continued on Page 26

10 tips for getting thru this crisis BY G AY L E R . B E R G Take care of yourself. Have a personal strategy for survival. You can’t be there for anyone else if you don’t first take care of you! What this means is that you need to see to it that you get adequate amounts of sleep, food, and exercise each day. Hydrate, take a multivitamin, get some sunlight. Create a daily structure so that you have a routine and some activities to do. See to it that you make time for work, play, connecting to others, accomplishing something tangible, and chilling out. Activities like cooking, baking, planting, coloring, cleaning out drawers and closets or deleting emails, scanning old pictures can be therapeutic and calming. Go out into nature. Take a break from sitting for long periods of time or being indoors and go outdoors — even if only for a few minutes. Take

a walk or just look at the clouds, sky and the world. Take a moment to feel the warmth of the sun or the wind on your face. Be present in that moment and realize that you are part of the organic flow of a world that is much larger than yourself. Maintain your social connections. Even though you need to keep your physical distance—you don’t have to be socially distant. Keep loved ones as close as is possible. Put aside time to either call or video chat with family and friends on a regular basis. Acknowledge your feelings of vulnerability and/or anxiety when they get triggered and realize that they are a natural response to what’s going on. Recognize and reassure yourself that there are actions that you can take such as handwashing, staying at home, maintaining a physical distance and wearing a mask if you do need to go out that will go a long way in keeping you and your loved ones safe.

Be self-protective by minimizing how much media you consume or how much talking to negative people you will do. Pamper yourself, take a warm bath or shower, Identify at least one thing you have wanted to do now that there is more time to actually do it. It could be a book you wanted to read or a movie or series you wanted to watch, or something you wanted to learn. Don’t think about it make a plan and just do it! Reach out and actually touch base with someone and let them know that you have been thinking about them and wondering how they are doing during this difficult time. Be mindfully present and try to pay attention to being in the moment whenever you can. For some this may mean to take a moment to just notice your breath-taking a few deep breaths while noticing the very basic rhythm of how you breathe. For others it may

be to notice the sounds, smells, or sensations of being aware in the moment. Tasting your food or feeling/hearing the patter of your shower, paying attention without judgment to your thoughts, feelings, sensations, showing up and just being in the here and now. Be kind to yourself as well as others. Things are really tough these days and what we all could use is some good old-fashioned kindness. Compassion for ourselves and others. Think about the kind of person you would like to be through all of this. Aspire to be that better version of yourself, being aware of the humbling aspect of our human condition and the recognition that we are all in this together Gayle R. Berg is a licensed psychotherapist, who lives in Old Westbury and practices in Roslyn Heights

a blank slate media special section • april 24, 2020

20 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

How to avoid spreading illnesses at home Family companionship invaluable. Spending time together with loved ones is an important component of daily life. However, when an illness affects one person of the household, that highly coveted closeness can put others at risk. Infectious diseases are equal opportunity hitchhikers. Should a person be waylaid by influenza, strep throat, mononucleosis, or COVID-19, casual contact may be all it takes to pass the illness to someone else. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that COVID-19 is primarily spread from person-to-person among people who are in close contact with one another (within about six feet). Respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes can land in the mouths or noses of people nearby or possibly be inhaled through the lungs. Other viruses and bacteria spread from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects and then touching one's own mouth, nose or possibly the eyes.

Keeping household members safe when one person is ill can be challenging, but it is possible. These steps can help keep everyone in a household safe, particularly from virulent diseases. · Wash your hands. This is the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs. As

frequently as possible, wash your hands, but especially after touching frequently used items or before and after preparing and eating food. · Disinfect surfaces. Target areas that are frequently touched by all members of the household. Such surfaces include doorknobs, stairway

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railings, bathroom and kitchen faucets, the refrigerator door, light switches, and cabinet knobs. Make sure to keep the disinfectant visibly wet on the surface for the "dwell time" recommended on the label instructions to fully kill the germs. · Consider color coding.

Use microfiber cloths, which don't harbor germs like porous sponges do, with different colors for cleaning each room of the house to prevent the spread of germs from one area to another. · Keep your distance. Sick individuals should stay away from others as much as possible. Now might be the time to use a guest bedroom for spouses who normally share a bed. Designate a separate bathroom for healthy individuals. Do not touch hands, hug or kiss others while you are ill. Kaiser Foundation Health Plans also suggests hygiene techniques like coughing or sneezing into a tissue or sleeve to trap the virus. · Use personal bath towels. Do not share towels and linens with others while sick. Now is the time for a personal bath towel or bathrobe for showering and drying hands, offers Meridian Health. It can be difficult to avoid spreading disease when one member of a household is sick. But with proper hygiene and diligence, illnesses can be contained.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

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24 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

Emergency declaration extended to May 12 BY E M M A J ON ES Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth announced Wednesday that the town has extended its emergency declaration an additional month to Tuesday, May 12, in response to the continued spread of COVID-19. Bosworth originally declared a state of emergency on Friday, March 13. “The extension was necessary due to the unfortunate, continuing spread of coronavirus in our community,” Bosworth said. The emergency declaration enables the Town of Hempstead to implement public safety measures and quickly purchase items and services necessary to keep the community safe. Essential services and the town’s 311 call center will continue to operate, although town facilities remain closed. The town is waiving processing fees for online tax payments through May 11. “Eliminating the online checking fee is intended to assist residents in staying safe during this period of social distancing,” Bosworth explained. “Taxpayers should pay their taxes

online on the Town’s website by ACH E-Check and take advantage of the fee waiver between April 1 and May 11,” Tax Receiver Charles Berman elaborated. “Paying your taxes from the safety of your home will help prevent the spread of coronavirus.” Bosworth and the board of trustees have extended various building permits as well. Building and plumbing permits requiring the commencement of work within three months issued between Dec. 13, 2019, and March 13, 2020, have been granted a 45-day extension. Those requiring a project to be completed within two years issued between March 13, 2018, and March 13, 2020, have been extended 90 days. Residents who wish to share ideas or concerns pertaining to improving town functions, facilities or programs can submit them from the recently launched online suggestion box, which can be found at northhempsteadny. gov/concern-suggestion. “We recognize the importance of doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of our residents, and we want to do all we can to simplify your lives during this tumultuous time,” said Bosworth.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

25

26 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

READERS WRITE

Katz’s concern is FCA continues to serve what Plaza needs W

M

y Great Neck News arrived this Wednesday as opposed to last Friday, so please excuse the tardiness of this letter. I was heartened to see the letter written by Leonard Katz, write-in mayoral candidate for the Village of Great Neck Plaza. It was nice to see that someone who is aspiring to the position of mayor of our village is taking the time to

show concern and support for the health and safety of the people in the Plaza. Katz’s “ReviveGreatNeckPlaza” website is quite helpful and I suggest that it is a good place to look for official guidelines and timely information on keeping uninfected by this virus contagion. Warren Donin Village of Great Neck Plaza

e know that this is a difficult time for every Long Islander, especially for staff, residents and families with a loved one residing in a long-term care facility. The New York State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is a resident-centered and resident-directed advocacy program available to anyone residing in a nursing home, adult care facility or family-type home across the state. The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program sponsored by Family and Children’s Association covers all of Nassau County. Ombudsmen advocate for residents to address quality of life and quality of care issues along with resident’s rights concerns.

