Great Neck 2020_05_22 by The Island 360

Serving Great Neck, G.N. Plaza, G.N. Estates, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock and Thomaston Vol. 95, No. 21

Friday, May 22, 2020

HONORING FALLEN HEROES CAR PARADE FOR DURING A PANDEMIC NORTH GRADS

TOWN OK OKss COVID-19 RELIEF MEASURES

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Nassau beaches open only to county residents Curran backs measure as Cuomo allows elective surgeries again BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Nassau County beaches have remained open throughout the coronavirus pandemic, but on Wednesday the county’s legislators approved a bill to limit access to Nickerson Beach and all other Nassau beaches strictly to county residents. The measure passed by an 18-1 emergency vote, according to county oﬃcials. “With Nassau beaches open with limited capacity a small fraction of New York’s eight million residents could overwhelm our beaches and barrier island roads,” Nassau County Presiding Oﬃcer Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park) said. “It is important that Nassau residents have access to the beaches they pay taxes to maintain.” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, a Democrat, expressed support for the legislation. “There is no summer on Long Island without the beach, and now

more than ever our shores will serve as much-needed relief for residents looking to beat the heat,” Curran said. Curran said beach oﬃcials will be checking licences of residents before they enter the beach in order to keep the state-mandated 50 percent capacity. Curran, who first made the announcement on Tuesday, said the decision was made after speaking to New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he would allow Nassau County hospitals to conduct elective surgeries and ambulatory care in the ongoing mission to begin phased reopening throughout Long Island. Cuomo made the announcement at Northwell’s Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset on Tuesday. He previously announced that the state will allow elective outpatient treatments to resume in hospitals and counties without significant risk of Continued on Page 39

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHWELL HEALTH

Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling embraces Desiree Mohammodi, 7, of Syosset. Mohammodi had donated her life savings, just over $50, to essential efforts for nurses and doctors in the Northwell system. See story on page 6.

Jahng touts educational background in ed race BY R OB E RT PELAEZ

the main reasons he is running for a seat on the Great Neck Board of Education this year. Jahng, a Great Neck resiGreat Neck resident John Jahng said the foundation that dent for the past 12 years and the New York school system a financial investment adviser, provided for his life is one of cited his experience attend-

ing Brooklyn Technical High School followed by New York University and said he would not be the man he is today without either. In the early 1990s, BrookContinued on Page 39

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The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

North High to hold Coaches collect, car parade for grads donate to hospitals June 11 event will replace traditional ceremony

Group distributes dinners and desserts BY E M M A J ON ES

PHOTO FROM THE ISLAND NOW ARCHIVES

The Village of Great Neck Board of Trustees unanimously approved plans for a car parade at North High to honor the graduating class of 2020. BY DA N OFF N E R Due to the social distancing requirements caused by the coronavirus outbreak, Great Neck North High School will hold a graduation parade on June 11 as an alternative to traditional high school commencement ceremonies. The Village of Great Neck Board of Trustees unanimously approved plans for a car parade, to be held from 2 to 4 p.m., via a Zoom conference call on Tuesday. The parade will begin at the Parkwood parking lot, go onto Arrandale Avenue, move past the middle school onto Polo Road, then at the roundabout by the high school turn onto Brokaw Lane toward Middle Neck Road, ending near the train station. According to the board, cars will be lined up into five rows of 60 spots at Parkwood and will depart in three groups. The twohour estimate is based upon vehicles driving five miles per hour and includes 30 additional minutes of delay. There are a total of 300 parking spots at Parkwood and the plan calls for the use of

every other spot. To further lift the spirits of the high school graduates and parents, the Board of Trustees also approved hanging navy and orange banners along Middle Neck Road to honor the class of 2020. The banners will be funded by parents’ donations and help from the PTAs of all schools willing to donate and will remain up through the month of June. “The school didn’t give us any budget so we’re asking all the school PTAs to chip in,” the applicant said during the live Zoom chat. “Since we didn’t put any specific school on it, we thought we would just honor all the graduates from all the schools in Great Neck.” She added that while the organizers are aiming to put up 20 throughout the area, “I want to put up as many as possible.” Village trustees have also set aside a public hearing date for June 2 to discuss a proposed amendment to local law, which if approved by the Board of Trustees, would no longer require board approval for swimming

pool applications. Eﬀectively this law would allow the superintendent of buildings to make the final determination on such construction, provided it meets village code. The board also voted on two of three applications presented for the addition of a swimming pool. One of the houses, located at 96 Station Rd., belongs to Mayor Pedram Bral, who recused himself from the presentation. Building Superintendent Stephen Haramis said that the request to build a 20-by-40-foot in-ground pool meets all requirements, pending the board’s approval of a four-and-a-half foot variance. “Everything is code compliant,” Haramis said. “It meets all the requirements.” He further explained that there is nothing behind the rear of the yard except for empty lots and that a waiver would not have a significant impact on the welfare or safety of the community. With Mayor Bral abstaining, the board voted 4-0 to allow the variance.

New Hyde Park native Lou Bernardi has been working with other coaches since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic to collect and distribute food to hospitals, organizations and food drives. “I’m involved in a lot of different charities and nonprofits, so obviously with the COVID situation that we’re in we all decided it would be nice to get out and give back to those who need it most and pay respects for front-line workers, people who’re putting their lives and their families’ lives in danger every day,” said Bernardi, a baseball coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and a former professional baseball player. Together with Bernardi, Ray Negron of the New York Yankees and “The Chapters Rap” host Steve Vaccaro have been highly involved in food distribution efforts. “Anybody we can find that

we think we can help, we’re going to go out and help,” said Bernardi. Last Thursday, Bernardi and a group of coaches collected and delivered food for the NYPD Counterterrorism Unit. They have taken meals to nurses at NYU Langone Hospital as well. On Tuesday, they were to take 60 dinners to Nassau County 3rd Precinct police oﬃcers. New Hyde Park restaurant La Parma is providing the meals. Additionally, the coaches have donated well over 1,000 boxes of cookies to food drives, Bernardi said. “We will continue to do it as long as this virus is aﬀecting people,” he said. “As long as the front-line workers and first responders are out going there, we’re going to show appreciation for them and help as many people as we can.” “Anybody who reads this article should challenge themselves to help one person today,” Continued on Page 36

PHOTO COURTESY OF LOU BERNARDI

Lou Bernardi, baseball coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and Ray Negron of the New York Yankees drop off food at the Bagel Chalet in Merrick for a food drive.

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The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

Justice dismisses Belmont lawsuits Village of Floral Park Mayor Dominick Longobardi calls judge’s decision ‘disappointing’ BY R OB E RT PELAEZ

A state Supreme Court justice has rejected two lawsuits by the Village of Floral Park seeking to overturn state approvals for the development of the Belmont Arena, the future home of the New York Islanders. According to court filings available on the village’s website, Justice Roy S. Mahon dismissed the legal action against the New York State Franchise Oversight Board on May 12. Floral Park Mayor Dominick Longobardi said the Board of Trustees was disappointed by the action. “Today, although the Court recognized the Village of Floral Park’s ‘legitimate concerns’ with the scope of the Belmont Project and the Belmont Project’s impact on the Village’s residents, the Court determined that it may not ‘substitute its judgment’ for the judgment of the Empire State Development Corp.,” he said in a statement. Kevin Fitzgerald, Floral Park’s deputy mayor, shared Longobardi’s disappointment and said representatives from Empire State Development, the state agency that oversaw the project, did not publicly answer questions or concerns from the public. “When a new business or restaurant comes to present something to [the village trustees], there are many questions and concerns brought up by the public and then addressed by the presenter,” Fitzgerald said. “[Empire State Development] did not handle this properly, when they knew issues were out in the open.” Fitzgerald, who has served as a village trustee since 2011, said the village will use “all re-

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS HOCKEY CLUB

The legal challenges submitted by the Village of Floral Park against Empire State Development regarding the Belmont Arena project were denied, according to legal filings. sources available” to mitigate any concerns that the arena may cause for the area. Eric Gertler, the acting commissioner and president for Empire State Development, said the project will be a much-needed source for employment in a time where unemployment has reached record highs throughout the nation. “Earlier this week, both lawsuits against the Belmont Park Redevelopment Project were wholly dismissed, representing a decisive victory for smart economic development and validating ESD’s rigorous environmental review and robust public engagement process,” Gertler said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing this project, which will deliver thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity to the downstate

region — which are needed now more than ever.” The village has a history of opposition to the project, which includes a 19,000-seat arena for the Islanders, 350,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, a hotel containing 250 rooms, and parking on 43 acres of vacant state-owned property at Belmont Park. Floral Park filed a lawsuit in September asking a judge to overturn all approvals, stop construction on the site and restart the environmental review process. In January, Fitzgerald said, the village had obtained documents showing that state oﬃcials had no intention of taking local concerns into account in the Belmont Park development project. According to the documents

that were acquired by the village under the Freedom of Information Law, a “master plan” for the Belmont Arena project was discussed by developers two years before the state issued a request for redevelopment of the property, he said. In documents filed in the lawsuit, the village called the public bidding process “flawed” and the environmental review “inadequate” and said the project did not mitigate negative impacts on the village. Fitzgerald said the documents supported the village’s contention that the process undertaken by Empire State Development was a show to hide a predetermined outcome. A spokesman for the agency rejected the argument. The spokesperson said Empire State Development aban-

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doned its first request for proposals in December 2016 and subsequently issued a second one a year later in July. The spokesperson also said that Empire State Development followed “an independent, competitive process” and that the arena proposal was chosen because it scored the highest of the three responses. “We’re making progress towards a safe reopening, and outdoor construction projects like Belmont will be key to getting us on the road to economic recovery,“ Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said. Project construction was halted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fitzgerald said he did not know what, if any, legal challenges the village could pursue.

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The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

No plan for graduation from Port schools chief BY R O S E W E L D ON Days after a Change.org petition for a contactless high school commencement received over 1,200 signatures, Port Washington School Superintendent Michael Hynes issued a statement saying the district would preserve Schreiber High School’s graduation celebrations as much as possible. While not directly referring to the petition, Hynes did mention ideas being shared about what to do about the commencement. “We would like to say thank you to those of you who have shared your creative ideas and brought to our attention the many diﬀerent virtual and drive-by celebratory concepts being implemented throughout the country,” Hynes wrote. The superintendent said the Board of Education, central administration and high school administrators were “in the process of organizing logistics,” which are subject to change by state and local directives, “to preserve the Class of 2020’s celebrations to the greatest extent possible.” “It is important to note that we must adhere to the Governor’s executive orders regarding social distancing and regional and county guidelines for reopening New York,” Hynes wrote. “Right now, large gatherings, even with social distancing measures, are not legally permitted, and it is for this reason the district cannot pursue an

PHOTO BY REBECCA KLAR

The Port Washington school district has not yet announced plans for a commencement celebration. in-person graduation ceremony this year. Should the state lift its restrictions, we will revisit our plans.” The petition, organized by resident Ben Johnson, called for a contactless graduation in which students would sit with people with whom they had quarantined, rise when their

names were called rather than walk across a stage and have their diplomas sent home. Hynes added that the district was attempting to complete “logistics on plans to honor the Class of 2020’s graduation, and will share that information with [Port residents] as soon as possible.”

“These are certainly complicated times, with COVID-19 having an ever-changing and unprecedented impact on our communities, our families and our loved ones,” Hynes wrote. “What is not complicated is the care and compassion we have for our students and our deep, abiding respect for the Port

Washington community. We are committed to working with our parents and students to find a creative way of celebrating our 2020 graduating seniors as they conclude one milestone and look forward to beginning the next exciting stage of their lives.”

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

WILLIAM J ALLSBROOK Jr.

“William “William, liam you were always my hero hero. I wanted to be just like you, but I didn't play football or basketball like 'The Will', just didn't have your touch. I enjoyed watching you and was always proud to be your brother. Never does a day go by that I do not think of you. What would it be like to be able to call you. I have told my daughters about you letting me drive Mom and Dad’s new car around Tarboro although I was only 14 years old. October 2, 1970, Daddy’s birthday and the day that changed my life. You were my hero before Nam and you are still and one day I hope to walk with you again. I Love you. Mike”

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Help us find a photo for every name on The Wall Each name on The Wall represents a family who was forever changed by their loss. Help us find photos for the Wall of Faces to ensure that those who sacrificed all in Vietnam are never forgotten. Vist www.VVMF.org/Faces to learn more

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The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

Donation from piggy bank rewarded

Northwell Health president and CEO rewards 7-year-old giving $52.65 to hospital group BY R O S E W E L D ON

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHWELL HEALTH

Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling presents 7-year-old Desiree Mohammodi of Syosset with an American Girl doll. The girl had donated her life savings, just over $50, to essential efforts for nurses and doctors.

After donating her life savings to essential medical efforts, a 7-year-old with a heart of gold was personally rewarded for her generosity by Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling. Desiree Mohammodi of Syosset had written a letter to Dowling offering the $52.65 that she had saved in her piggy bank for three years to benefit the nurses and doctors of Northwell hospitals. In a virtual press event held at Northwell’s headquarters in New Hyde Park on May 14, Dowling listened as Desiree read her letter and presented him with a small, heavy bucket filled with loose change. “I am worried that our doctors and nurses and the rest of the hospital staff are not having time for themselves,” she wrote. “I hope you can all get a chance to take a break and use the money for a snack from the vending machines.” In addition, she wrote that her mother, Rose Mohammodi, had said that God hears all prayers of little children.

“I pray the world is free of all disease,” Desiree wrote. She then closed her letter by reminding Dowling to wash his hands. Desiree added in a postscript to her letter that her uncle, Dr. Mehran Tafreshi, worked for the Northwell system, and asked Dowling to give him a hug from her should their paths cross. Dowling later said at the press event that he had learned that the girl was interested in astronomy, and had been saving her money for three years to purchase a telescope and an American Girl doll in astronaut garb. He then presented her with an American Girl doll and accessories as well as a working telescope. “Because we think Desiree is a true superhero, we want to give her a special thank you,” Dowling said. “Here at Northwell, we believe that now more than ever, the generosity and compassion of one special little girl should be rewarded.” When asked how she felt about Dowling, Desiree replied, “He’s a wonderful man – I love him even more than I love my dog.”

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

Town OKs COVID-19 relief measures Public hearing set to discuss additional changes to boost business, aid residents BY JA N E LL E C L AUS E N North Hempstead council members set a public hearing date for a number of coronavirus-related measures at a teleconference Tuesday night, while approving a handful of measures related to the pandemic. The proposals, slated for discussion and possible adoption on June 18, would give contract preference to Nassau County-based businesses, allow commercial construction work on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and let restaurants add extra outdoor seating, given new density limits inside restaurants as part of a gradual reopening process. Also on the table for June 18 is potentially barring parking on the south side of High Street, west of Community Drive in Manhasset, on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. to allow for better operation of a food bank. “We are all family in North Hempstead and it has never been more apparent than now,” Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth said. The proposals come as New York eyes a gradual reopening and lifting of restrictions, following a decline in new cases and deaths. Nassau County has had more than 39,000 confirmed cases

The North Hempstead town council took a series of actions related to the coronavirus pandemic via a Zoom teleconference on Tuesday. and 2,060 deaths as of Tuesday, according to the New York State Department of Health, making it among the hardest hit counties in the state. Town council members also passed a resolution allowing property owners and business owners to apply for refunds, related to applications and permits, if they can no longer start planned construction work because of coronavirus-related financial hardship.

The council is “sensitive to diﬀerent challenges that face our residents and businesses during this time,” Bosworth said. Additionally, the town extended its building moratorium in the Waterfront Business District in Port Washington to Sept. 14. The original end date for the moratorium, intended to give more time for devising new zoning regulations, was June 1.

Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte of Port Washington said there were still some concerns and there wasn’t enough time for the steering committee to do its job “with the care required.” The town council also formally approved contracts related to its drive-in movie initiative, including $19,500 for equipment rental from Movies in the Moonlight for up to 15 movies. In addition, the town accepted a series of donations related to countering the spread of the coronavirus. These included 40 face shields from Barnacle Parking Co., 60 N95 masks and 200 surgical masks from the Lui family in Great Neck, and 20,000 disposable masks; 10,000 were from WAC Lighting and 10,000 from Glow Community Center and provided through Tai Wang, according to the town’s resolution. In other town business, the town set a hearing date of June 18 for the Westbury Water District’s requested $65.54 million bond issue, which Councilwoman Viviana Russell said would go toward installing smart meters, water main replacements and upgrading wells to remediate contamination. The Westbury Water District will hold its own hearing via teleconference on Wednesday, May 27, starting at 5 p.m.

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

National EMS Week May 17-23

Northwell salutes our EMS professionals on the front lines To those who bravely rush to the aid of the sick and injured, even during this time of quarantines and social distancing. Who jump to action and provide compassionate care for people just before they become patients. To the inspiring EMS professionals across the nation, including the 800+ within our health system, we oﬀer our heartfelt gratitude. Thank you for your steadfast courage, strength and skill—and for being our #HealthcareHeroes before, during and well after these unprecedented times. Michael J. Dowling President & Chief Executive Oﬃcer

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

Village of Roslyn has highest COVID rate BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z With more than 140 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of Monday, the Village of Roslyn had the most cases per 1,000 residents in Nassau County, according to figures provided by the county Department of Health. The figures, broken down by community on the county’s interactive map, were the most up-to-date figures available as of Wednesday morning. According to figures provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of the Village of Roslyn was 2,882 in 2018. According to the county figures, Roslyn’s 144 cases amount to 50.5 cases per 1,000 residents. New Cassel has the second-highest rate per 1,000 residents in the county but has more than five times as many cases as Roslyn. Roslyn Heights had 123 cases as of Monday, but that translates to a rate of 18.7 cases per 1,000 residents. Roslyn Harbor’s 16 cases result in a rate of 17.1 cases per 1,000 residents. More than 4,100 North Shore residents had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Monday, according to the figures. Last week, the confirmed number of coronavirus cases throughout North Shore communities was 3,999. That number increased by 141 over the week, for a total of 4,140 confirmed cases. Municipalities that stretch into more than one North Shore area such as Flower Hill, Herricks, Albertson, Garden City Park, Searingtown and North Hills were counted separately and accounted for 617 cases, an increase of 26 from last week. Mineola, Garden City, Williston Park and East Williston combined for a total of 706 confirmed cases, which accounts for almost all of the area’s total of 729 cases. Port Washington accounts for 377 of the North Shore’s cases. Of that total, 213 are from town-governed areas and 96 in Manorhaven.

