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Friday, December 4, 2020

Vol. 69, No. 49

N E W H Y D E PA R K

HOLIDAY DINING & ENTERTAINMENT PAGES 21-28

CLAVIN VAGUE ON SPENDING

CURRAN PRESSES SHOPPING LOCAL

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550 new North Shore cases in one week: county

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Greater NHP area accounts for nearly 20 percent of total cases

BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z About 550 people across the North Shore of Nassau County had tested positive for the coronavirus in one week as of Wednesday, according to the county Department of Health.

A total of 59,700 Nassau County residents had tested positive for the virus as of Wednesday, and 2,251 had died since the pandemic began in mid-March.

More than 230 Nassau residents remained hospitalized due to the virus, with 39 in intensive care units and 25 on ventilators, according to county figures.

Of those totals, 7,714 people on the North Shore as of Wednesday had tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began.

The Great Neck peninsula’s sevenday positivity rate of 4.39 percent trailed only Massapequa Park’s 6.14 percent rate in the county.

Village of Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral said he has “been re-

ceiving heat from both sides of the spectrum” in regard to mask-wearing and other state mandates, but spoke about the numbers in a Facebook post last week.

“Facts are the numbers are going up,” Bral said. “You can agree or disagree but this will not change the fact that the state will order our businesses and schools to shut down. So I urge you again to please act accordingly and avoid attending large gatherings for the sake of our kids and our businesses.”

Throughout the peninsula, more than 1,700 people had tested positive for the virus since the beginning of the pandemic, according to county figures as of Wednesday.

This figure is an increase of 114 cases from last week’s 1,631 cases.

The peninsula was deemed a “yellow zone” for the coronavirus

by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week, which means new restrictions have been placed on schools, indoor and outdoor dining, and gatherings.

Continued on Page 35

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Herricks High senior Dylan Haase committed to play lacrosse at Wagner College next year.

Religious ruling will have little impact: Cuomo

BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z

the coronavirus pandemic after the U.S. Supreme Court overGov. Andrew Cuomo said he ruled state restrictions on capacirespects the right of people to ty in houses of worship last week.

The 5-4 ruling, which feapractice religion in the manner they see fit, but stressed the im- tured newly inducted Justice portance of remaining safe from Amy Coney Barrett, was made

last Wednesday night and said capacity limits on churches, synagogues and other houses of worship violated the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.

Continued on Page 34

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The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

Clavin vague on how Sewanhaka sees town will spend funds increased cases

Town has until Dec. 31 to utilize $100M from CARES 47 students test positive in district

BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z

BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z

Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said he intends to spend the more than $100 million remaining in federal funds given to the town from the CARES Act by the end of the year.

“We’re going to utilize these funds for what they’re intended: for Hempstead residents and based on the population and for the benefit for town residents,” Clavin said in an interview with Newsday last week.

Due to the population threshold of 500,000 to apply to the federal aid program in response to COVID-19, Hempstead was the only town in Nassau County to receive funding. The county received $103 million of its own in federal funding, to be used toward county police and emergency services, the Department of Health, corrections facilities and other operations.

The towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay did not receive funding through the CARES Act. According to U.S. Treasury guidelines, the funding must be allocated to COVID-19 related expenses by Dec. 30.

While Clavin said he will spend the money by then, he will also talk to the Treasury Department about a possible extension since other municipalities are asking for a share of the money.

Clavin did not say how he intends to use the remainder of the funds.

According to town records, Hempstead has allocated nearly $29 million worth of federal funding, with a majority being put toward hospitals, colleges, food banks, town costs and the county’s Industrial Development Agency, which has organized programs and initiatives to aid local businesses and municipalities during the pandemic.

The number of students who have tested positive for the coronavirus in public schools across the North Shore has risen to nearly 250, according to state Health Department figures.

As of Tuesday, 246 students on the North Shore had tested positive since the beginning of the school year. The increase of 50 confirmed student cases is the second-most over a one week period since schools began, according to state data.

Public school districts that were analyzed included the Port Washington school district, Roslyn school district, Sewanhaka Central High School District, Mineola school district, East Williston school district, Floral Park-Bellerose school district, Manhasset school district, New Hyde ParkGarden City Park school district, Herricks school district, North Shore school district and the Great Neck school district.