At this time when visits to facilities have been restricted, we would like families and residents to know that our local ombudsman program must also abide by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and New York State Department of Health guidelines for no in-person visitation. That said, our office remains fully able to accept and receive phone calls regarding any concerns or questions you may have about care. For information, please contact FCA’s Ombudsman Program directly at mcampion@ fcali.org, call (516) 466-9718, or visit our agency website at www. fcali.org. Our certified ombudsman volunteers will be ready to return to their weekly in-site duties once

the visitation restriction has been lifted. As you can imagine, residents are in much need of an advocacy program during this unprecedented time. FCA will be scheduling our next training session when social distancing protocols are lifted, at which time we will be looking for new volunteers to become ombudsmen and help us advocate on behalf of Nassau’s long-term care residents. If you’d like to help us and your neighbors, please call us at (516) 466-9718.

A story that will long stand as a testament to the human spirit. What happens to us nearly always beyond our control, but how and where we connect is the essence of our existence. Our differences seem to dissolve in the voices of our generation. Our determination and em-

pathy must lead us to a resolution of shared grief. For only together can we move forward and endure what we have lost and once found again find a sense of purpose.

Mary Clare Campion, LMSW Regional Program Coordinator, FCA Mineola

Following science saves lives Unity needed to go forward

G

ov. Cuomo on Wednesday ordered New Yorkers to wear masks when in public places in order to safeguard our health as well as others. Now this includes when traveling on public transportation and in close contact with others. We should also be at least six feet from others. In addition to that Mayor de Blasio has asked grocery stores and supermarkets should require shoppers to cover their mouths and noses with some form of a mask. Now on my job my boss said we are to wear masks and gloves on the job as of Friday and not just on the outside. I feel this should

I

have been required a month ago and maybe fewer people would have gotten sick or have died. Now as for myself considering I’m over 70 years old, I have been wearing a mask for two weeks now. I fully realize the importance of wearing a mask, social distances, and washing of hands frequently. So let us all do the right thing and enacting these health measures and by doing so we can save lives and that means our own lives as well. Now be safe, be smart and be well. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Mineola

Behind the car insurance cuts

n case you are wondering why the auto insurance companies are stepping up with reduced premiums, there’s more than meets the eye here. There was this strange mystery during the financial crisis that I couldn’t figure out for years. Why had I seen so many cars around my neighborhood parked in their driveways with their plates missing? It finally came to me later: the owners canceled their insurance outright to save money, which means turning in the plates, which also means you can’t park in the street. They all did without the luxury of a second vehicle for weekday use.

This is in front of houses where the property taxes alone are over $1000 a month, never mind the mortgage. That’s how desperate things were. The reduction in premiums is a shrewd marketing defense against outright policy cancellation, and although some range as high as 25 percent less, the insurance companies, with their actuarial skills in risk and probability analysis, are probably coming out ahead here. In the meantime, we can all admire our expensive dust collectors. Stay safe. Donald Davret Roslyn

E

very day people are doing incredible things with ingenuity and dedication, creating new possibilities, evidence of an even greater capacity for understanding, compassion and courage. A story of truth to power. A story of destiny.

Myra Feder Great Neck

Thanks for those working

A

s the coronavirus crisis goes on and we are asked to shelter in place at home, our daily lives have changed. One constant for my wife and I continues to be Jonathan, our mailman. Despite all the challenges of dealing with the coronavirus, Jonathan comes through, delivering our mail. Receiving and reading the mail has become one of the daily highlights, one which we no longer take for granted. Keeping busy paying bills, making some charitable contributions to food banks and other

worthy causes along with reading our magazines and weekly newspapers delivered to our door, helps us pass the time of day. Being retired, we have come to appreciate and enjoy getting the mail six days a week. A day without Jonathan deliveringourmail is a day without sunshine! We can fully appreciate the connection between senior citizens and the local mailman. Hats off to Jonathan and all the other brave mail carriers who continue making their appointed rounds During these challenging times, we also give thanks to

our police, volunteer ambulance, fire, sanitation, nurses, doctors, deli, supermarket, take out delivery, fast food, UPS, FedX, truckers, gas station, pharmacy, public transportation, utility, power, water, bank tellers along with those producing critical medical supplies who continue working day and night. Don’t forget the radio, television and newspaper reporters who continue to keep us informed. There is daylight at the end of the tunnel. Larry Penner Great Neck

Tax extension proposed Continued from Page 11 Nicolello said the legislators will look to publicize any developments from the tentative measure via social media and online interactions. “At the end of the day, we’re doing this to provide a layer of relief for our residents and busi-

nesses that have been negatively impacted by this,” Nicolello said. “People are very attuned to their property taxes and when they must be paid, but we will get the message out in any format we can.” Legislators will seek an emergency vote on the measure on

Monday, according to the release. The emergency measure would require thirteen votes to pass. If passed, Nassau County would be the first entity throughout New York to enact an extension on property taxes, according to a representative from Nicolello’s office.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

Clavin announces reopening of marinas BY E M M A J ON ES Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin announced the reopening of the town’s marinas Monday in accordance with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order Saturday that marinas could open for personal use. Cuomo previously mandated the shutdown of marinas across the state March 20. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has been advocating for the reopening of marinas for the past couple of weeks, Nassau County Deputy Communications Director Michael Fricchione told Blank Slate Media Tuesday. “The county executive believes that opening up marinas [is] an important first step in reopening the economy,” he said. It’s something that she’s been. . .pointing to as a common sense step that we can take as a region to get people back to work.” Cuomo recently appointed Curran to sit on a task force called Imagine New York, the purpose of which is to make decisions about reopening the economy in a regional way as the number of coronavirus cases continue to go down, Fricchione added. Clavin unveiled newly implemented safety protocols at the Curtis E. Fisher West Marina in Point Lookout Monday, accompanied by Hempstead Councilmen Anthony D’Esposito and Chris Carini.