A total of 761 residents throughout the Great Neck peninsula had tested positive for the virus, an increase of 18 from last week. The centralized villages, such as the Village of Great Neck and Great Neck Plaza, account for 375 of the area’s confirmed cases, an increase of 11 from the previous week. Kings Point still ranks third in the area’s confirmed cases with 98. Manhasset, with 235 confirmed cases, has closer proximity to areas with more positive cases but had the lowest increase of cases over the past week with five. The town-governed parts of Manhasset, with 121 confirmed cases, along with North Hills, Flower Hill and Herricks, made up a majority of the area’s cases. The villages of Manhasset Hills, Munsey Park, Plandome, Plandome Manor and Plandome Heights accounted for 114 cases, four more than last week. According to the map, the New Hyde Park area has a total of 1,061 confirmed cases of the virus. North New Hyde Park, just south of Manhasset Hills and Lake Success, is the area with the most confirmed cases at 423, an increase of 21 from the past week. As of Tuesday night, according to figures provided by the county Department of Health, 39,295 county residents had tested positive for the coronavirus. A total of 2,060 people had died. Total hospitalizations, 599, and patients on ventilators, 137, both have significantly decreased over the past month, according to the figures. CURRENT STATUS ON LONG ISLAND METRICS Nassau County, and all of Long Island, could begin phased reopening sooner than expected due to a change in the state-mandated metrics rolled out by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on May 11. The revision, which was permitting the capital region to begin phased reopening on Wednesday, aﬀects how hospitalizations and death rates for each region are viewed. Officials said the two metrics will be analyzed Continued on Page 23

Nassau home prices soar, sales plummet BY E M M A J ON ES Housing sales in Nassau County plummeted in April as the coronavirus continued to spread throughout the area. New contract signings fell 69.8 percent compared with April 2019, listing service OneKey MLS reported last Thursday. Prices jumped, however, as buyers competed for fewer available homes. The median price of a home in Nassau County rose to $562,500, an 11.4 percent increase from a year earlier. The number of homes for sale dropped by about 24 percent compared with April 2019, the listing service data

shows. Real estate brokerages were ordered to shut down on March 22 because of the coronavirus pandemic. On April 2, brokers were allowed to resume working, but only from their homes or private offices. Some real estate agents have switched to remote home sales, turning to solutions such as showing homes to prospective buyers via FaceTime. According to a Gallup survey, however, only 50 percent of Americans think that it is a good time to buy a home, a record low since Gallup began tracking this measure in 1978.

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12 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Wishing Everybody a lthy Happy & Hea y! Memorial Da AND

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Delivery through: FAMILY MEAL #1 - $26 One 18” Pizza with choice of Spinach and Artichoke Dip Or Grimaldi’s Mixed Salad Plus a 2 liter bottle of soda

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One 18” Pizza One order of Penne alla Vodka with choice of Spinach and Artichoke Dip Or Grimaldi’s Mixed Salad Plus a 2 liter bottle of soda

*Family Meals are Pickup / Curbside only...Toppings not included*

LARGER FAMILY CATERING PLANS *Feeds up to a family of 6*

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-Choose one salad option and one hot tray option 1/2 Tray of Mixed Green Salad, Caesar Salad, or Chopped Salad AND 1/2 Tray of Penne ala Vodka, Chicken Parmigiana, or Eggplant Rollatini - Plus a 2 liter bottle of soda

CATER OPTION #2 - $95

-Choose one salad option, one appetizer option, and one hot tray option 1/2 Tray of Mixed Green Salad, Caesar Salad or Chopped Salad AND 1/2 Tray Pinwheels, Buffalo Wings, Tomato/Mozzarella or Antipasto AND 1/2 Tray of Penne ala Vodka, Chicken Parmigiana, or Eggplant Rollatini - Plus a 2 liter bottle of soda *Orders Must be Picked Up by 5:00pm. Please Give 2 Hours Advanced Notice for Family Catering Plans*

CURBSIDE & DELIVERY

SUNDAY - THURSDAY 12-9 FRIDAY & SATURDAY 12-10

NEW DRINKS-TO-GO SPECIALS - $10 Mix & Match 6 Packs Bottles - $10 Four Tap Beers in To-Go Cups - $20 Any Bottle of Wine -$35 Any TWO bottles of Wine See the bartender!! * AND Please don’t forget to show our staff your gratuity any way you can as we to continue to serve you and the community through these tough times

PURCHASE A $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE & RECEIVE

A COMPLIMENTARY $20 GIFT CERTIFICATE

To Be Used In The Dining Room When We Reopen

For curbside pickup just call (516) 294-6565 and place your order. Let us know the make and model car you are in, the license plate number, and we’ll deliver right to your car!

The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

READERS WRITE

Why I’m running for re-election to G.N. ed board

s I conclude my first term of oﬃce working pro bono as a trustee of the Great Neck Public Schools Board of Education, I look back on three years of public and executive session meetings, copious hours of preparatory reading and research, hundreds of hours of conversations with stakeholders about the educational endeavor and meaningful public showcase events with appreciation. The learning curve is gradual: I prepared, showed up, listened, questioned, evaluated, voted. Most often, I enjoyed. Due to much encouragement from across the community, I have decided to run for a second term. During my first term I fostered a renewed sense of process, best practices, analysis, and engagement to board service. I continue to make myself available and responsive to Great Neck’s diverse range of constituents, making a point to guide and follow up on their matters, as appropriate. After over a decade of involvement serving in parent leadership on the district-wide Citizens Advisory, UPTC, Legislative, Shared Decision, selection and other committees, as well as in my children’s schools, I was elected in 2017 in one of Great Neck’s most historic elections. (It remains a measure of note that

the 6,884 votes I received then exceeded the 6,299 votes in favor of the bond that year.) I appreciated the mandate and pledged then — and still do — to bring integrity, a questioning analytical mind, arms-length distance and a fresh set of eyes to the Board of Education. I have lived up to this promise both publicly and behind the scenes. Among other achievements of GNPS during my first term, I am gratified that a pre-Kindergarten program on the north side of town at JFK (to complement the Parkville program) was launched. In addition, I note that during my tenure annual tax levy increases have remained well below the allowable levy limit, while the district has continued to excel. This year I was pleased to have been elected alternative vice president by my board colleagues, and to have been bestowed a NYS School Boards Association “Board Excellence” award in recognition of my eﬀorts. I previously chaired the Board of Education Citizens Advisory Committee in 2018 and 2019, served on the Financial Advisory Committee, and currently serve on the District Safety committee. As a trustee, I am your eyes and ears. This school year (before the abrupt switch to remote learning) I dedicated time to tour ev-

ery one of the district’s programs and buildings. I met with every administrator as well as many teachers and students from preK through Adult Learning and Adult Continuing Education. I remain persuaded that the breadth and depth of what is oﬀered in Great Neck to young and elderly, general education and special education, remedial and exceptional, English Language Learner children and adults, public and private students, remains unparalleled. I would be remiss not to acknowledge challenges, too. I indicated that the 2017 election in which I was first elected was portrayed as a referendum on public education. At the time, it seemed like a once-in-a-generation (or at least 20-year bond term) phenomenon. Alas, given all that has happened since – including Nassau County’s property reassessments, the federal limit on the mortgage interest and property tax exemption, higher than anticipated bids on some bond projects and the transportation contract, the coronavirus pandemic, disruptions from the abrupt shift to to remote learning, a forecasted economic recession, a drastic cut in State Aid, and Albany chatter about the desirability of continuing remote learning after the pandemic – it feels as though the 2020 election

may be of even higher import. Due to social distancing guidelines, this year the vote has been postponed to June 9 and will take place entirely via mail-in ballots. Each qualified voter will soon be receiving a postage-prepaid mailing to vote for Board of Education candidates and the district’s annual operating budget. (The governor’s executive orders nullified petitions with requisite signatures, including my petitions which had been submitted timely to get on the ballot. This year affidavits of self-nomination were permitted. The challenger for the seat submitted a late-hour, selfnominating aﬃdavit.) I have been a resident of Great Neck for 26 years and an involved community member for nearly 20. Community service animates me; my track record in the schools and several other institutions (including the Nassau County Bar Association, SHAI, Temple Israel of Great Neck, and Hadassah) is quite extensive. My husband and I have raised four children, all educated in our topnotch public schools. Although my youngest child is graduating (remotely, online) this year, and though serving as a trustee of the public schools means that professionally I continue to forego taking on local clients to avoid conflicts of interest. If re-elected, I am

willing to continue to volunteer myself to the school board and administration in order for the district to remain the beacon of Great Neck for future generations. I am mindful that property tax payments this year and next will be challenging for many of us. Still, I will vote for the annual school budget to avoid imposing the pains of an austerity budget, for the value of educating our next generation of students, in furtherance of the values of our community and preservation of our historically strong property values (which literally are contingent on our school system). I hope you agree that I merit re-election to a second term despite being opposed by a challenger for the seat. I possess a track record as a reliable steward with a demonstrable record of public service, consensus-building, and accountability. Great Neck’s communal investment in education is inordinately valuable. It remains my privilege to serve and protect it. I am hopeful to remain your trustee of the Board of Education for the next three years Feel free to visit www.rebeccaforboe.com and email rebeccaforboe@gmail.com for more information. Rebecca Sassouni Great Neck

Great Neck Plaza still a virus hotspot

ccording to the Nassau County Dept. of Information Technology, as of 5 p.m. on May 13, there had been 170 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus in the Plaza and that number does not include any pending cases from the state Department of Health. We in the Plaza have the second-highest number of cases on our peninsula and we must continue to take this plague seriously. Walking around the village, members of our campaign have seen several people out walking without masks. Many

experts have said “use a mask” while others have said “not necessary to use a mask.” We feel that for the health and safety of our residents, it’s better to err on the side of caution. Although Gov. Cuomo’s May 14 Executive Order has slowly begun to loosen the quarantine restriction in Phase One industries, he did not include Nassau County in that order because all of the established criteria for reopening had not yet been met. He did add that additional counties meeting the established criteria will be

permitted to reopen their Phase One industries without further Executive Orders. Additionally, all enforcement mechanisms by state and local governments will continue to be in eﬀect until at least June 13. This leaves us without our usual Memorial Day Parade and ceremony at the Old Village Green to remember those who gave their lives so that we could live in freedom. It seems to us that an appropriate way to mark the solemnity of the day would be to stop whatever we are doing and observe a minute of silence at noon

on Memorial Day. We will also be asking the Plaza VigilantFire Company to sound their sirens at noon to mark this memorial. It seems the least we can do to honor the memory of those who have fallen in battle. It appears that the curtailment of our freedom of movement will continue until at least the middle of next month, so our wish and hope for everyone is to remain patient just a little bit longer. Be well and stay safe. Leonard Katz Revive Great Neck Plaza

COMMUNITY NEWS

North Hempstead extends state of emergency North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth has extended the declaration of the state of emergency. All Town facilities will continue to remain closed to the public until Monday, June 11. However, the town reserves the right to reopen sooner depending on orders from Gov. Cuomo. While all town buildings are cur-

rently closed to the public, essential services are continuing to operate as the town maintains the continuity of government with many of its employees working remotely. Please note that the Town’s 311 Call Center remains open to callers seven days a week. As of Monday, May 11 all of the town’s parks including the Champion-

ship Golf Course at Harbor Links are open for passive use. Visitors are being advised that they must wear protective masks when in situations where they are unable to practice social distancing. This declaration allows us the Town to implement public safety measures, purchase essential items and services quickly, and respond to emergency needs.

Nassau County’s Oﬃce of Emergency Management has requested that anyone who observes people gathering and not complying with mandated social distancing regulations to please send an email to ShutDownEnforcement@nassaucountyny.gov. For the latest town updates, visit www.northhempsteadny.gov/coronavirus.

14 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

Opinion

OUR VIEWS

Keep mom safe as Nassau reopens

ould you be OK with allowing your mother to die to help bring back the economy? How about your father or grandfather? Or sister or brother? Or you? The lieutenant governor of Texas thinks you should. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a 69-yearold Republican, recently told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he would rather die than see public health measures intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic continue to damage the U.S. economy. He said he believed “lots of grandparents” across the country would agree with him. “My message: Let’s get back to work, let’s get back to living, let’s be smart about it, and those of us who are 70-plus, we’ll take care of ourselves,” Patrick said. “Don’t sacrifice the country. Don’t do that.” Most Americans, including those 70-plus, do not agree with Patrick’s message. Recent polling shows 63 percent oppose reopening the economy too quickly. But a growing number do seem to agree – including President Donald Trump – despite warnings from scientists in his own administration that opening too soon would lead to needless deaths and suﬀering. Trump has pushed states across the country to open immediately, even when they have not met the metrics for COVID testing and contact tracing recommended by his own CDC. And many governors have complied. Trump cheered on protesters who harassed a News 12 Long Island reporter covering a rally Saturday held by a right-wing group, Setauket Patriots, demanding the reopening of Long Island’s economy. They, like protesters in other

states, have argued that a lockdown infringes on their personal liberties. In a sense they are correct. Lockdowns do infringe on people’s personal liberties – the same way that drunken driving laws infringe upon a person’s right to drink to excess and drive a car. No person’s freedom is absolute. Other people’s rights and safety are a necessary part of the equation. The president and others have argued that we cannot aﬀord not to open the states. There is some truth to this as well. The wide-scale shutdowns necessitated by the administration’s epic incompetence in response to COVID-19 have been catastrophic both economically and on a personal level. More than 36 million Americans have lost their jobs and many business owners face financial ruin. But opening too soon – without properly addressing the threat to our health – could force businesses to shut down a second time as the coronavirus flares up again, claiming still more lives and further undermining consumer confidence. Fortunately, the decision on when to open Long Island and the rest of the state is up to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo has wisely established a plan to reopen regions in the state based on a 14-day decline in hospitalizations, hospital deaths, new hospitalizations, share of total beds available, share of ICU beds available, number of residents tested monthly for COVID-19 and number of contact tracers per 100,000 residents. Each region would then be opened in phases to catch any potential spikes in cases quickly.

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Cuomo’s cautious approach may, in part, be the result of missteps he took at the outset of the pandemic. The governor recently said he wished he had “blown the bugle” sooner and acknowledged that his confidence in New York’s worldclass health care system perhaps led him to underestimate how hard it would hit the city and state. “When we heard in December that China had a virus problem, and China said basically ‘it was under control, don’t worry,’ we should’ve worried,” Cuomo said. “January? February? Where was everyone?” Actually, the alarm bells were going oﬀ as early as January in the Trump administration with stark warnings from the intelligence community and scientists working for him. Unfortunately, those alarms and calls to action were ignored by Trump, reportedly over concerns of hurting the stock market. On Feb. 26, Trump bragged that the United States only had 15 cases and we are “going down close to zero soon.” As of Monday, we had 1.5 million cases and more than 90,000 deaths – with the CDC predicting that we will pass the 100,000 mark by June 1. Even with much of the country locked down for two months. This is a failure that is hard to

overstate. The United States has 4 percent of the world’s population and 29 percent of the world’s deaths. South Korea, which had its first reported case in January – the same as we did – now how 270 deaths. Factoring in differences in population, the United States has 50 times more deaths than South Korea. As one columnist recently noted, if Trump had been president during World War II, we’d all be speaking German today. But that doesn’t mean Cuomo could not have acted sooner. San Francisco shut down March 16 and the rest of California three days later. Three days after that New York closed down. As of May 15, there were nearly 350,000 COVID-19 cases in New York and more than 27,500 deaths – a third of the nation’s total. California had just under 75,000 cases and slightly more than 3,000 deaths. There are certainly many differences between New York and California that will be subject to extensive study in the future. But one thing that we are sure to hear, again, is how easily and quickly the virus spread. And will continue to spread if public health officials cannot test enough people in sufficient numbers, trace those who are infected and quarantine them.

REPORTERS Rose Weldon, Robert Pelaez, Emma Jones

This means taking a cautious approach. Some people have complained about “quarantine fatigue.” This is understandable, but staying home and watching movies is hardly the same as keeping the lights out during the bombing of London in the Second World War. Port Washington parents recently signed a petition calling on the school district to hold an in-person graduation ceremony for high school seniors with safeguards to protect the health of attendees. We understand their desire. Parents, friends and family want to honor this important milestone, but we think this needs to be addressed very carefully. Young men not much older than high school graduates were among those who defended this country in times of war and there are still a number of people with memories of surviving death camps. So there are worse things than not having in-person graduation ceremonies. And as restrictions are lifted, we cannot let our guard down. Basic steps such as maintaining social distancing and wearing a mask in public must be maintained. Especially if you are not someone ready to jeopardize your mother’s life in a misguided pursuit of reopening the country too soon.

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

ON THE RIGHT

Consequences of the shutdown for seniors

very New Yorker is enduring the social, economic and fiscal consequences of the government-ordered shutdown. The hardest hit — seniors. Some 80 percent of the victims of the coronavirus have been over the age of 60. And 5,500 have died in New York nursing homes thanks to stupid decisions by the governor and his Health Department oﬃcials. In recent years, I have come to learn a lot about nursing home facilities. In March, hours after the lockdown began, my 90-year-old mother died in a nursing home— but not of the virus. The last time I saw my 93-year-old father in that same nursing home was when I told him his wife of 70 years had passed away. Thankfully, as I’m writing this essay, he is in good health. Anyone who has visited loved ones in a nursing home, as I have, quickly learns that even a mild head cold can spread quickly from resident to resident. So, in this pandemic, for the governor to order on March 25 that senior residences must accept

elderly who were COVID-positive was maddening. The fact that Gov. Cuomo refuses to take responsibility for his actions compounds his negligence. Heads should roll in the state Health Department and hopefully voters will remember Cuomo’s screw-up and punish him at the ballot box if he seeks a fourth term in 2022. As for the economic impact: 36 million people have applied for unemployment benefits and 23 percent of those lucky enough to have a job have taken pay cuts. In New York, jobless filings have hit 1.9 million. E.J. McMahon, of the Empire Center for Public Policy, has determined that the claims “represent about 21 percent of the state workforce.” He added, “This is well beyond anything we’ve seen before.” Compared to a year ago, unemployment claims on Long Island have jumped 1,535 percent. In households where total income is under $40,000, unemployment is at 40 percent. In April, retail sales were down 16.4%. The largest monthly drop in recorded history. Since February sales in cloth-

GEORGE J. MARLIN On The Right ing stores have been down 89 percent; in electronic and appliance stores, down 65 percent; and food services and drinking establishment sales, down 50 percent. To get out of the house last week, my wife and I drove out to Port Jeﬀerson in Suﬀolk County. This popular destination spot was a ghost town. It struck me that many of those closed shops will probably never reopen. The Long Island retail store vacancy rate, which was about 18 percent before the pandemic, will soar even higher. This means many working-

class folks who were laid off will not return to work. In addition, owners of commercial real estate with no income will default on mortgage payments. Foreclosures will drive down real estate values, which, in turn, means property tax revenues will decline. And fewer shops mean less sales tax revenue. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has reported that in April local sales tax collections, statewide dropped 24.4 percent vs. April 2019. In Nassau County, there was a 26.1 percent decline of $24 million. What does this fiscal crisis mean to taxpayers? First and foremost, Nassau residents will probably be burdened with paying off a lot more county debt. A provision buried in Cuomo’s state budget permits the Nassau Interim Finance Authority to issue hundreds of millions of bonded debt to fund the county government’s operating deficit. Property taxes could also go up. But what about government layoffs before sticking it to civilians?