The three school districts with the most cases among students are Great Neck with 48, Sewanhaka with 47 and Port Washington with 40. Each of the three districts had an increase of 10 from the prior week, accounting for 60

The Town of Hempstead still has more than $100 million remaining in federal funding from the CARES Act, according to town records.

The town allocated nearly $2 million to villages, local fire departments, United Way, the Long Island Children’s Museum, and the United Cerebral Palsy Association.

With the funds, the town was able to establish pop-up food banks, offer free personal protective equipment kits, and provide comprehensive coronavirus testing and education programs through Northwell Health.

“Other governments are in fiscal free fall due to the impacts of the pandemic as well as a failure to budget conservatively and build adequate budgetary reserves as a bulwark against financial crises like this pandemic,” Clavin said.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has continued to criticize Clavin’s lack of willingness to donate some of the funds to Nassau County.

“As Nassau County and New York State see an increase in COVID-19 cases, it is critical that local police departments, fire districts, schools, towns and cities have access to unused CARES funding to fight this pandemic,”

Curran said last week. “Without these resources, our local governments may be unable to buy the supplies and services they need as Nassau County faces a surge in cases.”

Curran sent a letter last week asking the town to provide $50 million to fund county expenses, the county’s Police Department and other first responders, who have been on the front lines of the pandemic for nearly nine months. Curran also accused Clavin of using the funding to develop a “public relations campaign” for town officials.

Clavin said the funding that the county received was used to “plug holes in its budget.” The county faces a debt of $360 million over the next two years as a result of lost revenue due to the pandemic.

U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City) also criticized Clavin for not helping meet the county’s heightened expenses and advised the supervisor to spend the money before the federal government takes it back, according to Newsday.

Continued on Page 34

percent of the total increase in the analyzed school districts.

In two statements on Monday, Great Neck School Superintendent Teresa Prendergast said 14 students and teachers had recently tested positive. They included one student at John F. Kennedy School, one student at North High School, two students at North Middle School, one student at E.M. Baker School, six students (of the same social group) at South High School, one teacher at North Middle School, one teacher at Saddle Rock School and one teacher at South Middle School.

With part of the Great Neck school district in a state-designated yellow zone because of high infection rates, Prendergast said, the district must carry out random coronavirus testing of 20 percent of staff and students within two weeks. She said the state had extended the deadline for the testing to Dec. 12, and said the testing would be required only in the schools north of Northern Boulevard, based on the boundaries of the yellow zone.

An additional 35 cases were found in North Shore Hebrew Academy (19), North Shore Hebrew Academy High School Continued on Page 35

CHART BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Nearly 250 students in public school districts throughout the North Shore had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Tuesday.

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The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

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Election results to be certified Monday Suozzi, Sillitti, Kaplan, Rice lone local candidates to declare victories in respective races

BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z A N D ROSE WELDON Election results for local races throughout New York will be certified on Monday, according to a CBS report.

This will make New York among the last states to certify results in the 2020 elections, with the only states certifying their results later being Maryland, Missouri and New Jersey, which will certify on Dec. 8, and California, on Dec. 11.

Every state is required to formally certify the results of the elections by Dec. 14, when members of the Electoral College cast their presidential votes.

New York is scheduled to certify its results a day before the “safe harbor” deadline, set in place for states to resolve any discrepancies with their results.

According to federal law, Congress is guaranteed to accept a state’s results if they are submitted before the Dec. 8 deadline.

Efforts to reach the Nassau County and New York state Board of Elections to provide the number of outstanding absentee ballots still being counted to determine local races have been unavailing since Nov. 4.

State Sen. Michael Gianaris (DQueens), deputy majority leader, ex-

pressed his frustrations to The New York Times last month.

“If we were a swing state in this presidential election, we would be getting ridiculed across the world right now,” Gianaris told The Times. “Florida, with all its terrible history of vote counting, manages to count votes before and on Election Day, even if they were mailed in.”

Nassau Democratic Elections Commissioner James Scheuerman said weeks ago that 142,962 absentee ballots were cast in Nassau County this year during the COVID-19 pandemic, a figure that shatters the previous record of 48,000 in 2016. Mailed ballots began to be counted Nov. 10 under state law.

CONGRESSIONAL RACES Following the counting of absentee ballots, U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) won another term in the 3rd Congressional District over Republican challenger and financial professional George Santos of Queens.