“Marinas are vital to the Town of Hempstead, especially for our communities along the water,” said D’Esposito. “Please follow these important safety guidelines to ensure the safety of others and that we can keep our marinas open.” The protocols include staying 50 feet away from other boats, waiting for vessels to exit the fuel dock before entering, avoiding mooring congregations and staying inland, since rescue services are low on numbers. “We wish boaters a safe and healthy season during the COVID-19 pandemic and ask that everyone follows the town’s safety rules,” Carini said. Beyond simply providing the opportunity to get out of the house, Long Island’s bays and waterways are a source of income for many business owners and boaters. “Opening our marinas is an important opportunity not only to provide recreational opportunities for our residents, but to inject some energy into the economy that is based here on our bays and waterways during the height of boating season,” said Clavin. “Most marinas are dying to get back into business,” Fricchione said. “They depend on this and it’s an important part of the Long Island economy, which is why it’s been so important that this is one of the first things to open up for Long Island, especially as we head into the warmer months.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

Town of Hempstead marinas are poised to reopen, Town Supervisor Don Clavin announced on Monday.

27

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HENDRIK JAN ULLMAN 03/23/1946 – 04/11/2020

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28 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

Winthrop, LIJ, North Shore reach Northwell sets COVID discharge milestones up COVID fund BY E M M A JONES NYU Winthrop Hospital discharged its 750th coronavirus patient Tuesday two weeks after Gov. Andrew Cuomo had deemed the hospital one of New York’s eight CO-

VID-19 hot spots. NYU Winthrop admitted its first coronavirus patient in early March. At the time, the hospital was operating with only 511 beds. Winthrop was the first hospital on Long Island to report a coronavirus case. Long Island Jewish

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHWELL HEALTH

In a clap-out ceremony on April 18,2020, North Shore University Hospital recognized its 1,000th patient discharged from the facility who had COVID-19. The patient, Young Ryu, 46, of Bayside was surrounded by a throng of doctors and nurses wishing him well.

Medical Center released its 1,000th COVID-19 patient, Floral Park resident Juan Sanchez, April 14. Sanchez told Newsday that he began having difficulty breathing over two weeks ago. He called an ambulance and was taken to LIJ. “After three days, I started to feel better, but I couldn’t leave until my oxygen level was back to normal,” he said. Sanchez most likely contracted the virus at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens where he works, he said in an interview with Newsday. He said he was not forced to go into work. Located in one of the poorest areas of Queens, which has been hardest hit by the virus, Elmhurst Hospital emerged in late March as the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in New York.

“Elmhurst Hospital is at the center of responding to this crisis,” Cuomo tweeted on March 26. “It’s the No. 1 priority of our public hospital system right now.” North Shore University Hospital sent home its 1,000th patient Saturday. Young Ryu, 46, of Queens had been in the hospital for more than a week. The day was meaningful not only for Ryu, but for hospital staff as well. Doctors and nurses cheered as Ryu left the hospital. The number of discharges is now outpacing the number of admissions, North Shore Medical Director Michael Gitman said. Statewide, New York is still seeing an influx of 2,000 patients diagnosed with coronavirus per day. Continuing to stay at home and follow social distancing protocols is vital, Gitman stressed.

Program to support hospital workers BY R OB E RT PELAEZ Northwell Health has established the COVID-19 Emergency Fund along with a community fundraising website to support the health-care system’s response effort. “With the support of people in our communities, we can fulfill our mission to tackle the most difficult healthcare challenge of our time,” Northwell Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer Brian Lally said Monday. “Every donation, big or small, makes a difference. Together we can beat this invisible enemy.” Nassau County resident Adam Lilling found out he had tested positive for the coronavirus on his 40th birthday, Northwell said. After fighting the virus at North Shore University

Hospital, Lilling was discharged. Lilling was inspired to make an impact on Northwell’s response to the pandemic and took to social media and reached out to his networking group, The Roslyn Dads. In one week after returning home, Lilling raised more than $10,000 via a donation page through Northwell’s community fund-raising website. Northwell, New York state’s largest nonprofit healthcare organization with more than 72,000 employees and 23 hospitals, has been on the front lines of the fight against against the pandemic. From converting rooms and other facilities into temporary stations for hospital beds to transforming sleep apnea machines into ventiContinued on Page 36

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The Great Neck News, Friday, April 24, 2020

GN

29

Cuomo rolls out antibody testing plan Governor made announcement at Northwell’s Feinstein Institutes in Manhasset

CHART CREATED BY ROBERT PELAEZ

*= each municipality was counted once, despite some appearing in more than one area. Confirmed statistics from the Nassau County Department of Health as of Monday, April 20. Continued from Page 1 Michael Dowling, to see how the tests would be conducted. Cuomo touted the antibody testing, which was first approved in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration April 2, and said it was a way to assess how to reopen the state’s economy in the best way possible. “Antibody testing means you test the person to find out if they have the antibodies if they were infected with the coronavirus,” Cuomo said. “We are going to do that in the most aggressive way in the nation. We are going to sample people in this state, thousands of people in this state, across the state to find out if they have the antibodies.” People who agree to take part in the study will be asked to provide a fingerstick blood sample, which will then be processed using an immunologic test at the state’s Wadsworth Labs in Albany, according to officials. Cuomo acknowledged the state’s own antibody test was

recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. “Testing is going to require everyone to work together,” Cuomo said. “We are starting the largest antibody test ever done today in New York, the largest sample, but this has to be a multi-level government coordinative project because we have to do this on an ongoing basis.” The Food and Drug Administration has allowed more than 90 companies to bring tests to the market while sidestepping federal approval, underscoring the urgency of the pandemic, The New York Times reported. “Any plan that is going to start to reopen the economy has to be based on data, and that means it has to be based on testing,” Cuomo said. “How do you get it up to scale quickly and how do you find out where we really are right now in terms of this virus?” New York remains the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic with 242,786 confirmed cases and 13,869 coronavirus-

related deaths as of Monday, according to figures provided by the state’s Department of Health. Cuomo said he believes New York has made it past the apex of the virus, but acknowledged that the state is not “out of the woods just yet.” “We have a whole second phase and in this second phase, first, do no harm,” Cuomo said. “Don’t jeopardize what you’ve already accomplished by seeing that infection rate increase. We have to be smarter, especially when it comes to the new frontier of testing and how we test and how aggressively and how we get that organized.” Health officials said laboratoryconfirmed cases only “represent a fraction of the total number of cases of COVID-19 in the population” due to an unknown proportion of cases being mild or asymptomatic. Even though more than 13,000 New Yorkers have died as a result of the virus, Cuomo said he found some encouraging signs that the state is potentially past the “plateau” of the disease.