Too many elected oﬃcials are saying they will have to cut essential services—cops, firemen, first responders—if there is not an infusion of cash from the feds, the state or from taxpayers. This practice, Bob McManus of The Manhattan Institute has observed, “gives cover to politicians eager to move on to the next step—the protection of entrenched interests by expressing deep dismay, and then raising taxes.” Yes, before picking the pockets of the general public, political hacks buried in the bureaucracies of local governments should be canned. And as McManus also suggested, to make ends meet, how about bringing “public employee fringe benefit costs in line with the public sector” or reducing spending to “cost-of-living adjusted national norms” or reducing public pension benefits and corraling Medicaid costs? As so many people are struggling to hang on, there should be no protected political class. Simple fairness demands a level playing field.

A LOOK ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

My secret weapon for surviving lockdown

magine you are finally able to leave your home, after far too long and a scary time indoors. You muster up the courage to leave your apartment. An elevator arrives, the door opens, and you are just about to get in when somebody coughs. Oh, my God, how dare they? This is not a scene from my life — not yet anyway — but from the television series “Monk.” It was carried on USA cable from 2002 to 2009, and I am so glad to have just re-discovered it. It is the single most relaxing way I have found to pass the time since our lockdown started. And it’s all available for the price of membership in Amazon Prime. Anthony Shalhoub plays Adrian Monk, a former detective in San Francisco who suffered a three-year nervous breakdown after his wife was the victim of a car-bombing. At the series’ opening, he has become a consultant, trying to regain his shield by solving all the toughest murder cases for local police. And solve them he does

— despite a debilitating case of obsessive compulsive disorder, with extreme germophobia, a rigid need for organization and a laundry list of phobias. Shalhoub has had many roles since obtaining his master’s from Yale Drama in 1980 — from a sleazy alien pawnbroker in “Men in Black” to the father of Amazon TV’s “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” But the breakout role that made him a star was this one as Adrian Monk. It arguably did even more for those of us who felt we were struggling alone with phobias and OCD. The thing about Monk is that his OCD makes him observant enough to notice tiny clues overlooked by everyone else. As he says, “It’s a blessing….and a curse.” Of course, Monk needs constant support from an assistant, first Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram) and then Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard). Any time he opens a door, touches a button or — heaven help us — shakes someone’s hand, he must be handed a wipe.

JUDY EPSTEIN

A Look on the Lighter Side When a psychic asks everyone to hold hands “to complete the ring,” he oﬀers only his jacketed elbows. I have begun imitating the way he turns oﬀ faucets with a paper towel, and it was enlightening to watch him try to unpack his groceries without actually touching them — he upends the bag they are in and then sorts with a spatula. Back in the Before Times (before coronavirus) this all marked Monk as quite the eccentric, but watching him from lockdown has been strangely

relaxing. I’d begun yelling “Where is your mask?” or “Keep your distance!” at other reruns, at characters in crowded bar and beach scenes. I didn’t realize how tense I was getting till I found “Monk” and let out a huge sigh. Now, with Monk on the case, every episode feels like a small vacation. One of my favorites was “Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico.” He takes 15 suitcases, full of bottled water, sanitizing wipes, and toilet paper…all stolen in his first 10 minutes south of the border. Better him than me! Another high point for me was the episode where Monk must get on a plane. Before he even boards, he demands to know, “When was the last time this plane was disinfected?Everyone else in the episode thinks that he’s crazy. But we don’t — not anymore. Watching the episodes in order on Amazon Prime, it wasn’t until the second season that I encountered another reason why I love this series so: Randy Newman’s theme song,

titled “It’s a Jungle Out There.” Rather than skipping the opens, I laugh aloud every time Newman sings: “People think I’m crazy ’cause I worry all the time, If you paid attention, you’d be worried too; You better pay attention Or this world we love so much might just kill you. I could be wrong now — but I don’t think so ‘Cause there’s a jungle out there!” Recently Shalhoub and some colleagues produced an update, available on YouTube, that shows him washing his hands to the song “99 Bottles of Beer On The Wall” and “sanitizing” his mail in the microwave. (Please don’t try that at home.) He then drops character to tell us that he and his wife have both survived COVID-19. Before going out on his terrace at 7 pm to clap for essential workers, he tells us “We truly are all Monk now.” We couldn’t be in better — or cleaner — hands.

16 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

OUR TOWN

Playing golf in the time of COVID-19 “Now the earth was a formless void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And God said ‘Let there be light’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good.” Genesis 1 This must be what Rory McIlroy, NBC Sports and TaylorMade Golf heard in their sleep about three weeks ago because they managed to enlist some divine intervention from above and produce the first live sporting event in the nation since the entire sports world came to a sudden standstill two months ago on March 12. Sports in the time of COVID has been true March Madness. On weekends golf fans were provided old footage from the PGA, the Brit-

World’s #1 Rory McIlroy shows some leg, some class and lots of humanity at Seminole Golf Club.

ish Open and the US Open. Golf courses were closed, people wore those blue masks and golf fans were provided TV footage of old tournaments that few ever cared about in the first place. But it was necessary to watch because the alternative was to turn to CNN or MSNBC to further enhance one’s anxiety with bad news about death counts and unemployment rates. The level of frustration for all athletes has been at its height in May. A stroll around one’s neighborhood showed nature at its finest. Squirrels and rabbits romped about, birds preened themselves and chirped, flowers bloomed, skies were blue and gardens and lawns were a lush green. Here we were with a double message. Nature was gorgeous yet it was nature itself in the form of tiny microbes that had the potential to strike you dead. So nature, which is every athlete’s playground, was closed for business. We were all left with a short list of fun activities such as going to the supermarket, barbecuing yet another steak or taking a nap. That is until Jimmie Dunne and Rory McIlroy came up with what may become known as the best idea of 2020. They decided to let the public inside the gates of one of the most exclusive and private golf clubs on Earth, Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla. I have played almost all of the best golf

DR. TOM FERRARO Our Town

courses in the world, but to date I have not seen either Augusta National or Seminole and it’s not for lack of trying. This one-day event was called TaylorMade Driving Relief and was to be a charity effort for all those who have been affected by this pandemic. Dunne and McIlroy enlisted Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff to play a skins game to the tune of about $100,000 per hole with all proceeds going to the American Nursing Foundation or the CDC Fund. Golf is famous for its charity work, but this event outdid them all by pulling in $5.5 million from the viewing public, United Health Group, Farmers Insurance and others. When I began watching this event, I was worried there would be no competitive drama and was wishing that Patrick ‘Captain America’ Reed was there to give

the event some juice. But my worries were for naught. On the first hole Matthew Wolff hits a perfect wedge onto the green and we watch as it lands just short of the pin, slowly trickles toward the cup, slowly passes by the cup and then meanders away and ends up 90 feet past and onto a gathering area. Welcome to the Donald Ross masterpiece and what Jimmie Dunne refers to as “greens visited in regulation.” This is the place where Ben Hogan prepared his game before he went to The Masters, which had equally fast greens. I recall interviewing Mark Mielke, who had just gotten back from the US Open played on the other Donald Ross masterpiece Pinehurst. He told me that often if your ball went just three feet past the cup, it was likely to end up 100 feet away and off the green. This type of shot making was required at Seminole. And the banter on display made the day fun to watch. Each player had a mic wired to him and on #3 Wolff hit his tee shot far right into a waste bunker to which McIlroy quipped: “Thank you for practicing social distancing.” And to lighten up the mood even more they had the good sense to get the comic genius Bill Murray on the line through Skype. Murray has to be the coolest man on earth and there he sat in his kitchen fielding the questions from the ever so-

phisticated sports broadcaster of Mike Tirico. Mike remarks to Bill: “Gee, what do you think of these super stars guys wearing shorts and carrying their own bags?” to which Murray quips: “Yea, they almost look human.” Every word out of Murray’s mouth is deadpan and therefore hysterical. Tirico then tries to engage Murray in a bet to which they will donate to the event. Murray responds: “OK, yea, sounds great, let’s bet $15. Fifteen is my lucky number, I can deal with that.” Tirico seems befuddled and does not know how to respond. This is what it’s like when you’re interviewing a very funny man who breathes irony with every word. The famous South Florida wind picks up, the players play wonderfully, have the right tone throughout and it all ends too quickly. Seminole is shown to be an American treasure. The players are in fact shown to be human with their shorts and carrying their own bags and the lustrous world of big time golf becomes humanized for one brief moment in time. The Lord said “Let there be light” and there was light. Finally the lights were turned on and the magic of big time sport shone down upon us, removing all this darkness at least for one special Sunday. Thank you Rory and Dustin and Rickie and Matthew and Jimmie and Bill ‘the funnyman’ Murray.

E A R T H M AT T E R S

Message in a bottle: Use less plastic

e’ve been shocked into a standstill. At first, it felt as a much-needed sabbatical from the fast-paced overcommitted life of non-essential distractions. However, over two months into sheltering-in-place, the coronavirus has claimed the lives of beloved friends and family members and left irreparable wounds in the collective psyche. We are left in limbo, with a sense of uncertainty we’ve never experienced before. When will things return to “normal”? Deep in thought, with my gaze lowered, I came across a “message” in a bottle on my daily walk. I discovered a single-use, nonrecyclable disposable mask tucked inside this plastic bottle that had been kicked to the curb. This message was left on the side of the road at a dead-end street.

Plastic bottles last much longer than a human lifetime. Plastic is material that’s meant to last forever but is frequently used for single-use purposes. A plastic bag has an average working lifetime of fewer than 15 minutes. Now, more than ever, I feel existential angst about the future of mankind, while simultaneously being sincerely curious about what kind of sentient being will stumble upon the remains of this plastic bottle 450 years from now? What will they make of this message? It seems like the Coronavirus crisis has kicked all pressing environmental concerns to the curb for now. New York city suspended their curbside compost pickup until 2021 and early on in this pandemic, many supermarkets brought back the plastic bag. To me, that felt ironic, given the virus lives longer on plastic than on

HILDUR PALSDOTTIR Earth Matters

many other surfaces. Starbucks banned reusable cups and insisted on single-use disposables for your drink. It was striking to witness how quickly we turned away from sustainable long term thinking to return to a throw-away culture in order to create the illusion of

safety. The problem is, we can’t survive the future with short-term thinking. There is no magic bullet, no quick fix. Held hostage by a short term view of safety, many have felt completely justified to jeopardize our future in exchange for convenience. For anyone who’s invested in reducing petrochemical-based plastic pollution, fear of the Coronavirus is only intensified by the underlying climate anxiety that alerts us to the fact that every move we make matters. I worry that increased food deliveries and take-outs, rather than dine-ins are adding to waste streams. I worry about the increased use of singleuse non-recyclable disposables. Even Zero Waste lifestyle blogger Lauren Singer, founder and CEO of the Package Free Shop http://www.packagefreeshop.

com, who hadn’t sent plastic to landfill in eight years reported on how she stocked up on items wrapped in plastic. Global demand for products such as disposable wipes, toxic cleaning agents, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves and single-use masks is at a record high and double-bagging of single-use nonrecyclables at hospitals is standard practice to prevent spread. Plastic industry lobbyists have taken advantage of this frightening moment in time with fear-based campaigns claiming that plastic bags are more hygienic than reusable ones, successfully rolling back on plastic bag bans in several grocery stores across the US. Plastic Oceans International is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about plastic pollution to inspire behavioral change. Continued on Page 38

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

VIEW POINT

Politicizing pandemic as deaths exceed 90K

s absurd, ridiculous, unthinkable as it may seem, the act of wearing a mask has become a badge declaring allegiance to a political tribe, an actual flashpoint for confrontation. Like believing in climate change, it has become a litmus test – those who wear masks are branded a Socialist, a Communist, devoted to a Nanny State, or despicably, the Common Good. And you have to ask yourself why that would be, that instead of Americans coming together to defeat the worst crisis to befall the nation in over a century, there would be the deliberate eﬀort to make the already unprecedented partisan polarization that much worse. “We’re the Wild West,” Gov. Tony Evers told MSNBC just hours after Wisconsin’s Republicanmajority Supreme Court struck down his authority to issue a stayat-home order. “We’re just leaving it open. We’re going to have more cases. We’re going to have more deaths. It’s a sad occasion for the state. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am.” Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, The Hill reported, tweeted, “The people of Wisconsin have done their part to advance our common good during this pandemic and now the WI Supreme

Court has done the bidding of @ SenFitzgerald & @repvos once again to put politics ahead of public health. It’s shameful they can’t put your health and safety first.” Obama’s Attorney General Eric Holder said the court’s ruling was motivated by politics and ideology and had “callously puts lives at risk.” But, The Hill reported, Trump hailed the opinion and the defeat for Evers: “The Great State of Wisconsin, home to Tom Tiﬀany’s big Congressional Victory on Tuesday, was just given another win,” Trump tweeted. “Its Democrat Governor was forced by the courts to let the State Open. The people want to get on with their lives. The place is bustling!” Trump refuses to let Dr. Fauci (or anyone) testify in front of House committees. He suppressed the CDC’s 68-page guidelines detailing how businesses, industries, public entities should reopen. He threatens to withdraw from the World Health Organization and threatens China with a renewed tariﬀ war to shift blame for the fact that the pandemic that has already struck over 1.5 million Americans, killed 90,000, and taken the jobs of 36 million – numbers that far exceed any other country and shine an ultraviolet light on the ineptitude of the Trump administration.

KAREN RUBIN View Point

The pandemic has become so politically charged, and Trump so desperate to reopen the economy to get those deadly numbers down which might hurt his election and stuﬀ people back into those massive adoring rallies, that Trumpfriendly governors are now keeping secret how many people are dying. Surely it is a bad look for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, having noted that 80 percent of the hospitalized COVID-19 patients were black, observing that reopening the state was A-OK even while the numbers of sick were rising because the coronavirus had little impact [on Georgia’s white society]. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has now ordered Medical Examiners not publish the death rates. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is keeping secret the number of deaths

in meat-packing plants, which Trump ordered to reopen under the Defense Production Act, without requiring employers to provide safe conditions for workers. Even the way the dead are counted has become a way of hiding the politically-inconvenient truth: they aren’t counting the dead in nursing homes (hot spots), veterans homes, or those who had other ailments even if COVID-19 was the thing that did them in. And while Trump is challenging the number of dead (or suggesting that 90,000 Democrats died to make him look bad), Dr. Fauci agrees that the number reported could actually be 50 percent higher. Now the Big Lie from the guy who has already made 18,000 of them, is about a vaccine. How funny that a leading anti-vaxer, is now pushing a Warp Speed vaccine that could not possibly be suﬃciently tested for eﬃcacy or health risks if, as Trump says, it will be out by the end of the year (conveniently, just after the election). Is this like his health plan (better, cheaper than Obamacare, you just wait and see!), he promised in the 2016 campaign? So far, his only health plan is to destroy Obamacare, even as 28 million people have lost their employersponsored health insurance, and Trump refuses to reopen enroll-

ment. What exactly is the plan to produce not 330 million, but billions of doses of a vaccine? What is the plan to administer it? That’s what Dr. Rick Bright, the nation’s top vaccine specialist before being fired for refusing to hype snakeoil (hydroychloroquine), wondered about before a House committee (the Senate is too busy trumping up Obamagate to care), while chastising the Trump administration for failing to produce suﬃcient PPE. “The federal government is jumping through hoops to allow companies to develop a vaccine, so the federal government should set rules and say any company that develops a vaccine, the next day that patent, that formula should be given to companies across the globe so they can produce vaccine to treat everyone,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said in Tuesday’s coronavirus briefing at Northwell Health, Manhasset. “It can’t be where only the rich, the privileged can get it. This is a matter of public health, national security.” Cuomo is proposing an Americans First Law that makes sure that government funding supports workers, keeps people employed, and does not allow corporations to get the money but gleefully downsize (“rightsize”) anyway. Continued on Page 23

KIDS F IRST

Astonishing COVID-19 numbers for U.S., L.I.

celebrated my birthday on May 14 in the year of COVID-19. My wife Dale and I usually go out with friends for our birthdays. Obviously, that wasn’t happening this year. So, we ordered in from one of our favorite Italian restaurants. I had baked ziti and Dale had seafood over pasta. We had a seven-layer cake for dessert. It was a beautiful day all day, sunny and in the fifties. Some would say too cool for the spring, but perfect for me. After working remotely all day I took an hourlong walk. Of course, walks now involve masks and neighbors dodging one another as if we all have some kind of disease. Then again, that’s the point. Maybe we do. For my birthday, I assigned myself a research project. I thought it would be interesting to get further perspective on current circumstances, by

conducting a country-by-country, worldwide comparison of confirmed COVID-19-positive cases, against the New York Metro area numbers of the same. Worldwide there were 4,294,101 confirmed cases of infection on May 14. My study includes only countries with more than 10,000 confirmed positive cases, interspersed with numbers from a few nearby places that we are all familiar with. The United States leads the way with 1,420,000. But, before any other country enters the mix, I discovered that New York State at 340,661 cases leads the next country on the list, which is Russia at 242,271, followed by Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy at 221,216. To be clear, I’m not including a population comparison or accounting for underreporting or variable rates of testing. Just raw numbers.