While vote counts immediately following Election Day placed Santos over the incumbent congressman by more than 4,000 votes, absentee ballots gave Suozzi a final total of 126,008 votes to Santos’ 97,575 in Nassau County and the borough of Queens as of Wednesday. Suffolk County has yet to announce

IMAGE COURTESY OF FLICKR

The state of New York will certify its election results on Monday, CBS News reported. its final results, though Santos held a 6,005-vote lead over Suozzi, with 52,117 votes compared with Suozzi’s 46,112.

The former mayor of Glen Cove and former Nassau County executive will serve a third term in office, with his district representing Manhasset, Roslyn, Port Washington, Great Neck and Floral Park, among other areas, and stretching from Whitestone, Queens, to Kings Park in Suffolk County.

In the 4th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City) declared victory on Nov. 4 over Town of Hempstead Engineering Commissioner and Republican Douglas Tu-

man of West Hempstead. She received 199,762 votes, or 56 percent, to Tuman’s 153,007, or 43 percent, so far.

Neither campaign responded to a request for comment, and it is not known if Tuman has conceded.

The 4th Congressional District is situated in central and southern Nassau County and includes Floral Park, Mineola, Garden City, New Hyde Park, Hempstead, Carle Place and Westbury.

Rice will serve a fourth two-year term.

STATE LEGISLATURE RACES State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-Great Neck) defeated former Port Washington Police Commissioner David Franklin in the 7th Senate District. She received 89,287 votes, or over 57 percent, to Franklin’s 66,170, or 43 percent, so far.

Kaplan, who first won against thenincumbent Elaine Phillips of Flower Hill in 2018, will serve a second two-year term representing the areas of Floral Park, New Hyde Park, Williston Park, Mineola, Garden City Park, North Hills, Albertson, Old Westbury, East Hills, Roslyn, Roslyn Harbor, Roslyn Estates, Albertson, Searingtown, Lake Success, Manhasset, Munsey Park, Plandome, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, and the entireties of the Great Neck and Port Washington peninsulas.

Continued on Page 35

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The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

G.N. South’s Sal Serpe dies at 87 Ex-Marine coached Rebels football team to only undefeated season in program history

BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Salvatore Serpe, who coached the Great Neck South High School football team to its lone undefeated season in 1982, died on Nov. 23 from congestive heart failure complications at the age of 87, according to his family.

Serpe, who coached the Rebels for more than 30 years, would always put his family first, his son Tom said in an interview on Monday.

“My brother put it really well at the eulogy,” Tom said. “During the fall, in our childhood, every Saturday was like Christmas. I said it was like the Super Bowl.”

Salvatore or “Sal” Serpe was born in Brooklyn in 1933, and graduated from Manual Training High School in Park Slope. Football was in Serpe’s blood before his coaching career began. As a freshman, Serpe earned All-City honors as a halfback and helped lead his team to a league title in 1948.

Serpe then went from serving on his school’s football team to serving in the nation’s armed

forces, when he declined college scholarships to join the Marine Corps during the Korean War. “My dad had scholarship offers to play football at UPenn and Adelphi University and chose to serve his country,” Tom said. “He loved football, but his country came first.”

Serpe played one year of football at Adelphi once he returned home and graduated from the university with a bachelor’s degree in education in 1956. Two years later, Sal married a close friend from elementary school, Julia Lombardi.

After moving to Old Bethpage in 1965 with their two sons, Serpe accepted a job teaching at South High, where he stayed for nearly 40 years. In 1966, Serpe was named head football coach, leading to a 32-year tenure and compiling more than 100 wins.

Tom said he and his brother, Richard, would always get excited to hop in the car on the way to the school every Saturday morning and to run on top of the hill near the football field before the games started. The two even stood on the sideline and helped

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SERPE FAMILY

Former Great Neck South High football coach Salvatore Serpe died in Old Bethpage on Nov. 23. their father throughout the games, Tom said.

“From the time I could pick up a pencil and clipboard, I was helping with stats,” Tom said.

“It was like every Saturday was ‘Take Your Kid to Work Day.’ The bigger we got, the more we helped Dad out.”

Tom also touted his father’s

loyalty to Julia and his entire family by remaining the coach of South High and not uprooting his family to pursue collegiatelevel coaching jobs and other opportunities.

“He was just a real family man,” Tom said. “He made it seem like everything was about us, not about him. Whatever opportunities he had to go into college ranks, he didn’t consider uprooting family to achieve some goal he had.”