According to statistics provided by the state Department of Health, as of Saturday Nassau County had an 11 percent decrease in coronavirus-related hospitalizations during the past three days. The county’s 11 hospitals saw 135 fewer admissions last Friday, according to the figures. “With this good news, we become more eager and ready to reopen society and resume whatever our new normal is going to look like,” Curran said. Northwell Health officials announced the number of patients who had tested positive for the coronavirus throughout its 19 hospitals decreased from 3,300 a week prior to 2,629 as of Saturday. Health officials from Long Island Jewish Valley Stream said their intensive care unit occupancy remained above 90 percent, but it was the only one of Northwell’s 11 Long Island-based hospitals that had an occupancy rate that high.

VGN holds hearing on $10.14M budget Continued from Page 3 That revenue is a result of fines, fees, and various tickets given out to village residents. Revenue from taxes makes up an even 72 percent of the tentative budget’s revenue, with the rest coming from a combination of appropriated reserves, department revenue, state aid, and fines, fees, and other miscellaneous payments. Homestead properties will be taxed at 2.57 per $1,000 of assessed value, remaining virtually the same as last year. Non-homestead properties, which are mainly commercial buildings and places with five or more residential units, will see a slight decrease in the tax rate from 4.05 per $1,000 of assessed value to 4.035. Clerk and Treasurer Abraham Cohan said the base proportions have not yet been provided by the village’s

assessors. “As far as the taxable value of the village, I will hopefully get those figures soon,” he said. The village has also budgeted just shy of $1.88 million for public safety, which includes traffic control, fire protection, and safety inspection. The public safety costs increased by $52,700, or 2.88 percent, from last year, according to the budget. The biggest portion of this comes from the $546,000 safety inspection allocation, which increased by $37,700, or 7.42 percent, from last year’s $508,300, according to the budget. General and community environment costs are also projected to increase from $1.24 million to just shy of $1.3 million, a difference of $55,500, or 4.4 percent. This is largely due to refuse and garbage costs increasing from nearly $1.18 million to $1.22 million. An extra $15,000 is allocated for repairs to equipment and

another $14,000 is earmarked for personal services. Street cleaning costs are budgeted to increase by an even $5,000 from $36,100 last year to $41,100 this year. The transportation budget, which goes toward items like snow removal and street administration and maintenance, is increasing by $42,300, or 3.5 percent, from just shy of $1.2 million last year to $1.24 million this year. The meeting was held virtually via Zoom and was a continuation of the initial public hearing for the budget on March 31. The trustees agreed to continue the public hearing on the tentative budget on Tuesday, April 28. Information on how to properly join and submit comments during the meeting are available on the village’s website, http://www.greatneckvillage.org/.

30 The Great Neck News, Friday, April 24, 2020

GN

Struggling with small business aid

Continued from Page 1 (D–N.Y.) responded to Republican criticism Sunday that Democrats were holding up the process of passing the next phase of the program, saying his side of the aisle was fighting to include provisions that will ensure that minority communities and rural areas get relief. “Some businesses did seem to get it, and we’re glad about that, but a lot of our businesses, and certainly myself, are frustrated,” said Richard Kessel, chairman of the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency. “Some of the larger corporations seemed to get it, and some of the smaller businesses, like dry cleaners, barbershops, restaurants, small law firms didn’t, and I think it’s very unfortunate. I’m just hoping in this next round that’s upcoming that the majority of the money goes to the hardworking small business people, not just in Nassau County, but around the country, who need help.” U.S. Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) said he was worried about small businesses being cut out. “I am very concerned about the Payroll Protection Program for small business,” Suozzi said in an emailed statement Tuesday. “Not only must more money be placed into the program, but I am hearing too many examples of ‘big’ small businesses getting money, but ‘smaller’ small businesses getting left behind by the banks.” Mitch Schwartz, president of the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce, told Blank Slate Media Wednesday that only five of its members reported that they were approved for PPP loans. Of the five, one member, a TD Bank customer, has received funding, he said. There are 13 pending applications with JPMorgan Chase, two with Citibank, two with Valley Bank, and one each with Dime Community Bank, Signature Bank, and TD Bank. Some of the businesses with pending applications were told that they were approved, but that there was no funding left, Schwartz added. The first-come, first-serve approach, some argued, tipped the scales in favor of businesses with the resources to navigate the application process and those that have previously established relationships with lenders. Some $60 billion of the $484 billion bill approved by the Senate would be designated for community-based lenders, smaller banks and credit unions to assist small businesses that do not have established relationships with big banks. “I have heard from a number of businesses that they were unable to get through to their bank, and by the time they had heard, the money had dried out,” Kessel said. “And you can’t just blame the banks, because they were overwhelmed by the program. There has to be a better way to administer the program.” A series of class action suits filed Sunday on behalf of small business owners accuses JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and other large banks of prioritizing borrowers seeking larger loan amounts. This would mean that banks collected larger processing fees and smaller businesses were deprioritized. Less than 10 percent of the funds allocated so far has gone to food and hospitality businesses, which have been disproportionately hurt by the coronavirus crisis, accord-

PHOTO COURTESY OF NYIT

The next phase of the Paycheck Protection Program must prioritize small businesses, Rep. Thomas Suozzi said. ing to data released by the SBA. Some 12 percent has gone to manufacturers, while 14 percent was given to construction companies. “Companies looking for $1 million are getting funded, but doctors, dentists, and plumbers with small practices looking for $50,000 or $100,000 are hearing ‘sorry, no more money left,’” said Suozzi. “Too many banks prioritized existing clients with bigger businesses and ignored the little guys.” Suozzi noted that this rings true of businesses on Long Island’s North Shore. “I am concerned that the stories I am hearing from just some of the small businesses in my district is actually a pattern,” he said. “That is bad.” A loophole in the original small business loans legislation allowed large hotel and restaurant chains such as Shake Shack and Ruth’s Chris to apply and receive aid through the program. Congress allowed separate subsidiaries and locations of national and international chains to apply as businesses, following weeks of lobbying by the hospitality industry leading up to the program’s launch. New York City-based fast food chain Shake Shack, valued at $1.6 billion, received $10 million through PPP. After experiencing intense public backlash, founder Danny Meyer and chief executive Randy Garutti announced in a statement on Sunday that they would return the money. “I was glad to see that @shakeshack will be returning the #ppploan,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin wrote on Twitter Monday. Ruth’s Chris Steak House, which has 150 locations and is valued at $250 million, reported receiving $20 million. The aid package that the Senate approved Tuesday also includes $75 billion for hospitals overwhelmed with coronavirus patients and $25 billion for a new coronavirus testing program. Democrats in Congress have pushed to allocate more aid to hospitals over the past couple of weeks.