ANDREW MALEKOFF Kids First

Next on the list is New York City (all five boroughs combined) – I want to be a part of it New York, New York — at 188,545, beating out Brazil and Germany, both in the 170,000s and topping the State of New Jersey – ba da bing — at 141,560 barely topping Turkey and then followed by France, Iran and the People’s Republic of China.

China reports 84,464. How can that be right? Less than 10,000 behind China is Long Island at 75,892. We’re less than 10,000 behind? How did that happen? Close behind Long Island is India at 74,281, followed by Peru and Canada. Just topping 70,000. Before we get to the next country – Belgium, Queens, comes in at 57,748, which is followed by Brooklyn at 50,667 – Fuhgeddaboudit. Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands are in the low 40,000s just before Nassau County which is at 38,587, a few strides ahead of Mexico and, followed by Suﬀolk County at 37,305. Among the countries that follow Nassau and Suﬀolk Counties, all with more than 10,000 and in descending order, are Ecuador, Switzerland, Portugal, Sweden, Qatar, Belarus, Singapore, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Bangla-

desh, Poland, Israel, Ukraine, Japan, Austria, Romania, Indonesia, Colombia, South Africa, Philippines, Dominican Republic, Kuwait, South Korea, and Denmark. I thought it was astonishing that after the United States, which tops the list, that New York State, New York City and New Jersey were among the top 10; Long Island and Queens in the top 20; and Brooklyn, Nassau and Suﬀolk Counties all in the top 26 worldwide. Happy birthday to me. Andrew Malekoﬀ is the executive director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the leading children’s mental health agency on Long Island. The Guidance Center is seeing new and existing clients via telephone and video during the COVID-19 crisis. To make an appointment, call (516) 626-1971. Visit www.northshorechildguidance.org for more information.

18 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

ALL THINGS POLITICAL

Ways to replace local government revenue

he COVID-19 recession is here, and it’s severely affecting the budgets of all local governments. Nassau County is projecting a loss this year of roughly $320 million in revenue, from its $3.55 billion budget. Towns, cities, and villages across Long Island have diminished revenue from commercial garbage fees, mortgage recording taxes, building permits, and park and recreation fees. At the same time, local government expenses are higher from their COVID-19 emergency response. Every municipality also has to prepare for next year’s projected jump in health care costs and a spike in pension contributions. It looks like most local municipalities won’t receive federal government bailout money, and New York State, who didn’t sock away nearly enough money in their rainy-day fund, is threatening to cut $8.2 billion that was budgeted this year for local governments. The $103 million in one-shot federal pandemic funding Nassau received won’t come close to filling their 2020 budget deficit. Hempstead was the only town to receive federal pandemic funding, $131 million, and local politicians are pressuring Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin to share it. Former President John F. Kennedy famously said, “When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One

represents danger and the other represents opportunity.” All local governments should be inspired by Kennedy’s quote, and act quickly to take the necessary actions to raise revenue and cut expenses without raising taxes, during an opportune time when there will be little constituent pushback. Here are some initiatives local governments can undertake to raise revenue and cut expenses: Streamline and Automate the Permitting Process Building permits are an important source of revenue to local municipalities. New construction projects will create good paying jobs during a time of high unemployment. Going forward, all building permits should be granted through an expedited online process so long and costly delays are a thing of the past. Businesses will move to Long Island if they know municipal building departments will grant permits quickly. All other local government permits issued by their clerk’s oﬃce should also be available strictly online. There are several good online permitting platforms and one of my favorites is Camino: https://www.camino.ai/ Lease out Landfills for Solar Leasing out capped landfills is an easy way to generate revenue. The Town of Hempstead has an over 100-acre landfill in Oceanside. The Town of North Hempstead has a capped landfill that can be used for solar too. The

ADAM HABER All Things Political going rate for leased land for solar is about $10,000 per acre per year. Create Foreclosure Registries At any given time, roughly 2 percent of all Long Island homes are in various states of foreclosure. Unfortunately, additional homeowners will have trouble making mortgage payments if the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep Long Island’s businesses closed. A foreclosure registry charges banks a semi-annual fee to keep data with a municipality current, such as who is servicing the mortgage and who is in charge of maintaining the property. The Town of Oyster Bay’s foreclosure registry is generating close to $1 million a year, and the Town of Babylon’s about half that. Every local government should create a foreclosure registry. ProChamps is the leading foreclosure registry firm in the industry: https://prochamps.com/HomePage.aspx Develop Municipal Owned Property

While I was deputy chief of staff of Economic Development at the Town of Hempstead, I put together a database of town-owned lots. There were dozens of properties that were prime candidates for development. One that stood out, the former East Rockaway Yacht Club, has been vacant since Hurricane Sandy destroyed it. This one-acre lot is worth well over $1 million and could easily be developed to help mitigate the town’s severe affordable housing shortage. This would generate revenue for the town, create jobs, and put the property back on the tax rolls. Nassau County owns a massive inventory of property from unpaid tax liens. These lots could be given to developers for free, under the condition the county would share in the profits when developed. This would create economic activity, increase tax revenue, and rehabilitate a blighted property. Online Bidding and Electronic Signatures Online bidding decreases time to award a contract, increases transparency, and brings in competition. It can also save local governments up to 30 percent off the cost of procurement and cut the time for bidding a contract in half. SpecBid, a Long Island-based online bidding contractor that already works for Nassau County, is worth considering: http://www. specbid.com/government.html. DocuSign, well known by any-

one who’s ever used an electronic signature to consummate a contract, can also save municipalities precious time and money. Long Island’s governments should get rid of their typewriters and move to consummate all contracts electronically: https://www.docusign. com/solutions/industries/government Vendor Fast Pay It takes a municipality up to 60 days to pay an invoice. A Vendor Quick Pay company pays a municipality’s invoice within 24 hours for a 3 percent discount. Local governments would share this new revenue stream on a percentage basis depending on how quickly they paid the Vendor Quick Pay company back. This could save municipalities up to $20,000 of every $1 million in government invoicing. It’s clear there will be a severe diminishment of revenue and some higher expenses for all local governments for the foreseeable future. Residents can’t afford a property tax hike and municipalities should try to avoid the short-term quick and expensive fix by bonding budget deficits (look at Long Beach as an example why bonding deficits isn’t advisable). Long Island needs its elected officials to proactively act, determine their own fate, and not rely on a government bailout. I hope some of the aforementioned ideas motivate our elected officials to take action now.

READERS WRITE

Why I am running for re-election: Aitken

n Open Letter to the Manhasset Community As a Manhasset resident for over 22 years and the mother of three children who went through our excellent public schools, I decided to run for the Manhasset Board of Education because I cared about our children and because I knew I could make a meaningful contribution. These remain the driving reasons why I decided to run again this year. During my tenure on the board, I’ve enjoyed and benefited from listening to the thoughts, ideas, and concerns of my fellow community members of all ages and across all parts of our community. We actively engaged in the important dialogue about the educational issues we all care about. Our common bond has been our values, which are at the heart of our hopes and aspirations for our

community and our children, and the quality of education we provide to them through the Manhasset Public Schools. I am proud of our many accomplishments, including: • A collaboration that firmly laid the foundation for our district’s top ranking among our nation’s schools – the highest ranked district in our Nassau quadrant, ranked 13th in STEM (Science Technology Engineering & Math) in New York State and 23rd overall. • The overall academic excellence of our Secondary School earned its recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Our graduates attend the best schools in the country that meet their interests and needs in higher education. • Our strong core administrative team, led by our superintendent who is now in his third year at Manhasset, with key skills and knowledge in both the business

and curricular aspects of running our schools. • Fiscal prudence and responsibility, underscored by tax levy increases that averaged 2.1 percent over the past 12 years, among the lowest in Nassau County. I first ran for the board during another challenging and turbulent time in our community. My message then is just as relevant now during today’s uncertainty: we must balance competing demands, collaborate among all stakeholders, and strive to ensure a high-quality education for all students, all within the framework of fiscal prudence. Times like this require wisdom, creativity, and leadership to navigate the unchartered territory that lies ahead. Proven leaders with integrity, without a separate agenda, who are good listeners, who are fair and honest, and who apply their common sense and good judgment to unforeseen is-

sues as they arise. In seeking re-election, I pledge to you that I’m as committed, passionate and focused on this important responsibility as ever. I love this community. I value the education my three children received in our schools. I’m proud and humbled to be an advocate for public education as a member of the Manhasset School Board, most recently as President. And I’m proud of my strong record of maintaining and improving an excellent education for our children, and engaging transparently with community stakeholders to build consensus, all while exercising fiscal responsibility. My extensive experience and knowledge of the school district will be particularly important as we navigate the challenging educational and budgetary issues that lie ahead. My professional skills in banking, finance, and in managing

financially troubled businesses, along with my belief in fiscal responsibility, are only part of the equation. The impetus to initially become involved on the school board was my commitment to bring about positive change, my sincere motivation to do what’s right for all our students and to serve our community and our children. Today, that remains my motivation to stay involved. In asking for your vote, I ask you to consider my demonstrated abilities as an objective board member who works collaboratively through consensus, and my commitment to continue bringing about positive change while guided by fiscal responsibility. I ask for your support and, as always, I welcome your questions or comments. Pat Aitken Manhasset More Letters on Page 24

The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

COMMUNITY NEWS

Happening at the Great Neck Library Great Neck Library and School Budget Vote June 9 The Great Neck Library and school budget Votes will be held by absentee ballot on Tuesday, June 9 this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Library Budget for 2020-21 was adopted/approved by the Board of Trustees on May 11, 2020. This information has been sent to the School District. The School District Budget vote, as well as the Library Budget vote, will be handled by the School District. The School District will send out the absentee ballots along with a postage-paid envelope. The proposed Library Budget can be found at https://www. greatnecklibrary.org/libinfo/ pdfs/budgetvote/2021Budget. pdf Pursuant to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order No. 202.26, the 2020 School Budget Vote and Election will take place on Tuesday, June 9. Due to health and safety concerns, the Governor has ordered this vote to take place by absentee ballot only. The district will mail each qualified voter an absentee ballot, a postage-paid return envelope, and information regarding the submission of the absentee ballot. Completed ballots must be received by the District Clerk by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9. EXTENSION — Search for prospective candidates for the Great Neck Library Board of Trustees and Nominating Committee The Nominating Committee is searching for candidates to fill 2 seats on the Library Board of Trustees (Rebecca Miller and Josie Pizer) and 2 seats on the Nominating Committee (Cheng Carey Ye and Siu Long (Alex) Au) that will be expiring in January 2021. Those elected will take oﬃce at the Library Association Annual Reorganization Meeting in January 2021. Any nominee for a position on the Board of Trustees or the Nominating Committee must be a member of the Great Neck Li-

brary Association by 5:00 p.m. on the Record Date of October 5, 2020. All persons 18 years of age or older, who are residents of the Great Neck School District and are either valid library cardholders or registered voters with the Nassau County Board of Elections, will be members of the Association. Interested members should e-mail a letter and resume by FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2020 to: The Chair of the Nominating Committee c/o The Director’s Oﬃce: gchase@greatnecklibrary.org. The Great Neck Library Election is scheduled to be held on October 26, 2020. Great Neck Library Online Programs Saturday, May 23 2:00 — 2:30 p.m. Chapter Book Read Aloud Daily The sessions will be recorded. LIVE on the Great Neck Library’s Facebook page. Visit:https://www.facebook. com/GreatNeckLibrary/ 2:30 — 3:00 p.m. Spanish Bilingual Birdies on Saturdays Young children learn foreign languages through music and movement. Spanishand English. Join: https://us04web. zoom.us/j/75906116388?pwd =aFFoM2tScmE0bjRlVWtNcmZrMXgvdz09 Meeting ID: 759 0611 6388 Password: 6swm9K 5:00 — 6:30 p.m. Play Reading Zoom Meeting ID: 813 614 2806 Password: password jrobinson@greatnecklibrary.org 8:00 — 9:00 p.m. Improv Live Zoom Meeting ID: 878 6530 0225 Password: funny bweil@greatnecklibrary.org Monday, May 25 10:00 — 10:30 a.m. Storytime @ Home with Judy A. 3:30 — 4:30 p.m.

Basics of Film Editing Zoom Meeting ID: 864 3493 4370 Password: 001149 stemlab@greatnecklibrary. org Tuesday, May 26 9:30 — 10:30 a.m. Yoga Flow facilitated by Carolyn Join Online — Series Open to All Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8639285494 8?pwd=NkpYc01lT2VsbHN0Q XhObE5BNStYdz09 or download Zoom and enter meeting ID and password Meeting ID: 863 9285 4948 Password: 723725 10:00 — 10:30 a.m. Storytime @ Home with Judy S. https://drive.google.com/ open?id=1mS9DMobP34rnN0F yIVmQmRP2lBJWp793 11:00 — 11:40 a.m. Storytime with Miss Kat LIVE on the Great Neck Library’s Facebook page. Visit:https://www.facebook. com/GreatNeckLibrary/ 5:00 — 6:00 p.m. Quaranzine Learn the basics of making zines! ZoomMeeting ID: 966 8040 7928 Password: 023096 lsweeney@greatnecklibrary. org Wednesday, May 27 10:00 — 10:30 a.m. Storytime @ Home with Sandy https://drive.google.com/ open?id=1NoyqgHTeW36P7T0 XxLhVSSYAc2ef5oto 2:00 — 2:45 p.m. Graphic Chat: Empire State: A Love Story (or not) Join librarian Justin for a discussion of the book: Empire State: A Love Story (or not)by Jason Shiga Live via Zoom Meeting ID: 834 3901 9923 Password: 744449 The book is available through Hoopla using your library card: https://www.hoopladigital. com/title/12474829 3:30 — 4:30 p.m.

Get the latest in community y news in Print and Online visit us 24 hours a day 7 days a week at www.theislandnow.com

3D Design Club All-ages program but recommended for those who already have some experience with 3D design. Stemlab@ greatnecklibrary.org. Meeting ID: 819 2367 2098 Password: Tinkercad 8:30 — 10:00 p.m. Jackbox Late Edition Play party games. Zoom Meeting ID: 934 5199 6506 Password: Lvlstriv mmeehan@greatnecklibrary.org Thursday, May 28 10:00 a.m. Rocking with Darlene Bonding with your child through Music and movement. Register in advance: https://zoom.us/meeting/ register/tJMrc-Chqz8vHNCqA59oR93ic_sCfehSoFn5 2:00 — 3:00 p.m. From Milton Berle to David Letterman: A History of TV Comedy Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85 087676863?pwd=TjQrZEF2TE tscEM3RHlqZDVOTXFpZz09 or download zoom and enter meeting ID and password Meeting ID: 850 8767 6863. Password: 930549 2:30 — 3:15 p.m. Virtual Magic with Amore Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom. us/j/88619367481?pwd=NDh rc0gzaC9kZGdRZDRoVnlCd0Z Hdz09 Meeting ID: 886 1936 7481 Password: 879620 3:30 — 4:30 p.m. Wordpress Basics Zoom Meeting ID: 865 2959 2013 Meeting Password: 479385 jpoland@greatnecklibrary. org 7:00 — 8:00 p.m. Yoga Flow facilitated by Sharon Epstein Series open to All Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82 626187198?pwd=UDVIVzlpS2 dPdEtlMVdLWHIyZG1Udz09 or download Zoom and enter meeting ID and password

Meeting ID: 826 2618 7198 Password: 584172 8:00 — 10:00 p.m. Virtual Project Runway Draw virtual fashion designs. Zoom Meeting ID: 895 9214 7840 Password: projectrun jrobinson@greatnecklibrary.org Friday, May 29 9:00 a.m. — 2:25 p.m. Scavenger Hunt @ Home Fun for children. https:// docs.google.com/a/greatnecklibrary.org/document/d/19r a09AB SNjRWT7YFU8xj73n dvfwxmNipZl_HLFuMFlM/ edit?usp=drive_web 12:00 — 12:45 p.m. Friday Films The Dressmaker Free on Kanopy, then join fellow patrons and media staﬀ to discuss the film with Zoom. Meeting ID: 811 7415 7765 Password: 010871 cdipietro@greatnecklibrary. org 2:30 — 3:00 p.m. Mandarin Bilingual Birdies on Fridays Young children learn foreign languages through music and movement. Mandarin and English. Join: https://us04web. zoom.us/j/71345877824?pwd =ZFZsZ3haZ21sYlBuME1GOStFbVBQdz09 Meeting ID: 713 4587 7824 Password: 1tDhRn 3:30 — 4:30 p.m. Hour of Code: Minecraft! Will work best on a laptop/ desktop. Children under 10 may need assistance. Zoom.com Meeting ID: 874 3125 5126 Password: 969037 ahinz@greatnecklibrary.org 4:00 — 4:20 p.m. Crafternoon Fun Facebook page:https:// www.facebook.com/GreatNeckLibrary/ 7:30 — 9:30 p.m. Virtual Board Games Zoom meeting ID: 871 0657 2590 Password: games jlagasse@greatnecklibrary. org

20 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

GRADUATION TRAYS & HERO’S

Half Trays $35 (feeds 6) Full Tray $65 (feeds 12)

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Bethpage Air Show goes on online BY E M M A J ON ES On Monday, Nassau County oﬃcials announced an initiative to honor fallen veterans this Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, despite the cancellation of parades and other traditional celebrations due to the coronavirus pandemic. The county, in partnership with Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and veterans, has provided posters featuring the American flag and poppy flowers, asking that residents print them out and tape them in the upper right hand corner of their front doors. “All gave some; some gave all,” the posters read. “This is a simple way to honor those men and women of our armed forces that we have lost, and show our patriotism and unity this Memorial Day,” the county’s press release states. The poster initiative is a nod to the tradition of placing American flags on graves in military cemeteries on Memorial Day. Residents can access the posters on the Nassau County legislature’s website.

The annual Bethpage Air Show, a Memorial Day event honoring the U.S. military, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Residents can download an activity book on the Bethpage Air Show website. The Village of East Williston will alter their Memorial Day traditions this year. At 12 p.m., the village will hold a parade to honor those who died while serving in the United States armed forces. The drive-through will be led by the East Williston Fire Department. Residents are encouraged to show their support from their front lawns as the parade passes. Volunteers will distribute small flags to residents’ homes on the morning of the holiday. Veterans who would like to participate in the drive-through should meet at the East Williston Firehouse before the parade begins. The village typically also holds a Memorial Day 5K Race. Mayor Bonnie Parente announced in an email on Wednesday, April 15, that the race had been canceled. It is possible that the race will be held later in the year.