Tom said countless former players, students and professional colleagues called to express their condolences and share memories of his father.

“That’s the special stuff,” Tom said. “So many people calling and sharing their experiences of him. He made an impact on the teachers, admin, students, players and the community of Great Neck South High School.”

Serpe is survived by his wife, Julia, his sons Tom and Richard, their wives, Linda and Patricia, and his grandchildren, Richard, Robert, Bridget, Daniel and James.

The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

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The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

Comptroller criticized over ’19 fraud scheme Inspector general faults controls after phony vendor duped county

BY R OB E RT PELAEZ Nassau County Inspector General Jodi Franzese has criticized County Comptroller Jack Schnirman’s office over an incident of vendor fraud in 2019.

In the attempted scam, the county sent more than $700,000 to a phony vendor but was able to recover it.

In a report, Franzese said the office of the comptroller’s controls to prevent this incident were “not effective” since a bank employee was the first to bring it to light.

Nassau County Finance Committee Chairman Howard Kopel, a Republican who is the legislator for Nassau’s 7th District and deputy presiding officer, sent a letter to Franzese in January outlining the incident in which Schnirman’s office fell victim to an online presence impersonating a county vendor.

Franzese then investigated the incident. Her findings, published in a 65-page document dated Nov. 19, showed that the

the comptroller’s office already approving the transaction, she said. The money transferred to the online account was later recovered and returned to the county, officials said.

The scammer has not been identified and no arrests have been reported.

Brett Spielberg, a spokesman for the comptroller’s office, said the legislative majority politicized the incident despite Franzese finding “nothing new” in her investigation.

“The Republican Legislative Majority is here to score political points in an attempt to politicize an attack on our County,” he said. “The Inspector General review found nothing new that the Comptroller’s PHOTO COURTESTY OF THE LEGISLATIVE MAJORITY Office didn’t already transparently put forward almost a year Nassau County Finance Committee Chairman Howard Kopel ago.”

Franzese said she was dissaid he was concerned about Comptroller Jack Schnirman’s appointed in that response afability to protect taxpayer money on Monday. ter a “very fair, balanced and online user posing as a county scammer’s account after more impartial report” of the incivendor had sought 11 pay- than $710,000 had been sent. dent.

“We acknowledge that the ments totaling $2,095,813.92. This prevented the outstandFranzese said that a bank ing $1.3 million from transfer- review might have placed the the county used froze the ring to the scammer, despite Comptroller’s Office, an office

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that conducts its own reviews and audits of other entities, in an unaccustomed and perhaps unsettling position,” Franzese said in response to the statement.

According to a news release sent out by the county’s Republican legislative majority on Monday, Schnirman, a Democrat, told officials from the Finance Committee that a bank employee recognized the unusual activity and froze the accounts, later contacting Schnirman’s office.

Franzese confirmed the scam “did not constitute a technological cyber-attack” against the county, which holds sensitive information about county residents.

Kopel expressed concerns about Schnirman’s “ability to protect taxpayer money” and thanked Franzese for conducting the investigation.

“After reading the report from the Inspector General, I am deeply concerned by the Comptroller’s behavior, and question his ability to protect Continued on Page 34

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HC

COMMUNITY NEWS

Hillside fourth-graders run for class president While learning about the 2020 presidential election, Hillside Grade School fourth-graders in Shannon Gnatowski’s class held an election of their own.

Students in the class who ran for class president were required to create a campaign presentation and slogan. Then, the entire class filled out a mock voter registration form and cast their ballots.

Isabella Madden and Samantha Abraham were each chosen as class president after the election ended in a tie. After being given a choice to have a revote or select both candidates as co-presidents, the class decided to have Madden and Abra-

ham serve as class co-presidents.

“Samantha and Isabella both take on the responsibility to advocate for fellow classmates and will work together to solve problems that may arise during the year,” Mrs. Gnatowski said.

1. Hillside Grade School fourth graders Isabella Madden, left, and Samantha Abraham were chosen as co-presidents of their class.2. Hillside Grade School fourth graders were able to cast their ballots in their mock in-class election.

Photos courtesy of the New Hyde ParkGarden City Park Union Free School District

Hillside Grade School fourth graders Isabella Madden, left, and Samantha Abraham were chosen as co-presidents of their class.