“Congressional Democrats are proud to have secured an agreement on an interim emergency funding package that has been transformed to provide real support for the lives and livelihoods of the American people,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Schumer said in a joint statement Tuesday. “Democrats flipped this emergency package from an insufficient Republican plan that left behind hospitals and health and front line workers and did nothing to aid the survival of the most vulnerable small businesses on Main Street.” Democrats did not, however, manage to secure more funding for cities and states, many of which are under incredible financial strain due to funds going toward preventing the spread of coronavirus and drop-offs in tax revenue. Mnuchin said that this would likely be included in future measures. Suozzi, among others, also contends that New York did not receive its fair share of funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act passed on March 20. “The state of New York needs special help as we are bearing the brunt of this pandemic,” Suozzi said. “This is affecting us at all levels and we are getting hurt from every angle.” New York will receive approximately $12,000 per confirmed COVID-19 case, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis. Nebraska, for instance, where 1,287 people have tested positive, will receive more than $379,000 per case. The bill approved by the Senate Tuesday would need approval from the House and then from President Donald Trump in order to go into effect. “I urge the Senate and House to pass the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act with additional funding for PPP, Hospitals, and Testing,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “After I sign this bill, we will begin discussions on the next Legislative Initiative with fiscal relief to State/Local Governments for lost revenues from COVID 19, much needed Infrastructure Investments for Bridges, Tunnels, Broadband, Tax Incentives for Restaurants, Entertainment, Sports, and Payroll Tax Cuts to increase Economic Growth.” “The thing is that most of the money in the next round must go to the small business person,” Kessel said. “And I understand some of the larger corporations [need aid], but they ought to wait at the back of the line. And at the front of the line are hardworking small business people, the local hardware store, the local jeweler, the local restaurant, the local clothing store, they’re the people that ought to come first in the next round.” “Hopefully, this opening up [of the program] will improve things,” Schwartz said. “It looks like the first round all went to big customers.” If you already applied for a loan during the first phase of PPP and did not hear back, contact your bank to confirm that they still have your application and that it will be submitted once the loan program begins accepting applications again, Kessel advised. “I think that is the most important thing that they could do,” he said.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Pizza lunches given to hospital workers Great Neck Plaza Write-in Mayoral candidate Leonard Katz announces that the members of his Campaign Committee have individually donated to an Appreciation Fund to show their support for the Health Care Providers and their entire Support Staff at North Shore/LIJ University Hospital in Manhasset. All the monies in the Fund will be used to provide pizza lunches (through the good services of Francesca’s Pizzeria

on N. Station Plaza) for the North Shore/ LIJ team members who have and are, continuously devoting their time, energy and resources, while putting themselves and their families at greater risk of infection. Katz said, “We salute them for their courage and selfless devotion to their higher calling and sincerely appreciate and admire their courage and selfless efforts on our behalf.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEONARD KATZ

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

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COVID is crisis in leadership Continued from Page 17 or stealing PPE instead of taking responsibility for deficient supply; he has blamed Obama for the PPE stockpile, when he has been in office for 3 ½ years and each time has cut funding for CDC, not to mention eliminating the special Pandemic office. On the other hand, Trump is seizing on the coronavirus to score political points. Instead of an actual immigration reform or renewing DACA (some 34,000 health workers are DACA recipients who are in fear now of being deported), he tweeted a new policy: shut down all immigration. That’s rich since the virus is already here and with the US topping every other nation in cases and deaths it’s Americans who should be banned. A real leader would have championed immigration reform, not built a wall, locked migrants in prisons where they are sick and dying and separated children from their parents. What significant legislation to address the biggest problems – climate change, healthcare, immigration — has Trump marshaled in the 3 ½ years in office? In contrast to an actual leader, Trump takes credit for things that he had nothing to do with, most especially signing the $1200 stimulus checks that Republicans did everything possible to block. His attitude is “I have no responsibility,” the federal government is “not a shipping clerk” for the potentially life-saving supplies and telling the states they

are on their own. “Don’t pass the buck without passing the bucks,” Cuomo said, noting that the states have received zero federal funding. Instead, Trump frittered away months without taking action, “Why don’t we let this wash over the country?” he asked Dr. Fauci – in other words, accept that as many as 200 million would contract the disease and 2 million would die before a “herd immunity” stopped the spread. Worst of all, the way Trump is undermining the leadership of governors who are actually succeeding in controlling the pandemic, egging on dangerous protests (“liberate Michigan” “Liberate Minnesota” “Liberate Virginia”), because as Cuomo, a real leader, knows, “I can’t mandate personal behavior. “My strategy from day one, knowing we would have to ask people to do things that no government has asked them to do maybe since World War I or World War II, knowing that the only way I would get compliance, has been to give the facts, tell them why, why it is in their best interest, all our best interest” to comply. Cuomo added, “In crisis, pressure brings out the best and worst in people– a snapshot of character, their foundation. “ “We have shown we can control the beast,” Cuomo said. “We determine the future. Decisions make today We want to learn from this. We want to Build Back Better.” That’s a leader.

32 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

BUYER’S GUIDE ▼ CLEANING

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34 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

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EMPLOYMENT

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COVID-19 Coronavirus testing is available by appointment in our Floral Park facility Mon., Wed. Thurs. at Floral Park MD across from Lady of Victory Church in the village square. Please call (516)488-1414

LIMITED “VIRTUAL” SHOPPING APRIL 130 A.T. STEWART EXCHANGE CONSIGNMENT SHOP 516-746-8900 Antiques-FurnitureJewelry-Silver-Mirrors-Lamps-Artwork Visit our website: www.Tgchs. org to view merchandise under The Exchange Toolbar Call or email: store@atstewartexchange.org Order & Pay by phone Pick up in parking lot All proceeds benefit The Garden City Historical Society 109 Eleventh Street, Garden City Like us on Facebook & Instagram

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Tuesday 11:00am: Classified Advertising Tuesday 1:00pm: Legal Notices/ Name Changes Friday 5:00pm Buyers’s Guide Error Responsibility All ads placed by telephone are read back for verification of copy context. In the event of an error of Blank Slate Media LLC we are not responsible for the first incorrect insertion. We assume no responsiblity for an error in and beyond the cost of the ad. Cancellation Policy Ads must be cancelled the Monday before the first Thursday publication. All cancellations must be received in writing by fax at: 516.307.1046 Any verbal cancellations must be approved by a supervisor. There are no refunds on cancelled advertising. An advertising credit only will be issued.