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The county has provided printable posters for residents to hang on their front doors to commemorate fallen veterans.

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

Up to $360M in lost sales tax revenue: report BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Nassau County residents can expect up to a $360 million, or 28.20 percent, decrease in sales tax revenue for the 2020 fiscal year due to the coronavirus, according to the latest analysis conducted by the oﬃce of Nassau County Comptroller Jack Schnirman. According to the analysis, sent out by the comptroller’s oﬃce on Monday, the county had been on pace to achieve revenue growth from last year’s sales tax. The growth included enhanced internet sales tax as of June 2019, an addition that has mitigated a small percentage of the loss, according to the analysis. The analysis also included a hypothetical scenario which takes a second wave of the virus into account. Under that scenario, the

county could lose $665 million to $1 billion in sales tax revenue in 2020 and 2021. “COVID-19 has dealt the County economy an unprecedented gut punch and these numbers show the potential effect on County government,” Schnirman said in a statement. “Based upon our available data, our new sophisticated modeling tool currently projects worse consequences than previously anticipated.” The analysis will continue to provide projections of various models related to variable revenues, including sales tax and various fees, according to the comptroller’s office. The analysis is created with a modeling tool and the expertise of an outside accounting and consulting firm, according to the comptroller’s office. County sales tax revenues, according to

the comptroller’s oﬃce, were exceeding expectations in the first quarter of 2020 after performing strongly in 2019. The ongoing analysis will provide projections and assess what potential measures may need to be considered to mitigate negative impacts on the government’s finances. Schnirman described the projections as “truly troubling” in his statement. According to the analysis, the New York State Association of Counties reported in early May that the county would lose between 9.2 and 22.4 percent in sales tax revenue. “These projections show potential low and high impact ranges based on a variety of factors that we will continue to monitor and reflect the best information we have at this time,” Schnirman said. “As new data and information are updated, the Comptroller’s Of-

fice will use this tool and other techniques to update these projections so that our County Executive and Legislature are armed with the data they need to make choices for residents.” Sales tax has historically accounted for 40% of Nassau County’s revenue stream, making it the county’s largest source of county revenue, according to the comptroller’s office. Nassau is expected to see a total revenue loss of $319.4 million from its $3.55 billion budget this year, according to a report from the county’s Oﬃce of Management and Budget. “This is where fiscal discipline is actually on our side,” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said about the expected losses. “We can apply the savings we got from being fiscally disciplined last year towards this crisis.”

Guidelines issued on disease affecting kids BY R O S E W E L D ON The state Department of Health has issued an advisory on a disease associated with children testing positive for COVID-19. In a statement issued May 13, the department reported a possible link between COVID-19 and pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome. “Suspect cases of PMIS have been reported by hospitals in New York State and are under investigation by the New York State Department of Health,” the statement reads. “Suspect and confirmed cases of PMIS potentially associated with COVID-19 in those under 21 years of age are required to be reported to the [Department of Health].” The department says a possible link between pediatric COVID-19 and serious inflammatory disease was first reported in the United Kingdom. PMIS has features that overlap with Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome, and may occur days to weeks after acute COVID-19 illness. It can include persistent fever, abdominal symptoms, rash and even cardiovascular symptoms requiring intensive care. “We’re still learning a lot about this vi-

rus and we must remain vigilant because the situation is changing every day,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement on May 14. “We now have 110 cases of COVID-related inflammatory illness in children and I expect this is only going to grow. We are leading the national eﬀort to better understand and combat this new emerging syndrome, and we want to make sure everyone is informed and is looking out for the symptoms of this illness in children.” State reports indicate 110 reported cases in New York where children, predominantly school-aged, are experiencing these symptoms, possibly due to COVID-19. The illness has already taken the lives of three young New Yorkers, including a 5-year old from New York City, a 7-year old from Westchester County and a teenager from Suﬀolk County. No such cases or deaths have yet been reported in Nassau County. The department has also issued a preliminary case definition for PMIS based upon the review of cases to date. Criteria include an individual younger than 21 years with a minimum one-day history of subjective or objective fever over 100.4° F. Continued on Page 35

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22 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

Cindy Grosz seeks GOP nomination Columnist and Jewish activist looks to challenge District 4 Representative Kathleen Rice BY E M M A J ON ES Woodmere resident Cindy Grosz is seeking the Republican nomination in the congressional primary election on June 23 to go up against incumbent Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City) in the general election. Douglas Tuman, commissioner of engineering for the Town of Hempstead, is running against Grosz for the nomination. His campaign platform centers around infrastructure improvements, making the community more aﬀordable for new families and the elderly and addressing the coronavirus pandemic by “allowing capitalism to flourish more freely” rather than instituting government policies, according to his campaign website. Grosz, a Long Island native who attended the Hewlett-Woodmere schools, is a columnist, radio personality and Jewish activist. She has written for publications including The Times of Israel and The Reactionary Times, and is a contributor and co-host on “The Jersey Joe Show.” She is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump. “President Trump has an excel-

lent record of supporting all religious freedoms,” she told Blank Slate Media. “I was honored to be at the embassy opening in Jerusalem and at the White House when President Trump signed the executive order combating antiSemitism. “Congresswoman Kathleen Rice was absent from each event,” she added. “She has never publicly called out ‘The Squad’ on their public hate,” referring to a group of progressive Democratic first-term congresswomen. She said that she believes Rice to be “out of touch with her base” in the 4th Congressional District. “If you compare the accomplishments of another Congressman from Long Island, Lee Zeldin, who is a Trump supporter like myself, you see how NY-04 is losing,” she said. If elected, Grosz would be the “first religious Jewish congresswoman from either party,” she said. “NY-04 neighborhoods support Judeo-Christian values,” she asserted. She has helped write legislation “for oversight in classrooms that demand fact over fiction lessons about Judeo-Christian values,” according to her website. She is also an adviser for the Na-

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tional Diversity Coalition for Trump, a group founded in 2016 to win Trump the support of minority voters and to push back on accusations that Trump’s anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric is discriminatory. The group never oﬃcially met, according to a 2017 article in The New York Times written by Javier Palomarez, a former member and president and chief executive of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “I have been outspoken and have been working on rebuilding the blackJewish relationship that Democrats have been destroying for years,” said Grosz. “During the quarantine, I have been involved in discussions to help small businesses in minority communities. I am personal friends with many of the black Republican candidates from all over the country and will work with them directly when we are all elected in November.” Grosz stressed that voters should vote for her over her opponent because of her background as an activist rather than a politician. “I am not a career politician and I am the only candidate [who] does not [take] home a paycheck from any government oﬃce,” Grosz said. “I am known as an outspoken activist who gets things done. Every voter I speak with says the same thing, ‘We want change!’” “[Voters] want someone who will work with President Trump,” she add-

ed. “They want to see a Republican House of Representatives that will not waste any more money on bogus investigations when so many right at home in our district are struggling to make ends meet.” When asked how she would address climate change and its eﬀect on public health and the environment, Grosz said that she supports Trump and his administration on these issues. Earlier this month, Grosz served as the Long Island-Queens chair of the March for Trump Drive for Freedom, one of many “MAGA May Day” parades across the country. “Our goals include reopening America safely and responsibly, protecting our constitutional and civic rights, and making America independent again, for me, making NY-04 independent again,” she said. Rich Azzopardi, an adviser to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, pushed back on the protesters, citing the “New York State on PAUSE” order. “The progressives are using the pandemic as a way to slide their agenda into legislation that has nothing to do with COVID-19, and we find that their eﬀorts to support projects like the Kennedy Center are harmful to smallbusiness owners and hard-working nonessential workers who need funds for food and rent,” Grosz said when asked how she would address the economic impact of coronavirus on the community.

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

Bid to dismiss child abuse lawsuits denied BY R O S E W E L D ON A state judge has upheld the New York law that lifted the statute of limitations on sexual abuse claims. The judge, Steven Jaeger of state Supreme Court in Nassau County, last week rejected a bid by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre to dismiss 44 lawsuits filed against it under the Child Victims Act, which created a special yearlong period in which New York allowed the filing of molestation lawsuits previously barred by time limits. The diocese filed a motion last fall asking the court to dismiss all the claims against

VIEW POINT

Politicizing COVID-19 pandemic Continued from Page 17 He is calling for a repeal of the cap on SALT (State And Local Taxes) deductions which so penalizes New York and other blue states and is pushing for $500 billion in funding so that states and local government can maintain vital services, including hospital workers, police, fire, teachers. “It’s about priorities, values,” he said. “I understand large corporations fund the political accounts of officials, but they get elected by people – people still vote, people still matter. Show the same consideration for workers you showed for corporations.” Cuomo continues to maintain that the pandemic isn’t a Red versus Blue thing, but I challenged him that was “wishful thinking” or perhaps just being diplomatic, not to piss off those who control the purse strings. New York is already staring at a $61 billion budget deficit because of COVID-19 and will need federal aid within a matter of weeks or start cutting services. “I have no doubt that many politicians act through politics. But I am saying today, in this situation, they should rise above and this should not be about politics, it should not be about red versus blue. People who are dying are Americans, red white and blue. It is such an ugly concept in this situation where people are dying to say they will not bail out a blue state.” Tell that to McConnell, who in the midst of the Great Recession, as Americans were losing their homes, jobs, health care, retirement and college savings, McConnell’s priority was to make Obama a one-term president. Now, McConnell is salivating at the political advantage the pandemic affords: weakening Democratic governors and suppressing Democratic votes in the bargain.

it on the ground that the suspension of time limits on sexual abuse lawsuits was an unconstitutional violation of its due process rights. Jaeger said in his decision that the New York courts have previously upheld suspensions of time limits as a remedy in extraordinary cases. “Based on this legislative history, the court finds the Child Victims Act is a reasonable response to remedy the injustice of past child sexual abuse,” Jaeger wrote. “Accordingly, it does not violate defendant diocese’s right to due process under the New York State Constitution.” Before the passage of the Child Victims

Act, a survivor of child sexual abuse had until the age of 23 to file charges or a civil claim. With the passage of the law, survivors have until age 28 to file criminal charges, and age 55 to file a lawsuit. Over 1,700 lawsuits have been filed in New York state since the act was passed. Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently extended the period to file a lawsuit, which was set to end in August, to January. Places in the Diocese of Rockville Centre named in the lawsuits include Chaminade High School in Mineola, Our Lady of Fatima in Manorhaven, St. Mary’s Church and St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset, St. Agnes Cathedral High School in Rockville Cen-

tre, St. Hyacinth Parish and All Saints Regional Catholic School in Glen Head, Good Shepherd Parish and Church in Holbrook, Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, St. Andrew’s Parish and Elementary School in Sag Harbor, St. Barnabas Parish and Church in Bellmore, St. Joseph’s Parish and Church in Babylon, St. Lawrence Parochial School in Sayville, St. Patrick’s Parish and School in Bay Shore, St. Philip and St. James Church in St. James, Camp Alvernia in Centerport, Holy Family School in Hicksville, St. Hugh’s in Huntington Station, St. Ignatius Loyola in Hicksville, St. John of God in Central Islip, St. John’s Hospital in Smithtown and St. Rosalie’s in Hampton Bays.

Roslyn village COVID rate highest Continued from Page 11 beginning on May 15 rather than across the entire length of the pandemic’s New York arrival in early March. Cuomo’s secretary, Melissa DeRosa, said on Monday that the change was made after the original lockdown order expired in New York. “What we’ve been very clear on is once we hit May 15, as soon as a region hit the benchmarks, they could enter phase one,” DeRosa said. “So the time reset on May 15, which was the end of the pause.” The five metrics that the Long Island region met are having a 14-day decline in hospitalizations, conducting 30 monthly tests per 1,000 residents, having a 30 percent capacity of total hospital beds, a 30 percent capacity of intensive care unit beds and having at least 30 contact tracers for 100,000 residents. The two that it still needs to meet are a 14-day decline in hospital deaths or fewer than five deaths per day, and having at least 30 contact tracers for 100,000 residents (which the state expects the county to achieve). As of Tuesday, according to state figures, Long Island had a six-day decline in hospital deaths, but averaged 13 over a three-day span. The region has made 31 percent of to-

tal hospital beds and 37 percent of intensive care unit beds available, surpassing the 30 percent benchmark required by the state. State figures indicated that the county is expected to achieve the contact tracing metric for 100,000 residents as well. While it remains under the state-mandated amount, Long Island had the thirdhighest three-day average of new hospitalizations with 1.67 per 100,000 residents per day, according to state figures. Steve Bello, a senior vice president and regional executive director at Northwell Health, said that Long Island’s high density could potentially make it diﬃcult for the region to fall under the six-death mark set by the state. “Some of the metric goals that make sense upstate don’t apply here,” Bello told Newsday. “To get to five deaths could take a while.” Northwell had 909 patients who had tested positive for the coronavirus at its hospitals as of Monday, a 73 percent decrease since its April 7 peak, according to statistics provided by Northwell. Once Long Island achieves the seven mandated metrics, phased reopening can begin. Most regions of the state except for New York City and Long Island have already begun phased reopening. The first phase of the plan, according to

Cuomo, will include opening construction and manufacturing functions with low risk, so long as the health trends continue to meet the guidelines. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran touted the significance that the first phase of reopening will have on Long Island. “Phase one for us means a lot of people will be coming back to work,” said Curran. “Seventeen percent of total jobs on Long Island are in construction, manufacturing and wholesale trade.” Phase two, Cuomo said, is a more indepth look at each business on a case-by-case analysis, and finding the best ways for them to reopen. He said oﬃcials will determine a business’ essential service to the community, the risks of reopening and the importance of its reopening. Cuomo said business owners must analyze the precautions and safeguards that will need to be potentially addressed for each individual business. Two weeks must pass before the next part of the plan is implemented, Cuomo said, in order to eﬀectively monitor its impact. He said two weeks covers the incubation period of the virus. Cuomo said coordinating testing and tracing throughout the state’s regions will aid in determining when schools and transportation systems can safely reopen.

CHART CREATED BY ROBERT PELAEZ

More than 4,100 North Shore residents had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Monday night, according to figures provided by the Nassau County Department of Health.

24 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

READERS WRITE

Mother’s Day 2020 This morning I’m in the kitchen Looking out a sunny window, a rose Wants water but smiles the deepest color still, Pink doubling with white. When I look at the flowering It still brings me miles from myself— I walk along this textured path Sometimes a tightrope, thinking, What it means to wonder and dream, And hang in there—an experienced way Of acting and thought. It is honest work, Constantly moving forward, Pushing through time, progressing, Defying loss and gravity all for love, Where life begins and ends From the moment of creation. The result is a lot to be thankful for. Stephen Cipot Garden City Park

Block offers fresh ideas

s a frequent attendee of Port Washington Board of Education meetings, it was surprising to me that a district that claims to be so student-focused would basically abandon students when they need their teachers most. Everyone knew school closures

were coming. Why didn’t Port Washington have a plan? And from what I hear, there are no guarantees that we are coming back in the fall. We need someone on the Board that understands these issues. Adam Block is a public health professor. He understands the mag-

nitude of the pandemic and will help Port Washington to be prepared for how to handle education as we face our most diﬃcult year so our schools are not blindsided again. Helene Weingrow Port Washington

What I offer Port board: Block

hen I look around I see exasperated parents trying to balance socialdistancing, working from home and remote learning with their children. And I see the school district providing 45 minutes a week of “teaching” while private schools, religious schools and even pre-schools provide 10 times as much. The others running for board are

part of the district leadership and somehow think the district, is doing a great job as does the entire board. I will be an independent voice for the students of this district. I have two young children in the district and one entering kindergarten in the fall. A vote for me is a vote for an independent voice, otherwise there will be seven very similar voices con-

tinuing business as usual as the rest of the community faces a pandemic. The school closure has exposed a Board that is out of touch with the community it serves. Port Washington needs fresh blood. Adam E. Block, PhD Candidate for Port Washington Board of Education

Block needed on Port ed board

istening to the Board of Education trying to pass a budget is like a comedy of errors. They say they are promoting virtual education, but cannot even use a tool like ZOOM, Google Hangouts or even a simple conference call to permit the public feedback required by law. And I wonder is this incompetence, or do they just not want to hear the voice of their constituents. And I am not sure which is

worse. Either way, I feel uncomfortable with their control over $160 million budget, especially at a time when our community is so vulnerable. We need change at the Port Washington school board. The parents are unhappy with the online schooling, they want more and the board seems unwilling or unable to respond. Fortunately, we now have a choice. A long time Port Washington resi-

dent named Adam Block has entered the election to give us a new perspective and new ideas. He is a product of Port public schools, a Harvard alum a former economist for Congress and has kids in the district. We need a new voice to represent the people. I am voting for Adam Block for School Board.