Hillside Grade School fourth graders were able to cast their ballots in their mock in-class election.

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

County urges residents to shop local Curran introduces scavenger hunt offering winners $100 gift card to small businesses

BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z

NCExecutive, @NassauCouncilofChambersofCommerce, @NassauCountyIDA, and #ShopSafeShopLocal. If participants do Nassau County Executive Laura Curran not have Facebook, submissions can be sent has rolled out another initiative to aid local to scavengerhunt@nassaucountyny.gov. businesses in the midst of the coronavirus “We are grateful for the opportunity to pandemic. recognize our local business owners and Curran, on Nov. 20, introduced the chamber members who eagerly await your “Shop Safe, Shop Local, Scavenger Hunt,” safe shopping experience,” Julie Marchewhere county residents can become eligible sella, past president of the Nassau Council for a $100 gift card to small businesses in of Chambers, said. “These members suptheir community to kick off the holiday port your local organizations and events shopping season. throughout your communities. Remember “Our small businesses, especially those ‘Before you click and buy ... give shop local in our once bustling downtowns, that ema try’! Good luck to all participants.” ploy so many of our neighbors, families and According to county officials, the initiafriends, are struggling to survive,” Curran tive began on Small Business Saturday, Nov. said. “You can help throw them a lifeline 28, and will run through Friday. Whichever just by doing your holiday shopping at the PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE’S OFFICE participant sends in a submission with at mom and pop shops in your community – least four of the eight tasks verified per rather than online or at big box retailers.”

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran introduces a new initiative to encontest guidelines first will be declared The event is in partnership with the the winner of that day. Each winner will Nassau Council Chambers of Commerce courage residents to shop at the county’s small businesses. receive the $100 gift card to shop local as and the Nassau County Industrial Developof support to promote shopping safely and clude purchasing a beverage or snack from the holiday season continues. A participant ment Agency. shopping locally to support the brick and a local eatery, making a purchase at a local who has won is not eligible to win again.

“The Industrial Development Agency mortar businesses that are the fabric of this hardware store, buying flowers from a local “I hope residents take advantage of this and our sister organization, the Local florist, and getting a car serviced or washed county.” engaging shopping game and have some Economic Assistance Corporation, have Nassau County residents are eligible to at a local auto shop. fun while supporting and safely exploring worked tirelessly during this pandemic to Participants must make all four or more participate by printing out the scavenger local small businesses – you never know do what we could to assist small businesses hunt sheet online at www.nassaucountyny. purchases on the same day with pictures of the hidden gems you may find,” Curran during these challenging times including gov/shoplocal. Participants are required receipts and the participant with a mask said. loans and PPE giveaways,” Nassau Industo complete four of the eight daily tasks on (if not shopping online). Submissions trial Development Agency Chairman RichContinued on Page 36 to qualify for the $100 gift card. Tasks in- can be made on Facebook by tagging: @ ard Kessel said. “This is just another effort

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Town completes Cultural Master Plan

BY R O S E W E L D ON The Town of North Hempstead has completed its Cultural Master Plan, Supervisor Judi Bosworth announced on Tuesday.

Efforts to create such a plan began in 2018, with the goal of making North Hempstead a place that people sought out to host and attend cultural events, festivals and concerts, among other things.

The town touted the plan as one of the first of its kind adopted in New York and as “a roadmap to foster diversity, equity, and inclusivity, while supporting strong and vibrant local economies.”

“The arts play a vital role in not just enhancing the quality of life for our residents but as a significant component of an economic development strategy,” Bosworth said in a statement. “We have so many wonderful destinations in North Hempstead, and it is extremely important that the Town plays a proactive role in promoting our businesses and cultural institutions so that they are highlighted and continue to thrive.”

In a statement, the town said the final plan was the “culmination of twenty months of focus groups, surveys, public meetings, and discussions with civic associations, chambers of commerce, Business Improvement Districts, arts & culture organizations, and historical societies.”

The document includes a detailed implementation strategy containing studies, examples and instructions relevant to North Hempstead.

Recommendations include the creation of an initial Office of Commerce & Culture that brings together the town, interested villages, local business improvement districts, Chambers of Commerce, and arts and cultural nonprofits within North Hempstead; the development of a marketing strategy that may include a more dynamic online tool for branding, promoting and incentivizing the arts, culture, tourism, dining and retail experience to help thread together and crosspollinate activities/events townwide; and cultivating a program that decreases retail vacancies and increases business retention. This will be addressed with artist pop-up shops, improvements to the shopping, dining and festival experiences, and involvement from the art, cultural and historical sectors.