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ESTATE SALE 8 Drexel Heritage Heirloom Queen Anne dining room chairs. Includes 6ft. round catering table with custom glass top, tablecloths, $1800 2 Ethan Allen wing chairs with Queen Anne legs $625 for pair. Ethan Allen cherry occasional table, hexagon top with brass rail 15”diam x 24” h $100 Kawai black baby grand piano model no. 350 $1200 Contact Chris 516-457-6600 PRIVACY HEDGES SPRING BLOW OUT SALE. 5’ Green Giant Arborvitae only $59 each. FREE installation/ FREE delivery. While supplies last! 518-536-1367 www.lowcosttreefarm.com

AUTO BUYERS! We visit you. Highest cash paid. Or donate, tax deduct + cash. DMV#1303199. Please call Luke 516-VAN-CARS OR 516-297-2277

JUNK CARS BOUGHT Auto Wrecking Frank & Sons

AUCTIONS VIAGRA & CIALIS! 60 pills for $99. 100 pills for $150. Free shipping. Money back guaranteed! 1-855-579-8907.

WANTED TO BUY Freon Wanted: We pay CA$H for cylinders and cans. R12 R500 R11 R113 R114. Convenient. Certified Professionals. Call 312-361-0601 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com TOP CASH PAID: ESTATE CONTENTSALL OBJECTS OF ARTJEWELRY, ETC. Please call 718-598-3045 or 516-270-2128 www.antiqueassets.com

PETS

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SERVICES JACK’S CUSTOM FRAMING We can frame anything! Quality Care & Workmanship Thousands of frames to choose from!! Over 30 years in business! 92 Covert Ave, Stewart Manor 516-775-9495

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36 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 24, 2020

NYIT med students send hospital workers meals BY R O S E W E L D ON

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEALS FROM MED STUDENTS

A volunteer delivers bagels to St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn as part of the Meals from Med Students program.

Medical students from the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury are working to keep their professional counterparts in hospitals fed during the coronavirus pandemic through a program called Meals from Med Students. The group organizes donations of meals from local restaurants to area hospitals so that health-care workers don’t have to go through a shift without food, according to Amanda DeFeo of Port Washington, a second-year student studying for her doctor of osteopathic medicine. “This whole idea came out of the fact that so many medical students went into this profession because they want to help people,” DeFeo said. As NYIT and other colleges closed in March while the students continued classes online, DeFeo and her classmates thought up ways to help hospital staffers on the pandemic’s front lines.

“Since so many of us are staying home to stop the spread of this virus, we wanted to find a way to help without violating social distancing,” DeFeo said. The efforts started in earnest the week of April 6, she said, and only grew from there. “So far it’s been successful for the amount of time we’ve been doing it,” DeFeo said. “We’ve raised a couple thousand dollars.” Institutions like St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, Good Samaritan Hospital in Bay Shore and Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow have received donations from businesses in their areas, all facilitated by Meals from Med Students. The group is also asking for donations from still-operating businesses to buy meals from restaurants that aren’t financially able to donate food and have students deliver them. Businesses are welcome to sponsor a meal that is then sent to health-care

workers at nearby hospitals. DeFeo’s father, Augie DeFeo, who owns the Port Washington-based Competition Glass, was among the first, sponsoring a breakfast delivery from Boychik’s Bagels, also in Port, for employees at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn. Groups at NYIT have since formed similar committees to assist professionals with childcare and pet care, as well as gathering personal protective equipment to donate to hospitals. For DeFeo, the effort mirrors what she and her classmates would want should they face a similar crisis someday. “We want to help other people in the field because someday that’s going to be us,” DeFeo said. Those interested in volunteering for the program are encouraged to visit their Facebook page for more information or email mealsfrommedstudents@ gmail.com. Monetary donations are being accepted through the app Venmo, for the account @MealsFromMedStudents.

Northwell sets up Suozzi pushes for more COVID emergency fund federal hospital funds Continued from Page 28 lators for patients, Northwell’s efforts have been integral in the state’s response to the coronavirus. “While much is uncertain, one thing that remains constant is our courageous care team and support staff on the front lines who are working tirelessly each and every day to diagnose, treat and prevent the spread of this outbreak while supporting each other,” Northwell Health’s President and CEO Michael Dowling said. Gov. Andrew Cuomo praised the work of Dowling and all of Northwell’s staff for their response throughout the pandemic during a visit to Northwell’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research Center in Manhasset Sunday. “They’ve done an extraordinary job all through this situation,” Cuomo said of the entire Northwell staff. “I want to say to all the people of Northwell who have done

extraordinary jobs, thank you so, so much. Thank you for having us today.” Northwell also spearheaded the efforts for testing, establishing the first drivethru testing facility throughout the state in New Rochelle. The organization has also launched three clinical trials for patients who are moderately and severely ill with the coronavirus through Feinstein Institutes, and has provided behavioral health services to front line healthcare workers. “From the outset, our team members and communities reached out asking how to support our front line caregivers, patients and research,” Lally said. “Now more than ever, the support from our communities is helping us care for the people that need us most,” More information regarding what others have done to support Northwell and donations can be submitted to https:// give.northwell.edu/ or https://www. northwellcovid.com/.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHWELL HEALTH

Northwell Health has established an emergency fund for people to donate and support the healthcare system’s frontline workers.

BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) is part of a bipartisan effort to provide New York hospitals with an increase in federal funding in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. “There is no time for politics here. The state of New York needs special help as we are bearing the brunt of this pandemic,” Suozzi said. “This is affecting us at all levels and we are getting hurt from every angle.” Suozzi, along with Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City), Peter King (R-Seaford), Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), Gregory Meeks (D-St. Albans), and other members of Congress throughout New York sent a letter April 10 to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma imploring them to prioritize the state’s hospitals. New York and New Jersey contend their states were shortchangedin the funding appropriated by Congress in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which was passed March 20. The emergency law allowed Health and Human Services to facilitate the allocations of $100 billion in grants to hospitals and doctors throughout the country. The funding, according to the bipartisan letter, “was meant to cover essential expenses for hospitals including increased staffing, expanded bed capacity, and much-needed personal protective equipment.” According to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New York has 242,786, or 31 percent, of the nation’s 786,795 cases. New York received $1.86 billion, according to federal data. That amount is less than the $2.9 billion for California with 4 percent of cases, $2.2 billion for Florida with 3.6 percent of cases, and $2.1 billion for Texas with 2.2 percent of

cases, according to federal data. “They’re basing this on Medicare numbers from 2019, which has nothing to do with the crisis that’s going on right now,” Suozzi said. “The intention of Congress was to take care of those places that needed the help the most.” According to a Kaiser Health News analysis, New York will receive approximately $12,000 per confirmed case in the state. A state such as Nebraska, where 1,287 people have tested positive for the virus, will receive more than $379,000 per case. Kaiser estimated New Jersey, where 85,301 people have tested positive for the coronavirus, will receive around $18,000 per case. The bipartisan representatives from New York and New Jersey sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) April 10 and proposed the idea of $40 billion in additional federal aid to states. “As of April 10th, our states have more confirmed cases than the next 18 highest states combined,” the letter said. “New York and New Jersey are not alone in the suffering and costs of responding to the pandemic, but federal aid has not been allocated proportionally to the impact of the virus.” The letter was signed by all 36 members of Congress from the two states including Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx), Grace Meng (D-Flushing), Andy Kim, (D-NJ), and Christopher Smith (R-NJ). For Suozzi, the ongoing battle against the virus became more personal as the father of his wife Helene, Michael Wrotniak Jr., died April 13, two days after testing positive for the coronavirus. “We’ll miss you, big Mike,” Suozzi said on Facebook. “I got lucky in the father-in-law department. This is a big loss for Helene and us all. Coronavirus is personal.”

The Great Neck News, Friday, April 24, 2020

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Ed board addresses remote concerns Continued from Page 2 School Board President Barbara Berkowitz said the district faces a difficult balancing act, but also understands “the fact that we can’t provide what we provided back in February” before schools had to close. “It was very difficult for me this morning because I feel like everything is on a seesaw, and I’m not referring to any particular program,” Berkowitz said. “It is very difficult to strike the balance because children’s needs are different, teachers’ needs are different, and even parents’ needs are different.” Berkowitz also noted that the board appreciates the professionalism and dedication of teachers, with some of them taking on more hours than before because of the drastic changes. Superintendent of Schools Teresa Prendergast thanked the school community for their support and patience during the ongoing coronavirus crisis. According to numbers compiled by the Nassau County Department of Health, there were 590 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Great Neck area and 88 in neighboring Manhasset. In Nassau County, there have been over 30,000 confirmed cases and more than 1,300 resident deaths from the virus, county and state health departments data show. “This pandemic has affected us all deeply,” Prendergast said, “and these are incredibly trying times.” Stephen Lando, the assistant superintendent for secondary education, said “the greatest challenge” teachers are facing is the adjustment from a studentcentered in-person model to an online environment. He said they also have to consider factors like student space, bandwidth, family situations and mixed Internet access. “We’re trying to have teachers have the greatest number of tools to exercise their professional judgment to provide meaningful, if not replicative, instruction for our students,” Lando said. He added that teachers are developing and sharing instructions and ideas with each other, but that the district hears “very clearly the preference for live instruction.” Marc Epstein, the district’s technology director, said the remote learning plan aims to offer flexibility and continues to evolve, but there’s “no single best way to teach from home.” Among the promoted practices are live online meetings, online assignments with workflow platforms, videos, collaborative assignments via Google Docs, prerecorded screen tests narrated by teachers, and numerous apps and websites.

“Education is fundamentally a human enterprise,” Epstein said, “even when digital tools are used.” As for the GNTA letter, Prendergast said there has been “some negative reactions” and information will be shared with GNTA members, the executive board, and the president of the GNTA. Prendergast said the district is “appreciative of the time and thoughtfulness” of community letters, which expressed “some disappointment,” touched on opportunities for live instruction and recognized some privacy concerns with current teleconference platforms. She said the district will review the comments carefully. “Feedback regarding live instruction and opportunities for students to engage in interactions with their classmates and their teachers is very important,” Superintendent of Schools Teresa Prendergast said, adding that many children “desperately miss” seeing their teachers and classmates. She also said academic and emotional support and the “grab and go” meal program. The district has also distributed 118 iPads and created 29 WiFi hotspots for families to make sure distance learning continues. In other business, trustees approved the appointments — effective in August — of new administrators. Kathleen Schneider, the English department head at North High School, will become an assistant principal there, while Adam Hopkins, with experience from West Hempstead and Hewlett-Woodmere districts, will be South High School’s assistant principal. Neepa Redito, currently the assistant principal of Lakeville School, will serve as interim principal of Lakeville School as Principal Emily Zucal goes on maternity leave. In other school board business, trustees voted in favor of the 2020-2021 BOCES —or Board of Cooperative Education Services of Nassau County — administrative operations budget, worth approximately $22.81 million. School districts pool their resources, share the program’s costs and incorporate those costs into their annual budgets. “All districts in Nassau County are meeting today because you need to go ahead and vote on the annual BOCES budget and any members who are up for re-election,” Berkowitz said. The next school board meeting will be a budget presentation taking place on Thursday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom and will be livestreamed on YouTube. For district coronavirus updates, visit https://www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/site/ Default.aspx?PageID=14419.

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6 Ways The $2 Trillion Stimulus Package May Help You

In response to the severe economic fallout stemming from the COVID-19 !"#$%&'()*"*+%(,+$*-.*/+'00',#*12("0*2/'&3032*!"(4"5%*6"2*%#"(/%$*"/*/7%*%#$*,8* 9"+(7:*;7%*6'$%<+"#5'#5*=>?@A*B=,+,#"C'+32*>'$)*?%0'%8*"#$*@(,#,&'(*A%(3+'/DE* >(/*'2*$%2'5#%$*/,*7%0!*%"2%*/7%*1#"#('"0*7"+$27'!2*&"#D*>&%+'("#2*"+%*8"('#5:* F,3*&"D*G%*6,#$%+'#5*67"/)*'8*"#D)*%(,#,&'(*+%0'%8*'2*"C"'0"G0%*/,*D,3:*H%+%*"+%* 2,&%*!,22'G0%*6"D2*D,3*&"D*I3"0'8D*8,+*23!!,+/: #1 – Direct payments to many Americans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– Enhanced unemployment compensation O,+*/7,2%*(,00%(/'#5*3#%&!0,D&%#/*G%#%1/2)*/7%*8%$%+"0*5,C%+#&%#/*6'00*G3&!* 3!*D,3+*6%%40D*G%#%1/*GD*-VKK*8,+*3!*/,*8,3+*&,#/72:*W"'$*,88*6,+4%+2*67,*10%*8,+* 3#%&!0,D&%#/*6,30$*323"00D*#%%$*/,*6"'/*"*6%%4*/,*+%(%'C%*G%#%1/2:*H,6%C%+)*/7%* "(/*#,6*"00,62*8,+*/7"/*6%%4*/,*G%*83#$%$*GD*/7%*8%$%+"0*5,C%+#&%#/:*X%#%1/2*"+%* "02,*%P/%#$%$*/,*2%08<%&!0,D%$*'#$'C'$3"02*67,*,8/%#*$,#Y/*I3"0'8D*8,+*(,C%+"5%: #3 – Penalty-free distributions from retirement accounts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hilip P. Andriola, JD Private Wealth Advisor, Chief Executive Officer Andriola, Goldberg & Associates A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.