I’m a Democrat and a retired psychiatrist and I discredited Hal Sobel’s irrational, false statements a year ago in my letter to Port Washington Times (June 5, 2019). I said then that “the only person who is ‘irrational’ in his statements is Hal Sobel in his letter of May 3, 2019 to the Port Washington Times, not President Trump “ Sobel again now calls President Trump “crazy, “based largely upon his narcissism” (May 15, 2020). A year ago Sobel called Trump “narcissistic” and I said in my letter of June 5 that “anyone who wants to run for president has to be somewhat narcissistic, i.e. Clinton, Obama, Reagan, etc.” The other types of people who are narcissistic are people who write letters to the editor every week, seeking attention and praise from the public, like Hal Sobel. Sobel now raises the question: “Is Trump unfit to hold the presidency?” Sobel said “there is much evidence to

prove that this is true.” He cites two statements that Trump made as proof: “I created the greatest economy the world has ever seen” and “if I weren’t president we’d be at war with North Korea ” Sober questions whether this is “delusion.” There is truth in both of Trump’s statements, not a delusion. The unemployment rate was the lowest it’s ever been until the virus ruined our lives, temporarily. The GDP was the highest it’s been in many years. This is a fact, not a delusion. Trump flew to North Korea to defuse the tension caused by missiles, which could reach Seattle, being fired every week. I don’t know if any other president would have flown to North Korea to meet with its president to stop the missiles from being fired. So Trump is not “unfit to hold the presidency” based on his factual statements. Sobel said “Trump’s constant need for attention is pathological.” No, it isn’t! Neither was it pathological for our pre-

vious presidents. And even though Mr. Sobel’s need for attention far exceeds President Trump’s, it is not pathological. There are so many things that Mr Sobel erroneously blames Trump for, such as increased homicides, suicides, and tension in the world, I can’t go into them all. But the last ridiculous, false statement Sobel makes is when he cites Dr. Bandy Lee, a psychiatrist who held a conference that led to publication of a book titled “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump.” Dr. Lee invited thousands of psychiatrists to attend this conference, including me, but only 20 showed up. She has been discredited by many other psychiatrists, including Dr. Allen Frances, a Democrat who hates Trump and is chairman of the psychiatry department at Duke. He called her book “silly” and accused her of forming a diagnosis of Trump without meeting him. Continued on Page 25

Block offers fresh ideas to Port ed board Trump’s mental health fine

e have a Board of Education election in Port Washington in a few weeks (June 9) and I just learned about a new candidate that would bring a much-needed injection of new blood to the school district. His name is Adam Block, and he has some wonderful ideas on how to better the school district as well as the professional experience to do the complicated financial wok of the board. Adam grew up in Port Washington and has returned recently as he has always loved this town. He wants to improve our schools by expanding what they oﬀer the students. From early drop oﬀ options that will help parents juggle jobs and child care to additional after school activities, to developing internship programs at Weber and Schreiber. Adam has new ideas that he has seen work at other schools on Long Island and Westchester and I believe they can work here. The corona pandemic has shown that Port Schools need to be more proactive and less reactive. Our schools could most certainly use a new perspective that will bring our district to a brighter and exciting future. Hank Ratner Port Washington

Steve Weingrow Port Washington

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

READERS WRITE

SALT follies continue to entertain

ou have to laugh at the battle being fought out over the restoration of the SALT deduction. The controversy is being stoked on The Andy Cuomo Show, and Rep. Tom Suozzi has made it a centerpiece of his legislative eﬀorts, all the while knowing the GOP-controlled Senate will file the request in a paper shredder. The theatre doesn’t end there. We have the spectacle of The Empire Center’s E.J. McMahon coming out squarely against reimplementing SALT. Why? His reasoning is — get this — that it chiefly benefits the wealthy! This is coming from a man who has meat axed his own spleen for decades against imposing higher taxes on the wealthy by the state! Now blatant hypocrisy like this is common, but this one is particularly, pardon the expression,

rich. Other Conservative outlets, like the Tax Foundation, which never met a tax cut it didn’t like for the wealthy, are also crying foul for the same altruistic reason. Oddly, they had no problem with the near-total elimination of the estate tax and the reduction in the top marginal tax bracket in the same bill. How odd is that, huh? There’s also a clever sleight of hand being deployed here, and for those on the left, this poses a bit of a dilemma: most of the states punished by the SALT restriction are Blue states, and we all know this was an act of political cruelty by Trump and his henchmen in the Senate. However, the SALT restriction was accompanied by an increase in the exemption to $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for married couples. The exemption for the child tax credit began at $110,000 under

the old law. TCJA expanded that to $400,000. So, we might consider this “progressive” taxation, even if cynically implemented. But as far as I can tell, no one is proposing those bits of legislation get dialed back along with eliminating the SALT restriction, making it a win-win for the state. Tom Suozzi really had me fooled. All this time I thought he was a middle of the road kind of guy. SALT has been part of the tax code since 1913 when the income tax was first established. I’m not sure why no one has pursued it, but there is a thin reed of a legal basis behind it, the same one that allows states to pay tax-free interest on state-issued debt to residents living intrastate. But there is a more sinister backdrop to the movement to repeal. An economics professor at Pace University I correspond with

noted: “When I lived in Michigan I was horrified to find Grand Rapids City schools used outsourced online classes to oﬀset teacher shortages. Why shortages? Because wealthy folks incorporated East Grand Rapids to hoard tax revenue. Grand Rapids was an incredibly segregated place. A poster child for how zip code dependent economic freedom can be. The saddest part for me was the colleagues who thought it was awful, but “we still moved to East Grand Rapids for the schools.” Ah, the limiting societal eﬀect of rational self-interest.” Sound familiar? Your county works exactly like this, and it’s done a lot of damage for the residents who don’t happen to work for no-bid law firms. The other reason for advocating SALT? It gives the civil service unions the fiscal runway for a gym

teacher to pull down $145,000 a year. There’s only one way to make that palatable for the wealthy. By expensing the cost. Of course, there is a way to restructure our revenue and spending stacks to repair this. But that’s too much like work and it would take political courage. There’s no chance of that happening with our hand-picked class of political deadbeats. I mean, who has the time, what with Martin Luther King Day coming up? “While probably no former time tolerated so many diverse opinions on religious or philosophical matters, factual truth, if it happens to oppose a given group’s profit or pleasure, is greeted today with greater hostility than ever before.” – Hannah Arendt Ever thus. Donald Davret Roslyn

Cuomo has failed in handling of coronavirus

am really puzzled when I hear people telling me how they admire the way Gov. Cuomo has handled the crisis of the coronavirus. I really do not understand that a governor who never got ready his state for an eventual pandemic, should ever be admired. In 2015, health experts told Cuomo that the state of New York was not ready at all for a pandemic and was oﬀered to purchase 16,000 ventilators that he irresponsibly refused. Instead, he invested 750 million dollars of New York taxpayers in a solar panel company that went bankrupt! What would have been much more important for our survival the ventilators or solar panels? Mind you when I heard at first Gov. Cuomo Speaks on television at the start of the pandemic, I really felt that he was calm, articulate and informative. I thought he was doing a great job, especially that I knew that he had been governor of New York for about

10 years and really hadn’t accomplished very much for New Yorkers and that the state was not at all in a good financial shape due to his mismanagement. After a few days of listening to his daily briefings, I realized that all Cuomo was doing was to try to put the blame on the Federal government and President Trump for not giving everything that he was demanding. Meanwhile, he should have been the one that should have had his state ready for a pandemic. All he was good at doing was bullying other people for his lack of leadership. I feel he fas failed miserably to accomplish his role of the governor that he has been elected for. I also need to address Cuomo’s complete failure to protect our elderly. I was shocked to hear not too long ago that nursing homes in New York had been obligated to accept people suﬀering with this horrible virus within their establishment. When they tried to refuse

because they were not at all equipped for such an undertaking, they were told that they did not have a choice. To complete this injury, master Cuomo refused to give them PPE (gloves, masks, ..) because he told them they were private entities and he was not responsible for them. The consequences of this irresponsible decision have been disastrous as we lost more than 5,000 nursing home residents in New York alone. While nursing homes exist in all 50 states, sadly the deaths of these extremely vulnerable elderly persons in New York state represent 20 percent of the nation’s total death in nursing homes. Honestly, it is a real disgrace! When a journalist asked Cuomo how come such decision could have even been considered, his answer was that he was not aware that it was happening and that he did not have an answer for him. What a lie! Either the governor is a major liar or he is completely incompe-

tent. Besides what I surely cannot understand is why on earth would the state forced nursing homes to accept Corona patients when President Trump had done such an amazing job setting up hospitals all over New York City with thousands and thousands of beds and that most of them were not even occupied. If my mom would have died in one of these nursing homes, you can be sure that I would sue the state of NY. It is amazing to me to hear what a great job Cuomo is doing! There were even more missteps such as telling the people of New York way too late that a lockdown was needed. That lack of leadership ( compounded with the stupidity of Mayor de Blasio ..another story!), surely was one more reason that New York has a horrific death toll. The one governor who has done an amazing job with his state and especially with his nursing homes (even though the lockdown was late too) is Gov. DeSantis but because he is Republican,

Democrats and the liberal media do not even want to mention him. If one would switch the name of Gov. Cuomo by the name of DeSantis, the latter would absolutely get clobbered and would need to resign immediately as governor. There are about 27,000 deaths in New York State, which is the third of all deaths in the USA and some people would want me to believe that Cuomo has done a good job. This is honestly an insult to my intelligence. I don’t know if Cuomo¹ admirers are really that naive or so misinformed or like usual playing politics and consequently 100 percent biased, but surely we are seeing nowadays something very wrong and very perturbing. I worry people have lost all integrity and common sense because four years later, they still have not been able to accept the results of the 2016 election. Maddy Grunberg Manhasset

In defense of Donald Trump’s mental health Continued from Page 24 Mr. Sobel is correct about only one statement he made, when he said, “Her (Dr. Lee) professional organization, the American Psychiatric Association, passed the Goldwa-

ter Rule, which states it is unethical to give professional opinions about public figures without meeting them. The APA made this rule stronger in 2017, when it ruled psychia-

trists could not make any statements about public figures at all publicly. Dr. Lee wanted to send a letter to Congress calling Trump “dangerous,” and invited thousands of psychiatrists to sign it. This time no

other psychiatrist would sign this letter, because they knew Dr. Lee was wrong and unethical. The title of Sobel’s letter, “President Trump has blood on his hands,” is not backed up in the let-

ter and is ridiculous. I’m surprised the Port Washington Times would print such an untrue, ludicrous title for a letter. Marshall Hubsher Port Washington

26 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

READERS WRITE

Learn about surveillance by employers

s technology evolves, we take for granted that those in power will make the correct ethical choices that drive our society. Privacy has become a hot button issue, as it is not seen as a fundamental right, but a privilege only given to some. We as the public are being monitored 24 hours a day, whether we give consent or not. Many are unaware of the fact that by just using a GPSenabled device, such as smartphones or FitBit trackers, we are willingly giving away information to the government. In this trying time of Covid-19, location-based tracking has given insight on the spread of infection. South Korea has used this

method to great success by following the data of infected individuals. In the U.S., HIPAA is allowed to disclose individual health information without the consent of the patient in order to protect public health. We entrust these devices to be private and to stop tracking us once we have finished our transaction. Furthermore, we place higher trust in employers who require their employees to use GPS technology in the workplace. Unfortunately, many employers do not heed such an ethical practice, and many come close to breaching the legality associated with GPS tracking. Many modern-day companies track their employees, whether it be to keep tabs on their company-owned equip-

ment or to make sure that their employees are working at their designated location. According to a survey done by TSheets, which oﬀers free time tracking software, “1 in 3 employees say they have been tracked by GPS at work.” Employers have more reason to trust their employees knowing the exact location of their employees and equipment, simultaneously making it easier to track stolen property. For trustworthy employees, this is an invaluable tool to prove to their track record to employers. The two highest concerns of employees are the data drain associated with GPS, and the high battery consumption especially when coupled with personal use. Seven out of 10 employees are fine with their employer

knowing their location. In fact, 54 percent of employees have a positive opinion of GPS tracking during the workday. The employer stands to gain the most in this transaction as they are privy to many data spheres of information, including tracking travel time of employees, mileage, and employee eﬃciency. The employer holds all the cards in this situation. Some employers cross the ethical line by continuing to track their employees after they clock out for the day. According to the T-Sheets survey, “30 percent said they weren’t sure exactly when tracking stopped for the day” and “1 in 10 employees are tracked 24 hours a day.” These actions are 100 percent illegal in all 50 states. I believe such actions com-

mitted willingly and knowingly by an employer are not only highly unethical but need to be reported by the employee. Employees can speak with their human resources manager to claim a breach of privacy. After filing an internal complaint, the employee can file the same complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. I would implore all those who read this to reach out to their employer and find the lengths of their GPS surveillance. Javits Jacob Computer Information Systems Major Adelphi University

How federal transit dollars are being spent

he Federal Transit Administration provides $1.4 billion in capital grants to the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority yearly.This is accomplishedunder the FTA Transit Award Management System (known as “TrAMS”) used to award and manage federal grants. The MTA currently manages an active portfolio of federally funded capital improvement projects and programs in open grants worth $12 billion in federal financial assistance. This does not include $3.8 billion in recently approvedCOVID-19 funding. By comparison, the New York City Department of Transportation does the same for $398 million, New Jersey Transit for $2.6 billion and Port Authority for $3.9 billion. Dollar value does not include COVID-19 funding. As part of requirements contained within all master grant agreements, using the FTA Trams Transit Award Management System, the MTA provides updated Quarterly Financial and Milestone Progress Reports to the FTA on active capital improvement projects and programs. These are submitted within 30 days after the fiscal

quarter has started on the first of the month and ends last day of the third month. Federal fiscal quarters are October — December, January — March, April -June and July — September. Does theMTAsubmit grant applications on time for both formula and discretionary competitive funding opportunities? Do they take advantage of pre-award authority prior to grant approval? Use of Pre-award Authority aﬀords the opportunity to incur costs for reimbursement at a later date after the grant obligation of funding. This allows the MTA to initiate work including advertising, awarding of contracts and issuing notice to proceed for contractors to begin work prior to grant award. Activities performed by force account or in-house staﬀ can also begin work prior to grant award. Have all MTA FTA grant-funded capital project contracts been awarded? Are current federal transit projects and programs progressing on schedule, completed on time and within budget?Explanations for project delays and any change orders over $100,000 are required. Project delays require re-

covery schedules and revised milestones. Are funds being expended on a timely basis? Are there any unspent funds carried over year after year? Are there open grants with no recent financial activity? Are there older grants with small balances and no recent financial activity? Is there any waste, fraud or abuse? Are all change orders for construction projects fair, reasonable and documented? Are Gov. Cuomo, NYC Mayor de Blasio, the MTA Board, MTA operating agency presidents, chief engineers and others aware of this information? Do they read these reports? Both the MTA and FTA have independent engineering consulting firms to supplement in house staﬀ for oversight. These companies provide both oversight and technical assistance for capital projects. FTA assignstheir own engineering consultant firms to those projects worth $100 million or more. Engineering firms monitor the progress ofmajor capital projects and prepare monthly progress reports. These reports are made available to MTA Chairperson Pat Foye, MTA HQ staﬀ, MTA Board members, MTA agency

presidents each MTA operating agency chief engineer, FTA headquarters and regional office senior management teams and in house project oversight staﬀ. Citizens can access some of these documents by going to the FTA or MTA websites. The FTA also has other consulting firms who conduct periodic Financial Management, Procurement System and Triennial (to ensure compliance with FTA Master Grant Agreements) along with various civil rights (including Title VI, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, Equal Opportunity Employment, Americans With Disabilities, Rail Station, Fixed Bus Route and Paratransit reviews). These reviews may cover either MTA HQ and/or various MTA operating and construction agencies, including NYC Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North Rail Road, MTA Capital Construction and MTA Bus. The reports are made available to most of those on distribution lists for MTA and FTA independent engineering oversight consulting firms reports. Citizens can access some of these documents by going to the FTA website. De Blasio and Cuomo proudly boast how they man-

age the most transparent administrations in history. How much of the information submitted to FTA do they require the MTA to post on their web site?. State Comptroller Di Napoli, NYC Comptroller Stringer, NYC Office of Management and Budget and NYC Independent Budget Office all perform periodic audits of MTA projects and programs.U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, NYS OIG, NYC OIGandMTA OIG all perform periodic audits of MTA and operating agency projects and programs. City, state and federal financial assistance along with farebox revenues fund MTA capital projects and programs. Transit riders and taxpayers are looking for accountability, efficient and timely completion of capital projects, programs and maintenance to assure safe and reliable trips. Larry Penner Great Neck (Larry Penner — transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously worked 31 years for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office. More Letters on Page 35

For the latest news, visit us at w w w.theislandnow.com

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

Business&RealEstate

Preparing to show homes again safely The other day Gov. Cuomo began allowing areas upstate to begin opening up certain businesses and I am quite sure that the Realtors in those towns finally had a smile come back on their faces once again. He shut down real estate by executive order on March 20. It is now going on two months and I believe I can say for all of us that we are getting not only antsy staying in place but nervous, for we need to get back to earning a living. I do not know how many of us received money from the first stimulus package and I would like to hear from those who did. Although we are allowed to take photos and videos with no one present at the property, 3D virtual tours are only limited to those real estate companies that possess the necessary equipment or those professional videographers who have been issued a permit on a case-by-case basis by Empire State Development as an essential business. However, we can take photos and videos, as long as we have permission to do so by the seller with no one present. I am 110 percent sure that Long Island Brokers and agents

would also be happier if we, too, were able to begin getting back into the swing of things. Have you mastered how to take quality photos and videos with your cell? Topnotch agents are already proficient at this, which has become the “new norm” for marketing and selling properties via the Internet but unfortunately without any physical showings for now. Over the years taking high-resolution pictures and videos to spark consumer interest has been the No. 1 way to go. But lately, there has been a paradigm shift and sellers, and especially buyers, have to be in the groove of feeling comfortable with this new way of selling and buying and realize this is our only option currently until we are allowed to begin showing again. Unfortunately, Gov. Cuomo said Long Island’s numbers tracking those being infected and requiring hospitalization as well as deaths per 100,000 are not at the safe level that Phase II (which includes professional services, finance and insurance, all retail, administrative support and real estate/rental leasing) stipulates and requires to allow us to begin showing property.

PHILIP A. RAICES Real Estate Watch

No one can predict how long that will take and I am guessing maybe on or before June 15? My belief is that one of the issues contributing to our not being ready is the fact I still see people, especially those in their teens, 20s and 30s as well as older individuals not wearing masks. Last Saturday it was 86 degrees and everyone was finally enjoying the fabulous weather that was bestowed upon us. I saw several groups of people who had let their guard down (or maybe could care less about other people’s health nearby!) congregating in close proximity at Step-

pingstone Park in Great Neck and I am quite sure this has been happening all over Long Island and Queens, too. This disregard and non-caring display of selfishness is not helping the numbers to decrease, enabling brokers, agents and other businesses to be able to have some kind of normalcy and to be able to get back to performing our professions. Even seeing discarded gloves and masks on various streets repulses and disgusts me to no end and I cannot fathom one good reason why anyone would do this, especially when there are trash cans nearby or they could carry a plastic bag with them, just like one does when they pick up after their dogs. I ask myself, why is this such a difficult task? Also, have those who don’t wear masks been tested? Do they think that they are safe from others or maybe they are non-symptomatic and don’t know it, possibly infecting others nearby, or within their family, who several days later would become ill and possibly die? Some may think that this is a joke or hoax as I have seen and read. But all those who are not taking

this pandemic seriously and not abiding by the rules of wearing masks and gloves when outside near others are not only hurting our business but are dealing a direct blow to all businesses on Long Island especially those in the service industry which is a major component of our local economy, i.e., restaurants, bars, hotels, catering facilities, concert halls, movie theaters. Due to the insuﬃcient amount of testing kits and testing, no one truly knows who is infecting who and although many who are contracting Covid-19 are staying in place, it’s when they are leaving their homes and going to supermarkets, takeouts, parks or even on walks that they may be coming In contact with someone who just may have sneezed nearby or is already infected. In order for our numbers to reach the lower threshold (14 days of consistent lowering of hospitalizations and deaths), we all must be extremely careful to wear our masks and gloves, and carry hand sanitizers to safeguard us and others in getting the coronavirus. Continued on Page 32

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28 The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

COMMUNITY NEWS

Supporting Silverstein’s ‘superhero teachers’

Morah Ina Greszes excited to see her students as they drive past her home with their families to show their appreciation.