The town said that though the plan was initially crafted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is “being adapted to address both local business and arts & culture organizational challenges in the contexts of economic rebuilding, operational challenges, and public health recovery/safety.”

It had been announced last year that urban design group CivicMoxie would assist in the plan’s creation and had been hired in 2018, with founder and principal Susan Silberberg appearing at a town forum in June 2019 to field questions on the plan. Efforts to reach CivicMoxie for comment were unavailing.

The town is beginning a search for a commerce and culture coordinator who will assist with the implementation of the plan in the coming months.

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The Town of North Hempstead has announced that its cultural master plan has been completed.

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10 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

Life-saving heart transplant at 19

BY R O S E W E L D ON With Thanksgiving just two days away, a 19-year-old dance teacher and Long Island’s youngest heart transplant patient gave thanks to the surgeons, doctors and nurses at the Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital in Manhasset who saved his life.

During a news conference at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Frankie England Jr. and his family heard words of encouragement from Dr. Brian Lima, director of heart transplantation; Dr. Simon Maybaum, vice president of cardiovascular research and England’s cardiologist; and Dr. Syed Hussain, the attending surgeon who performed England’s heart transplant.

England, also a poet and actor, had been a professional dance teacher since the age of 15. Always in excellent health, he suddenly became weak to the point that even brushing his teeth had become difficult. On Sept. 8, he was brought to the heart hospital, having been diagnosed with severe heart failure.

“When he came to us, Frankie’s heart was functioning at barely 15 percent and his kidney and liver were also failing,” Maybaum said. “We treated him with an intraaortic balloon pump, which is a mechanical pump to support his failing heart.”

Maybaum said that England was placed on the national heart transplant list on Sept.

16. He had to wait just over one month for a suitable heart to become available. His sur-

gery took place on Oct. 5 and he was able to go home on Nov. 19, just before Thanksgiving.

“I’m happy to report that his prognosis is excellent,” Maybaum said.

After explaining the most basic components of the complex surgery, Hussain commented on Frankie’s positive attitude and how important that is for patient and physician alike.

“Frankie is such a special person,” Hussain said. “He became the personal friend of every doctor and nurse on the unit. We feel like we are all part of one family.”

One of the high points of the day was a special surprise video from Val Chmerkovskiy from “Dancing with the Stars,” and his ballroom colleagues at Dance with Me Stu-

dio in Glen Head.

During the minute-long video, which brought England and his family to tears, Chmerkovskiy spoke directly to the young dancer, offering him words of encouragement for the future and suggesting that one day, “maybe we’ll share a dance floor.”

For his part, Frankie said the thing he is most happy about is knowing that he will be able to rejoin his loving family and that life will return to normal.

“Every morning, I wake up and thank the angel who gave me my new heart,” England said. “I know I have an angel’s heart in my body, and I want to treat it well. I want to thank my parents and my sister, and all my doctors and nurses, for giving me this beautiful new life.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHWELL HEALTH

Frankie England Jr. with his family and doctors at a news conference in Manhasset. A dance teacher who works in Glen Head, England, 19, is the youngest person to receive a heart at a Long Island hospital.

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Coyotes to cut through Whitney Woods: expert

BY R O S E W E L D ON Coyotes are almost certain to pop up in one of Manhasset’s most prominent wooded areas, according to a discussion hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock’s Green Sanctuary Committee.

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In a Zoom meeting held Tuesday night, the committee welcomed Enrico Nardone, executive director of the Islipbased Seatuck Environmental Association, to discuss the wildlife in the local woodlands.

Continued on Page 20

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS

Coyotes will almost certainly come through Whitney Woods, the area surrounding the Unitarian Universalist Church at Shelter Rock.

The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

13

COMMUNITY NEWS

New Hyde Park Chamber launches food drive The Greater New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, through its Benevolence Committee, and sponsored by chamber member PrePaid Ventures LTD, is conducting its first annual Holiday Food Drive.

In a year like no other in memory, the chamber sought to help those experiencing unemployment, under-employment, or business closings. No one should have to choose between the necessities of life and not having enough to eat.