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The Great Neck News, Friday, April 24, 2020

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39

E. Williston Memorial Day 5K canceled BY E M M A J ON ES The East Williston board of trustees and Mayor Bonnie Parente have announced in an email that the Memorial Day 5k Race has been canceled. The village is considering rescheduling the race for a later date and mentioned Labor Day weekend as one possibility. The organizers of the race would need to begin preparation now if it were to be held on Memorial Day weekend, the board said, which is not possible given the current social distancing protocols. This would have been the

41st annual East Williston Memorial Day 5k Race. A parade honoring those who have died in service typically follows the race. In the past, it has featured the Willets Road School band, Cub Scout and Girl Scout troops and Parente. The village also holds a Lil Tykes Fun Run for children ages six and under. Although the 5K will not take place as scheduled, the village will hold a Memorial Day ceremony, although the form that it will take has yet to be determined.

PHOTO BY GRETCHEN KELLER

The Keys family of East Williston won the overall family best time category for the 2018 annual 5k race.

From Hilltop Beacon to Hollywood Continued from Page 6 the story started to take shape.” Rombom remembers thenschool board President William Costigan reading a statement about Gluckin and the embezzlement. In a 2004 story published by The New York Times in which she recounted her experiences, she wrote that while the “tone of most every question at that first meeting was accusatory, the audience behaved in a civilized manner.” With encouragement from her co-editor and faculty adviser, Rombom went forward with the story. “I did some interviews in the process,” Rombom said. “[The movie character] Rachel does a little more investigative reporting than I did. I had tried to do a Freedom of Information Act request to dig a little bit deeper on some of the documents that I thought revealed more detail about what was going on, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it in time, so I reported the facts that I had from interviews that I was able to do before we pub-

lished.” In The Times piece, Rombom added that while she had been allowed to have a phone interview with Tassone, she was told not to use Gluckin’s name and had to show the story to then-principal Jayson Stoller and the district’s director of community relations before it would be published. Both read it promptly and neither requested that anything be changed, according to Rombom’s Times story. The months after Rombom’s Hilltop Beacon story would see major news outlets pick up on what was happening in Roslyn, as it was discovered that thousands of dollars were left unaccounted for during Tassone’s 12-year run as superintendent. All in all, Tassone, Gluckin and their associates are thought to have embezzled more than $11.2 million of the district’s money, spending it on home renovations, lavish trips and personal needs. Shortly after the school board accepted Tassone’s resignation in June 2004, Rombom graduated and went to Dart-

I do think that one of

the central themes that comes out in the story is that several things can be true, one person or one situation at once. Rebekah Rombom ROSLYN HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR

mouth College, but the fallout continued. “This kind of reporting and impact is just about the most exciting thing that can happen to you as a high school journalist,” Rombom said. “But I felt quite conflicted at the time about the impact that it had had on the community, particularly as the situation snowballed from a $250,000 embezzlement that I had initially reported and the quiet resignation of one administrator to this $11.2 million ordeal involving Frank Tassone.” Rombom said the Roslyn

schools served her “incredibly well.” “I had amazing relationships with my teachers, the schools provided outlets for me to thrive, including the newspaper, and the information needed to see daylight, but the fallout was difficult for the community, and I certainly felt very conflicted about that,” Rombom said. “I had great experiences at those schools. In 2006 Tassone and Gluckin would be sentenced to prison on larceny charges, with both later released in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Rombom moved away from the Roslyn area soon after graduating from Dartmouth in 2008, where while studying English she worked for the school newspaper The Dartmouth and served as editor in her senior year. She now lives in Brooklyn and, in an interesting twist, has worked in education for the last seven years. “I haven’t worked as a journalist in about a decade, but I’ve always taken what I do seriously,” Rombom said. “My approach at school and in my

career has been to put in a lot of effort and try very hard to do well. I’ve now worked in several different industries and roles, and for me that approach, alongside being very lucky and grateful for what’s come my way, is what’s worked.” In time, screenwriter Makowsky interviewed Rombom about her experiences for the “Bad Education” script. She would also speak with Viswanathan, the actress portraying the character partially based on her. Rombom said she hasn’t yet seen the film, but will watch its premiere on Saturday. “I do think that one of the central themes that comes out in the story is that several things can be true, one person or one situation at once,” Rombom said. “And I definitely felt conflicted about being the first to publish this information. I know that Dr. Tassone led a school system that did an incredibly good job for a lot of students, including me, and also oversaw the embezzlement of a ton of money that was meant to fund our education. It’s a hard set of realities to reconcile.”

G.N. Library staff 3-D prints face shields Continued from Page 3 at Northwell Health in Manhasset. Village of Great Neck resident Rebecca Gilliar, Hinz said, heard of the news and aided him in contacting the appropriate hospital employee to coordinate the drop-off. “During the only stateside epidemic

in our lifetime, many residents wake up wondering what to do with their day sequestered,” Gilliar said. “Adam woke up to an idea. I wanted to forge a connection for him to be able to deliver the shields directly to the hospital system because what he is doing is so immediately valuable.”

Hinz said he has been in contact with the Nassau County Library Association to provide resources and digital files to aid other libraries throughout the county in developing face shields and other personal protective equipment. “Plenty of libraries in Nassau County have the resources to accomplish what

we’re doing here,” Hinz said. “If anyone is out there with a 3-D printer and wants to get in touch, they are more than welcome to reach out.” Hinz said residents who wish to inquire further can contact him at ahinz@ greatnecklibrary.org.

40 The Great Neck News, Friday, April 24, 2020

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