Silverstein Hebrew Academy recently showed their love and gratitude for their teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Though students could not physically be with their teachers, families celebrated their teachers both virtually and in-person abiding by socially distancing guidelines. The admiration for beloved teachers was shown through games, social media posts and even a caravan parade by parents. “Our teachers have learned and mastered an entirely new way of teaching in such a short period of time,” said Shireen Butman, head of school at SHA. “They have worked tirelessly to keep a sense of normalcy for our students—doing drive-by birthdays, check-ins on students and their families, one-on-one zoom calls for special teacher time, extra support in the evenings and spending after school hours on preparing all supplies and materials for their students to pick-up, in early childhood, they go even further by personally delivering all materials to students’ homes. We are immensely grateful for them.” One of the games the children and the SHA community have enjoyed playing is a

“Guess Who” teacher edition. Teachers of Silverstein Hebrew Academy post a photo from their childhood on the school’s Facebook page and it’s up to the students to guess which teacher it is. In addition, they have honored all their teachers with a “Superhero Award” to show their appreciation for everything their educators have done in these difficult times. At the end of the week, several students and their families visited their teachers in the form of a car caravan to spread some much-needed positivity and joy and to show their appreciation. The teachers and staff were touched by the act of kindness and happily waved to their students from a safe distance. Some students even drove to Queens and Suffolk County to personally deliver flowers to their teachers. Butman and her husband Serge Butman of Express Kafeh — Mobile Espresso Caterer, even treated the SHA staff to a delicious, socially distanced, coffee bar. Teachers loved this opportunity to relax and to catch-up with colleagues, they hadn’t seen in nearly two months.

Bethpage Credit Union announces virtual air show Bethpage Federal Credit Union and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, are pleased to announce the launch of the Bethpage Virtual Air Show. Taking place throughout the months of May and June, the virtual experience is being organized to offer Bethpage Air Show fans entertaining and exciting activities to participate in online, following this year’s show cancellation. “We can never replace the Bethpage Air Show and of course, are still saddened to know that our hundreds of thousands of fans won’t be with us on-site at Jones Beach this year,” said Linda Armyn, senior vice president, Bethpage. “However, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to now connect our fans with show performers and organizers in a special way. Many of the pilots have been asking how their New York area fans are doing and this effort now gives them a chance to share their well wishes, and share videos from some of their favorite previous performances.” “We want to thank Bethpage Federal Credit Union for organizing the Bethpage Virtual Air Show Experience including the new online events and activities associated with this year’s show. We would also like to thank the air show community for coming together to bring a new type of show this year to our fans,” said George Gorman, regional director of The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. “We are all experiencing some changes in our lives right now, but virtual events like this allow us to remain connected in a meaningful way. I know our fans will enjoy this special show. We also ask our fans to continue to support all of the healthcare workers and essential employees who are on the front lines, helping to fight COVID-19.” The Bethpage Virtual Air Show Experience schedule includes:

May 23 Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach Volunteer Video Montage Come and meet the many behind the scenes volunteers who donate their time yearly to produce what has grown to become one of the largest public events in New York State! These volunteers will share some of their personal, behind-the-scenes photos and oﬀer personalized video messages to fans as well. Go to www.bethpageairshow.com for details on what time the montage will go live on May 23. May 24 The Bethpage Virtual Air Show Fans this year can view the Bethpage Virtual Air Show right from the comfort of their own homes! Sit back, grab a bowl of popcorn, and watch your favorite pilots do what they do best – perform exciting maneuvers, climb through the sky, tumble and turn, and demonstrate why they are the best at what do they! The Air Show Director will welcome fans to the show and introduce the show’s Air Show Boss, Wayne Boggs, and Air Show Announcer, Rob Reider. Performers and pilots will also share specially-recorded messages with fans and footage from some of their favorite air show performances. The Bethpage Virtual Air Show will take place Memorial Day Weekend, on May 24. Please visit www.bethpageairshow.com for the time of day and details. June 1 Search for the “Biggest Blue Angels Fan” Sweepstakes Are you a big fan of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels? We are searching for the Bethpage Air Show’s biggest Blue Angels fan. Enter our sweepstakes by sharing details on why you are the biggest fan of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and your name will be entered into a drawing to win a personalized video message from a Blue Angel Pilot! Fans will be able to enter from June 1 through June 12. A winner will be announced on June 19. If you would like to participate, visit our website at www.bethpageairshow. com for details.

The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

COMMUNITY NEWS

Celebrating National Poppy Day 2020 As we all know, our precious freedoms were not merely assimilated. They were earned by others, on beaches and battlefields. In 2016, both The American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary passed resolutions in support of declaring the Friday before Memorial Day as NationalPoppyDay. Accordingly, the American Legion Family will commemorate its fourth annual National Poppy Day® – held the Friday before Memorial Day – May 22. We’ve come a long way since The American Legion Family adopted thepoppyas its memorial flower in the early 1920s. Since then, the blood-red icon has become an enduring symbol of honor for the sacrifices of our veterans from the battlefields of Europe in World War I to today’s global war on terror. On average, The American Legion

Auxiliary raises nearly $4 million each year distributing poppies throughout the nation. 100 percent of these donations are used to serve veterans, military and their families. How can you support the mission of National Poppy Day during the COVID-19 pandemic? While, unfortunately, this year, you will not see auxiliary members distributing poppies in your community or participating in Memorial Day parades, you can still help with the mission of National Poppy Day in remembrance of those who fought and died for our freedom and those veterans and military still protecting it today – by supporting your local American Legion Auxiliary unit – a voluntary organization supporting our active military, veterans, and children and youth. And wouldn’t it be wonderful to line our community with a sea of American

flags flying from all the homes! Eligibility for Membership has broadened! As of August 2019, membership in the American Legion Auxiliary, which up

to that time had been an all-female organization, has been extended to include all spouses (female or male) of U.S. veterans and service members who meet the American Legion eligibility requirements, i.e. married to an active or honorably-discharged veteran who is a member of the American Legion. This amendment makes the American Legion Auxiliary the “largest and most inclusive” volunteer organization supporting our veterans, and children and youth. With this broader eligibility, those interested in joining the American Legion Auxiliary should contact their nearest or ANY American Legion Post for further information. We would be delighted to have you join us! Rosanne Spinner, public relations chair of the Nassau County Committee of the American Legion Auxiliary

Financial scams on the rise during pandemic According to experts, widespread financial scams are on the rise, with an increase in fraudulent incidents involving consumers and businesses.Bethpage Federal Credit Union oﬃcials report the specific details of an exceedingly prevalent COVID-19 financial scam during which a fraudster attempts to collect consumers’ personal information by impersonating a financial institution employee, and falsely claiming there are security issues related recent transactions. Details of this type of financial scam include: Consumers receive a text message falsely claiming to be from their financial institution regarding a fictional recent charge on their debit card, asking the consumer to verify the transaction. The consumer then replies that they don’t recognize the charge in question. The consumer then receives a phone call from what appears to be the phone number of their financial institution, but is not, and from a supposed employee, who is not, asking them to verify their account information,

including their social security number, online credentials, debit card/PIN numbers and a texted verification code. Finally, the consumer provides the information to the caller, allowing the fraudster to gain access to their online account The fraudster then initiates account changes, sends out payments, or even applies for loans in the consumer’s name. Scott Gyllensten, Bethpage’s Chief Risk Oﬃcer states, “New Yorkers need to be aware of the increased risk of attempted fraud and heightened vulnerabilities created by the Coronavirus. While fraudsters are always lurking in the background, consumers should be especially vigilant now, as New York is experiencing an increase in the frequency and sophistication of fraud attempts during this unprecedented time.” In response to this illegal activity, in recent weeks, Bethpage has increased its proactive outreach to members regarding the uptick in fraud, sharing specific ex-

amples of the scams, as well as detailed instructions and tips on how to handle this new onslaught of financial scams. Gyllensten implores that “The best way to avoid falling victim to these fraudsters is to remain vigilant, be wary of scammers and understand that financial institutions, like Bethpage, will never make or send unsolicited calls, emails, or texts asking a member or account holder to provide sensitive or personal information, like a Social Security number, debit or credit card numbers, online credentials, PINs, etc. Do not provide this information unless you initiated the contact and you know that the contact is legitimate. Even then you should be wary.” If an individual believes that they have unwittingly shared their sensitive personal information or have fallen victim to a scam, making them susceptible to financial loss or identity theft, they should immediately contact their financial institution.

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30 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

BUYERâ€™S GUIDE â–ź ANTIQUES

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PAINTING

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32 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

BUYER’S GUIDE ▼ PAINTING, POWERWASHING

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ROOFING

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Realtors must prep for reopen Continued from Page 27 Everyone in real estate should be planning in advance. Upon setting up appointments, all clients must be asked if they have masks (or at least some type of facial coverings) as well as gloves or the agent should have an ample supply of both to provide to those parties. All clients would meet at the properties in separate vehicles. Everyone must wear masks and gloves when showing and entering homes. Another suggestion would be to have booties available for everyone’s feet to keep as much dirt and debris from entering any home. Also, sellers would be outside. What is most tantamount is that brokers would be the only ones to open and close doors, cabinets, and anything else that a purchaser would need and want to see. Also, disinfectant wipes and/or hand sanitizers would be an absolute necessity and everything opened or touched would need to be wiped and disinfected before leaving. The New York State Association of Realtors in conjunction with The National Association of Realtor’s has enacted specific procedures and in conjunction with the governor’s oﬃce will have well-defined guidance for Realtors. I have mentioned some of the most crucial things that absolutely would need to be done to keep everyone safe and healthy. Inspections and appraisals could be handled in the same fashion using the same precautions as when showing. I hope we will begin the process soon to safeguard everyone’s health and economic and financial future. Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has earned designations as a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (G.R.I.) and also as a Certified International Property Specialist (C.I.P.S). Just email or snail mail (regular mail) him with your ideas and suggestions on future columns with your name, email, and cell number and he will call or email you back. For a consultation, he can be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email: Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate. Com to answer any of your questions or concerns.

nassau

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

COMMUNITY CLASSIFIEDS To advertise here call:516.307.1045

▼ EMPLOYMENT To Place Your Ad Call Phone:

516.307.1045 x 218

Fax:

516.307.1046

e-mail:

DFlynn@theislandnow.com

In Person:

25 Red Ground Rd. Roslyn Heights, NY 11577

EMPLOYMENT

HELP WANTED

PHONE PERSON/ ORDER TAKER

Be part of a successful family business • Must be friendly • Have good people skills • Responsible • Will train

We’re Open:

516-516-731-5500 Ext. 102

Mon–Thurs: 9am-5:30pm Fri: 9am-6pm

Deadlines

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.

• Great Neck News • Williston Times • New Hyde Park Herald Courier • Manhasset Times • Roslyn Times • Port Washington Times • Garden City News • Bethpage Newsgram • Jericho Syosset News Journal • Mid Island Times • Syosset Advance

JOB OPPORTUNITY: $18.50 P/H NYC$16 P/H LI$13.50 P/H UPSTATE NYH. CDPAP Caregiver Hourly Pay Rate! Under NYS CDPAP Medicaid program you can hire your family or friends for your care. Phone: 347-713-3553

SITUATION WANTED ELDER CARE Experienced woman seeks position to care for the elderly live in or live out. Certified HHA & certified child care. Excellent references. Please call 516-688-4322 EXPERIENCED NURSES AIDE / COMPANION My references are excellent and verifiable. I am also a careful, reliable person to be with at this difficult time. Call Grace 917-499-9520. MATURE LADY SEEKS employment as CNA. Home health aide, very reliable, hard working, willing to do background checks, 5* nursing home experiences. Please call 516-688-9251 or 516-417-4898

SITUATION WANTED

Certified HHA

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347–444–0960 WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS CALL TO ADVERTISE 516.307.1045

CAREER TRAINING

NOVENAS/PRAYERS

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING program! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Now offering a $10,000 scholarship for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! (844) 947-0192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

HOLY SAINT JUDE, Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need, to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Please help in my present and urgent petition. (Here: describe the nature of your personal need)... In return, I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked. St. Jude, pray for us and all who invoke your aid. Amen. This Novena should be said for nine consecutive days. After reciting the Novena, Pray three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys and three Glory Be. Publication must also be promised. M.H.

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN (Never known to fail.) Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine of Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin assist me in this necessity. Oh Star of the Sea help me and show herein you are my Mother. Oh Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth I beseech thee from the bottom of my heart to succor me this necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh show me herin you are my Mother. Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (three times). Oh Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands (three times). Holy Spirit, you who solve all problems, light all roads so that I can attain my goal. You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget all evil against me and that in all instances in my life you are with me. I want in this short prayer to thank you for all the things as you confirm once again that I never want to be separated from you in eternal glory. Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine. The person must say this prayer 3 consecutive days. After 3 days, the request will be granted. This prayer must be published after the favor is granted. M. H

ANNOUNCEMENTS BOY SCOUT COMPENSATION FUNDAnyone that was inappropriately touched by a Scout leader deserves justice and financial compensation! Victims may be eligible for a significant cash settlement. Time to file is limited. Call Now! 844-587-2494 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 SAVE ON YOUR NEXT PRESCRIPTION! World Health Link. Price Match Guarantee! Prescriptions Required. CIPA Certified. Over 1500 medications available. CALL today for a free price quote. 1-866-569-7986 Call Now!!

ACTIVITIES LUNG CANCER? And Age 60+? You and your family may be entitled to significant cash award. No risk. No money out of pocket. For information call 877-225-4813.

NOVENA TO ST. CLAIRE: Ask St. Claire for 3 favors; 1 business and 2 impossible, say 9 Hail Marys for 9 days with lighted candles. Pray whether you believe or not. Publish on 9th day. “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adorned and glorified today and every day.” Request will be granted no matter how impossible it seems. Publication must be promised. M.H. NOVENA TO ST. JUDE May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world, now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St. Jude worker of miracles, pray for us. Say prayer 9 times a day. By the 8th day your prayer will be answered as mine was. Publication must be promised. Thank you St. Jude. M.H.

LIST YOUR PRAYERS/NOVENAS HERE

CALL NOW: 516.307.1045

MARKETPLACE

“VIRTUAL” SHOPPING A.T. STEWART EXCHANGE CONSIGNMENT SHOP 516-746-8900 AntiquesFurniture-Jewelry -Silver-MirrorsLamps-Artwork Visit our website: www.Tgchs.org to view merchandise under The Exchange ToolbarCall 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

For further information and inquiries about positions Please contact Ciara 516-897-1000 ext. 2112 or cstevens@

cassenacare.com

34 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

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MARKETPLACE

AUCTIONS

INVITED ESTATE SALES BY TRACY JORDAN is doing VIRTUAL TAG SALES and ONLINE AUCTIONS now! Sell the contents of an entire house or sell just a few things! You can host your own sale on invitedsales.com and Facebook and Instagram or we can do it for you. We can photograph, advertise and handle the winning pickups for you within a week! Don’t worry about your closing date, we can get your house ready on time! We are a one stop service for all your needs when you are moving or selling a property! Selling, donating, discarding and cleaning out services can be done to meet your time frame with minimal stress. Contact info@ invitedsales.com for more information or call 516-279-6378 to schedule a consultation or receive more information. Visit us at www.invitedsales.com for a listing of our upcoming Virtual Tag Sales and Weekly Auctions!

Cool Old Stuff in Glen Cove Vintage Shop. GREAT PRICED items for Boat and Home. See ALL online at Wilsonsdrydoc.com. For info/ appt Please call 516-662-2821

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

LIST YOUR ITEMS FOR SALE CALL NOW 516.307.1045

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

AUTOMOTIVE

AUTOS WANTED 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

516-997-5736

1,50

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FREE IN-HOME EVALUATION!

REAL ESTATE FOR RENT

APARTMENT FOR RENT GARDEN CITY BORDER Apartment. No broker fee. Huge, bright 1BR, 1 bath apt. $1635 +electric. Gated parking. Laundry rm, air cond, hardwood floors. Near LIRR. www.gcbapts.com voice or text: 516-524-6965

OFFICE SPACE GARDEN CITYPRIME 7th STREET location. 2 second floor windowed offices available. 285 sq ft 2 room suite overlooking 7th St., asking $1225 and 150 sq ft 1 room office, asking $725. Rent includes everything. Owner 516-510-9452.

VACATION RENTAL SUMMER BAYFRONT NORTHFORK RENTAL 6BR waterfront home in Laurel, North Fork. 3BR first floor, 3 on second. 2 1/2 bath, kitchen, LR & DR. Deck includes large outdoor dining table & gas grill. Private sandy beach w/ calm water excellent for children & kayaking. Close proximity to wineries & farmstands. Avail. June, July & Aug. $5250/week. Prefer 2 week increments. Contact Stephen Ripp 516-741-9669.