The chamber made its first donation

on Tuesday, Nov. 24 to the food pantry at Notre Dame RC Church.

A second donation will be made on December 20 to the Trinity Lutheran Church.

Non-perishable foods may be donated at any one of nine collection points.

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Opinion

OUR VIEWS

Decisions that lives depend on

G

ov. Andrew Cuomo reported Tuesday that 3,920 people had tested positive statewide for COVID-19 the day before and 41 people had died. That brought the state’s death toll to 26,482.

Cuomo said Tuesday’s numbers were part of the “tremendous increases” that had raised New York’s infection rate to 3.62 percent.

Particularly worrisome were “focus zones” where the rate of infection was much higher than the state average and additional restrictions had been imposed.

In Nassau County, this included Great Neck, which had a 3.45 percent seven-day rolling average, and Massapequa Park, which had a rolling average of 3.78 percent.

As worrisome as these numbers were, New York’s infection rate was among the lowest in the country. Some states in the Upper Midwest showed more than four times New York’s infection rate.

And for the first time, the country added more than one million cases in each of the past two weeks. The total number of cases exceeded 4.5 million for the month of November, with 1,500 people dying each day.

Total deaths in the country were 267,000 for the year.

So the timing could not have been worse when the U.S. Supreme Court late last Wednesday barred restrictions on religious services in New York that Cuomo had imposed to combat the coronavirus.

The court’s 5-4 ruling was at odds with earlier ones concerning churches in California and Nevada when Chief Justice John Roberts joined four liberal justices in deciding the cases.

In a concurring opinion in the case from California in May, Roberts wrote what would seem to be obvious: that government officials should not be “subject to second-guessing by an unelected federal judiciary, which lacks the background, competence and expertise to assess public health and is not accountable.”

We would add now particularly at a time when the result could be avoidable deaths on a massive scale.

But right-wing ideology appears to have replaced common sense on the court with conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett taking the place of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The Supreme Court’s order last week addressed two applications, one filed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, the other by two synagogues, an Orthodox Jewish organization and two individuals.

The applications said Cuomo’s restrictions violated constitutional protections for the free exercise of religion. The one from the synagogue added that Cuomo had “singled out a particular religion for blame and retribution for an uptick in a society-wide pandemic.”

Cuomo had cited the rise in cases in Orthodox Jewish areas, but his restrictions covered all “houses of worship.”

The restrictions, based on infection rates, divide areas into color-coded zones. “Red zones,” where the coronavirus risk is highest, say no more than 10 people may attend religious services.

In “orange zones,” attendance is capped at 25. This applies even to churches that can seat more than 1,000 people.

In a concurring opinion, Jus-

BLANK SLATE MEDIA LLC

Editorial Cartoon

tice Neil Gorsuch gave a clear demonstration of why Roberts was right to be concerned about an unelected federal judiciary overriding the decisions of health experts.

“It is time – past time – to make plain that while the pandemic poses many grave challenges, there is no world in which the Constitution tolerates colorcoded executive edicts that reopen liquor stores and bike shops but shutter churches, synagogues and mosques,” Gorsuch wrote.

Actually, there is a world in which the Constitution should allow governors to set different rules for liquor stores and bike shops but shutter churches, synagogues and mosques. It is one based on science and data. Some of us live in it.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor made short work in dispensing with Gorsuch’s argument in her dissent.

She pointed out that New York had imposed restrictions at least as strict on comparable institutions and gatherings such as “lectures, concerts, movie showings, spectator sports and theatrical performance where large groups of people gather in close proximity for extended periods of time.”

REPORTERS Rose Weldon, Robert Pelaez

Gorsuch, she noted, “did not even try to square his examples with the conditions medical experts tell us facilitate the spread of COVID-19: large groups of people gathering, speaking and singing in close proximity indoors for extended periods of time.”

Concerns about Orthodox synagogues in Great Neck not adhering to Health Department protocols have sparked angry denials and charges that the people complaining were anti-Semitic.

This makes little sense. There is no doubt that anti-Semitism exists, but if houses of worship are challenging COVID-19 restrictions based on freedom of religion, they can’t complain when people criticize their houses of worship.

The best argument on the issue of religious bias and government’s role in combating the virus came from Pope Francis.

In an op-ed article in The New York Times, the pope lauded governments that acted decisively to protect health and save lives by imposing “strict measures to contain the outbreak.”