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

OUT OF TOWN REAL ESTATE NEW HOMES priced from the low $100’s available immediately in active adult 55+ landlease community in historic Smyrna Delaware. Close to DE beaches and Dover Downs. Low Taxes. 302-659-5800 or www.BonAyreHomes.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

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

HOME IMPROVEMENTS AMBIANCE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES *Handyman & Remodeling *Kitchen Installations *Furniture Assembly *Finish Carpentry *Minor Electrical & Plumbing 25 year GC Resident Lic & Ins H18E2170000 Call BOB 516-741-2154 AQUATEC LAWN SPRINKLERS SPRING TURN ONS Backflow Device Tests Free Estimates Installation Service/Repairs Joe Barbato 516-775-1199 CLEANFELLAS PRESSURE WASHING Residential & Commercial Servicing: Nassau, Suffolk & Queens Homes, Concrete, Decks, Fences, Patio Furniture Replace Paver Sand & Reseal Gutter Cleaning Call/Text for free estimate: 516-316-1190 cleanfellas@hotmail.com cleanfellasinc.com licensed/insured. MADE IN THE SHADE CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS Blinds, Shades, Shutters, Draperies Top Brands at Discount Prices! Family owned & operated www.madeintheshadensli.com 516-426-2890

MASONRY All types of stonework Pavers, Retaining Walls, Belgium Block Patios, Foundations, Seal coating, Concrete and Asphalt driveways, Sidewalks, Steps. Free Estimates Fully Licensed & Insured #H2219010000 Boceski Masonry Louie 516-850-4886

INSTRUCTION BIOLOGY TUTORING BY MEDICAL STUDENT Current 1st year medical student tutoring biology & related pre-med coursework for college, HS and middle school levels. Online or in person tutoring options available. Credentials: Masters degree in Biomedical Science, Graduate of Harvard University’s Pre-Medical Post Baccalaureate Program, undergraduate degree from College of the Holy Cross. Price: $50/hour Contact: ajmcaward@gmail.com or cell: 516-404-0410

CLEANING GARDEN CITY WINDOW CLEANING HOME WINDOW CLEANING INTERIOR/EXTERIOR SERVICE BY OWNER Fully Insured/ 25 yrs experience 516-764-5686 631-220-1851

LIST YOUR SERVICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS HERE CALL 516.307.1045

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

▼ SERVICES, CLEANING

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A Memorial Day without the parades

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A & J MOVING & STORAGE: Established 1971. Long Island and New York State specialists. Residential, Commercial, Piano & Organ experts. Boxes available. Free estimates. www.ajmoving .com 516-741-2657 114 Jericho Tpk, Mineola NYDOT# 10405

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his Memorial Day because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no Memorial Day parades which I find sad. I have served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam era and am 70 years old and am a member of the American Legion Post # 103, Grand Knight of St. Anastasia Knights of Columbus in Douglaston and the Queens Village Republican Club and haveopinions on the importance of this day where we honor our brave men and womenwho gave their lives so this nation can remain free. Let us also salute our brave men and women who are now serving today to protect these freedoms as they serve in Afghanistan, in Iraq and elsewhere in the world. What also comes to mind is the war on terrorism which has changed our country since the attacks upon us on Sept. 11. It is something that must be rooted out. As Memorial Day draws near, I find myself thinking what it means to be an American. The answer is the pride in being in a country that allows us our personal freedom and the ability to speak our minds. We may not have the best system but it is still the greatest in the world. This freedom does not come without a price. It comes with great personal sacrifice

and devotion to duty. Like President John F. Kennedy said,” Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” After this pandemic is over, remember we have a great opportunity to do for others, which we can do by volunteering our time to various organizations and our local churches or temples. Now wherever there is a need and after this pandemic there will be plenty of people with needs. By doing this we can make America stronger. Remember, we are the people our forefathers spoke of, we the people, and as such we need to get involved. This Memorial Day since there will not be parades or patriotic activities but we still can say a prayer for all those serving our country today and that is our brave men and women in the military. We also should oﬀer prayers for all those serving and protecting us in our communities like our doctors, nurses, EMS, firefighters, and those in our police departments. So be all you can be by serving in our communities. Remember this also: Let’s not forget the true meaning of Memorial Day and fly the American Flag if you can on that day. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Mineola

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Gov. Cuomo and shared sacrifice

egarding George T. Marlin’s column, “Gov. Cuomo: Where’s the sharedsacrifice?,” he points out that “Sovereign states by their very nature cannot go bankrupt” but “can become insolvent — that is, run out of money to meet its financial obligation.” He goes on to write; “the sovereign State of New York can declare insolvency if its treasury runs dry.” He further states; “Thanks to the economic shutdown, the state budget could run up a deficit that exceeds $12 billion.” Cuomo believes that New York State is in desperate need of funding, substantially more than

$15 billion, in order to have full access to essential services and the strong economic foundation they support. Marlin writes that “Cuomo could burden present-day struggling taxpayers and future generations with more debt to avoid insolvency.” This contradicts what Cuomo said when he ran for governor in 2010 that he would not support borrowing to fund operating expenses. He pointed out that sacrifices made by unions in 1975 saved New York City from going bankrupt and argued that they should once again in 2010 make sacrifices, along with everyone

else, for the common good. Referring to the current coronavirus pandemic, Marlin writes; “while everyone else has endured pain and made sacrifices, the state’s public employees have not.” He refers to potential pay raises for unionized staff workers and believes many of the workers are not essential and should be furloughed or laid off. He also believes Cuomo’s staff is bloated. He concludes that the governor “has imposed tremendous financial and social hardships on New York civilians” and insists that government employees “must make sacrifices for the common

good,” like they did in 2010. He refers to it as “shared sacrifices.” Is Mr. Marlin’s head stuck up his you know what? Sacrifices for the common good? Budget shortfalls? Mr. Marlin. Wake up! Let me spell it out for you: C-O-R-O-N-A-V-I-R-U-S! Should I spell it out for you again? Nah. It would be a waste of time. Like Trump, he is focused on the wrong thing. Cuomo, his staﬀ and government workers, many of whom are on the front lines, are risking their lives daily to keep fellow New Yorkers alive. That is called sacrifice for the common good. Perhaps Mr. Marlin should

watch or listen to Gov. Cuomo’s daily briefings to understand what is going on. Perhaps he should take a walk outside and ask; “Where are all the people and why?” Mr. Marlin is a Trump man. If he wants to do something useful, how about contacting his crony, President Trump, and pushing him to release the funds we New Yorkers so desperately need. Release the funds! Three simple words. An easy message. I challenge Mr. Marlin to do that. Let’s just say that it is his test. Alvin H. Goldberg Great Neck

Guidelines issued on disease affecting children Continued from Page 21 Symptoms reported by the department include a rash, either flat or with raised red bumps; bilateral non-purulent conjunctivitis, or reddened eyes, in-

flamed mouth, hands, or feet; and gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain. More serious eﬀects, including a change in skin color, be-

coming pale, patchy and/or blue; trouble breathing or breathing very quickly; racing heart or chest pain; lethargy, irritability or confusion; being too sick to drink fluids; and diﬃculty feeding in

infants are also possible, according to the department. Suspected and confirmed cases of PMIS potentially associated with COVID-19 in those under 21 years of age must be

reported to the Health Department, and all hospitals are required to report pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome potentially associated with COVID-19 daily.

36 The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

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Local coaches collect, donate food to health care workers, hospitals Continued from Page 2 he added. “If you can do one small thing each day, if we all do that, then we’re going to get through this.” This has been a challenging time for the sports world, but also an opportunity, Bernardi said. “What I’ve been saying to my athletes is you have to find the positives in everything,” he explained. “The coronavirus equals opportunities for athletes to use their platforms to help others. It’s also an opportunity for self-reflection on their own careers, to realize that you really can’t take anything for granted, that you really don’t miss something until it’s taken away.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF LOU BERNARDI

Lou Bernardi of the Merchant Marine Academy, Ray Negron of New York Yankees and Steve Vaccaro of the Chapters Rap deliver food for Northwell nurses.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Changes coming to revitalize bee, butterfly colonies in G.N. Despite these troubling times our world has come to, it’s important for us to not only think about ourselves but of the environment around us. It is no secret that together we have the ability to create a healthy green world our descendants can live in. One way in which we can strive to reach such a place is to lend a helping hand to the population growth of bees and butterflies. This spring, there is going to be a change in the landscape at the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District’s Bayview Avenue property. Beautiful blooming wildflowers and milkweed will welcome the declining butterfly and bee populations. In an eﬀort to give nature a hand, bee and butterfly houses will be planted around the property to give shelter to these important species. “The implementation of bee and butterfly houses is just one small way that Great Neck Water Pollution Control District can assist in the revitalization of these declining species,” explains Commissioners Steve Reiter and Patty Katz. “We recognize the importance

of the bees and butterflies, and it is imperative that we all do what we can to support these two species.” Greenpeace states that honeybees alone perform 80% of all pollination worldwide. 90% of the world’s nutrition and one in three bites of food are due to the tireless work of these bees. However, they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Without them, we will no longer have many of our existing fauna. Due to habitat loss, pesticides, air pollution, and global warming, the number of bee colonies per acre has declined 90% and Monarch Butterfly colonies have decreased by 99%. The Monarch butterfly population has declined to dangerous proportions verging on extinction. Milkweed is the host plant for the monarchs and without milkweed, the larva would not be able to develop into a butterfly. But these plants are rapidly disappearing as well. Both milkweed and nectar plants will be available with proper social distancing at the following local nurseries: • L S Garden Mart — 82 Hor-

ace Harding Blvd, Great Neck, NY 11020 (516) 487-9389 • Distefano’s Nursery — 1056 Northern Blvd, Roslyn, NY 11576 (516) 627-3524 “Great Neck Water Pollution Control District urges residents to take steps in assisting the bees and butterflies,” says Commissioner Patty Katz. “We hope that everyone will be aware of the impact their actions have on these species. Great Neck is hopeful that we can make a large impact by doing small things around the community.” To help save the bees as well as the declining Monarch butterfly population there are a few simple steps residents can take. • Do not use dangerous pesticides and herbicides. • Plant milkweed and nectar foliage in your gardens and lawn. • Place smooth rocks in sunny parts of your garden that will give the butterfly a warm place to rest and recharge. • Shrubs, trees and vines will provide shelter for both bees and butterflies

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The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

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38 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, May 22, 2020

WE ARE FULLY STAFFED FOR ALL YOUR EMERGENCIES FOLLOWING COVID-19 GUIDELINES!

WILLISTON

PLUMBING & HEATING

E A R T H M AT T E R S

Message in a bottle: Use less plastic

SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES FOR OVER 38 YEARS

Continued from Page 16

* SINKS * FAUCETS * LEAKS * STOPPAGES * * OIL GAS CONVERSIONS * BOILERS & WATER HEATERS * * BACKFLOW TESTING * SERVICE CONTRACTS * * LEGALIZATIONS *

They state, “more than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans every year.” More than one million bags are used every minute and less than 1 percent of those are recycled. Moreover, we’ve made way more plastic in the past two decades than the yield from the entire history of plastic production. Billions of pounds of plastics can be found in amorphous trash islands generated by convection currents in the ocean, the largest and most notorious known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch measures twice the size of Texas. Here in the Town of North Hempstead, plastic bags are not recycled, only plastics marked No. 1 and No. 2 are accepted curbside. Recyclables must be clean and sorted for eﬃcient disposal. Many are not aware of the proper recycling protocols, submitting the entire load to landfill. The motto, clearly stated on the Town of North Hampstead website is: “When in doubt, throw it out!” Here’s the deal, there’s no need for doubt. I encourage consumers to review here the latest guidelines for our local waste management. https://www.northhempsteadny.gov/ filestorage/16255/18644/North_Hempstead_Brochure_for_website_posting.pdf Instead of single-use items, consider the use of reusable, washable fabric masks, gloves and shopping bags. Plastic gloves give a false sense of security in that the risk of cross-contamination is greater. I’ve seen many wearing plastic gloves, touch their phone and face, as if the gloves wouldn’t carry the virus. That’s irresponsible. It’s safer to consider your hands contaminated until you wash them. Instead of plastic bottled, alcohol-based hand sanitizers that strip away the skin’s first protective layer against infection and leave cracks for germs to enter, I’ve turned my household towards a universal solution to prevent infections: Regular old-fash-

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ioned handwashing with a bar of moisturizing soap that leaves the skin nourished and clean of virus. Waste-free washing. The excellent news in this crisis is that individual Coronavirus particles are easily destroyed with soap and water. The virus genetic material is encapsulated in a sphere of fat molecules, and this lipid shell is easily disrupted with soap. Proper hand-washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds kills the virus. A 2013 study conducted by researchers at Michigan State University found that less than 5 percent of subjects washed their hands properly after going to the bathroom. It takes at least 20 seconds of rubbing and scrubbing, rinsing and don’t forget to dry your hands after (changing the washable bathroom towel often). Rushing this process will ruin your effort, so take your time. To minimize water waste, just like when brushing your teeth, please make sure you turn oﬀ the faucet while you lather your hands in soap. You can make use of this precious time spent lathering by singing your favorite tune, thinking about something fun, allowing yourself to daydream or recite a list of things you’re grateful for. Alternatively, you can opt to keep it simple and use the time spent to be mindful of your hands touching water and soap. Feel the texture of soap and water, and stay purposefully without judgment in present moment awareness of washing your hands. This type of awareness practice is an ancient form of stress relief, termed mindfulness meditation. When we face the mess we’re in with clarity and long term view we have an opportunity to make the right decision that serves to benefit all. We’ve already illustrated that we’re capable of making diﬃcult decisions. We’ve made a decision to shelterin-place to keep each other safe. While we’re at it, can we make a decision to use less plastic? Be fantastic. Use less plastic.

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The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

Cuomo OKs elective surgeries in Nassau Continued from Page 1 a surge in the coronavirus. Fifty counties throughout the state are permitted to perform elective surgeries as of Tuesday. Cuomo advised residents to not delay in seeking medical treatment for any illness or injury. “Anyone who needs health service should get it,” Cuomo said. “There’s no reason not to go to the hospital. No reason not to go to the doctor’s oﬃce If you have an issue, get it tested, get it resolved.” Curran sent a letter to Cuomo on Sunday, imploring him to allow the county to provide elective surgeries. Cuomo also spoke of the progress that Long Island has made in achieving five of the seven metrics required to begin phased reopening. As of Tuesday, seven regions had achieved the required metrics to begin phase one of reopening, which includes opening construction and manufacturing functions with low risk, so long as the health trends continue to meet the guidelines. “Long Island is making great progress,” Cuomo said. “Long Island, we were losing about 100 residents per day. We’re now down to about 13 per day.” Curran called on Cuomo and state oﬃcials to reclassify certain services as essential while the county and the rest of Long Island work to achieve the final metrics in order to begin phased reopening.

PHOTO BY KAREN RUBIN

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday that Nassau County hospitals can conduct elective surgeries again. Curran, along with the county’s Economic Advisory Council, suggested that services such as residential construction, curbside retail, health care, and some private, nonprofit gardens could be reclassified to aid in the reopening of the region. The suggestions came in the latest

interim report conducted by Curran and the council. “Over the past few weeks, we have seen the re-opening of marinas, golf courses, and auto sales by appointment,” the report said. “Given the positive boost these announcements have had on the collective spirit and vitality of our econ-

omy, the Council wishes to recommend the following additional businesses/industry sectors as ripe for consideration.” The council suggested permitting residential construction since standardized operations and safety protocols exist in the construction industry in both the public and private sectors. The report said that reclassifying residential construction as essential would be followed by deeming unoccupied and secure private construction sites and solar power installation projects as essential. According to an economic overview of Long Island conducted by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, the construction industry added 17,600 jobs in 2018, a 27 percent growth rate from the previous year. According to the report, retail would be conducted as a curbside service to allow main street stores and malls to sell goods by appointment. “The Nassau IDA has engaged businesses of all sizes and sectors – from Main Street shops to real estate developers – to identify their needs to ensure our businesses and downtowns can emerge as strong as possible as the County implements the state’s reopening plan,” said Richard Kessel, chairman of the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency. The council also suggested that reopening nonprofit gardens such as Old Westbury Gardens would oﬀer outdoor enjoyment for the public.

Jahng challenges Sassouni in ed board race must extend our eﬀorts in encouraging and involving all parents by forming a greater partnership to educate our students,” he said.

Continued from Page 1 lyn Technical High School was one of three specialized high schools in New York City, Jahng said. Jahng spoke on the unique programming Tech oﬀered to him and his classmates and said he wants to incorporate more innovative and mainstream technology into the Great Neck school district if elected. “I still remember my peers in mechanical engineering building a hovercraft to transport a person as a class project,” Jahng said. “At the time, that was a revolutionary technology. I am certainly in favor of providing our students with the same resources if I am elected.” Jahng is running against incumbent Rebecca Sassouni, who is finishing up her first three-year stint on the board. When asked why voters should elect him rather than Sassouni, Jahng spoke about his specific platform and implored voters to keep the students’ best interests in mind when filling out ballots. “I can’t speak for Rebecca or her platform, I can only speak for myself,” Jahng said. “We may have diﬀerent values that some may agree with more than others. I look at it that way rather than putting myself on higher ground than her, or anyone else.” Jahng, a father to a middle school

People pay to see results, but as parents, we always know our child is our crown jewel as well. I am grateful and appreciative of the feedback I have received from voters. John Jahng GREAT NECK RESIDENT

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN JAHNG

Great Neck resident John Jahng is running for a seat on the school district’s Board of Education against incumbent Rebecca Sassouni. student, touted the importance of family involvement, welcoming input from all stakeholders. “Natural roadblocks exist, but we

Jahng said establishing a “greater and more meaningful” relationship between the school district and residents is something he wants to cultivate if elected. Jahng cited a statistic from the state’s Education Department that student enrollment in the district increased by 3 percent from the 2015-16 school year to 2018-19. “The demographics and numbers

are constantly changing, and we must thoughtfully anticipate, accommodate and plan for these changes,” Jahng said. “It goes beyond parents too. We want to make sure everyone who resides within the school district knows what we are doing to adapt to these growing numbers.” Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Jahng said, creating an online platform was imperative to reach out and virtually interact with voters throughout the district. Jahng said one of the things voters have conveyed to him throughout the campaign has been the passion they have to see the school district and its students succeed. “People pay to see results, but as parents, we always know our child is our crown jewel as well,” Jahng said. “I am grateful and appreciative of the feedback I have received from voters.” Elections will take place on June 9 due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, everyone who resides in the district and is registered to vote will receive an absentee ballot with a postage-paid envelope, according to Board of Education President Barbara Berkowitz. She said the district is sending out more than 30,000 ballots, which must be received by the district no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9.

40 The Great Neck News, Friday, May 22, 2020

We salute all our Heroes. Here’s to better days ahead!

Mindy Miles Greenberg Lic. Assoc. Real Estate Broker O 516.498.2125 | M 917.974.4500 mindy.greenberg@elliman.com

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