“Yet some groups protested, refusing to keep their distance, marching against travel restrictions – as if measures that government must impose for the good of

their people constitute some kind of political assault on autonomy or personal freedom!” the pope wrote. “Looking to the common good is much more than the sum of what is good for individuals. It means having regard for all citizens and seeking to respond effectively to the needs of the least fortunate.”

Who would have thought that the pope would show more respect for science and government’s role in protecting us than the majority of the Supreme Court?

So what to do?

We can start by understanding that there is a difference between complying with the law – especially as determined by the newly realigned Supreme Court – and doing what is right.

Houses of worship may not be held legally to the state’s restrictions, but it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t comply.

In fact, most religious institutions on the North Shore are already doing that, telling congregants to adhere to state protocols and holding virtual services.

Virtual events do not have the same sense of immediacy and belonging that in-person events have.

Continued on Page 31

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

15

ON THE RIGHT

New York’s 2020 political winners, losers

H

ere is my take on the political winners and losers in this year’s game of New York politics.

Winners: Peter King: As a member of Congress for 28 years, King has served his nation and his constituents with distinction.

He proved that being civil in the political arena pays off. A public official since he was elected to the Hempstead Town Council in 1971, King should be the model for politicians of every stripe.

Tom DiNapoli: The state comptroller has used his audit powers effectively to expose government incompetence, waste and corruption. He determined that the Empire State Development Corporation squandered hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in high-technology projects that have not produced intended results. He revealed the state’s Medicaid leviathan made more than $700 million in unnecessary costs and overpayments. And he has been alerting state and local governments to the devastating impact the economic shutdown is having on their operating budgets.

Laura Curran: In fiscal 2019, the county executive achieved the first balanced bud-

get according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in a long time. In 2020, she has worked effectively with the Nassau Interim Finance Board to address the fiscal crisis caused by the governor’s shutdown of the economy.

Lee Zeldin: Contrary to Democratic Party expectations, Zeldin was re-elected in a landslide, receiving 61 percent of the vote. The voters rewarded him because as The Almanac of American Politics has pointed out, “he was responsive to local sentiments, including his opposition to Republican tax cuts that capped the deduction for state and local taxes employed by his affluent and highly taxed constituents.”

Andrew Garbarino: The Republican state assemblyman defied the pundits and kept Peter King’s congressional seat in the red column. Hopefully, Garbarino’s predecessor serves as his model when he gets to Washington in January.

Losers: Andrew Cuomo: The governor refuses to admit that he made a reckless policy decision that cost the lives of over 6,000 seniors in nursing homes throughout the state. His book

GEORGE J. MARLIN On The Right promoting his leadership skills during the pandemic is an insult to the memory of the nursing home victims and their grieving families.

Bill de Blasio: The city’s lazy and incompetent mayor has been unable to come to grips with the gravity of the issues New Yorkers are grappling with. If Gov. Cuomo does not reactivate the Financial Control Board to seize control of the city’s finances, he will be guilty of permitting the city, under the insouciant leadership of de Blasio, to continue on the treadmill to fiscal, economic and social oblivion.

Rudy Giuliani: His ludicrous “election fraud” antics on national television destroyed his

reputation as “America’s Mayor.”

Going forward, he should limit his appearances to his favorite watering hole, The Club Macanudo, located on Manhattan’s fashionable Upper East Side.

Jack Schnirman: Nassau’s county’s comptroller, a self-proclaimed “fiscal watchdog,” appears to have been asleep in the dog house. When he left his post as Long Beach City manager, he didn’t figure out he was overpaid $53,000 in severance pay. How absurd is that for someone who claims he knows the buck? The DA’s probe justifiably concluded that Schnirman and other Long Beach officials were guilty of “egregious incompetence.” Another blunder: the county’s inspector general reported in November that “a fraud scam against the Nassau’s comptroller’s office found controls were ‘not effective’ in preventing a scheme in which $2.1 million in payments were approved for transfer to a fraudster’s bank account.”

Richard Nicolello: The longtime county legislator, who voted for budgets in the 1990s that brought the county to the edge of bankruptcy and subsequently voted for the creation of NIFA to rescue it, is now trying

to prevent NIFA from helping the county save millions of dollars in debt interest payments. His reason for stonewalling: NIFA members had been mean to a Republican county executive.

He’s referring to the convicted felon and fiscal bungler Ed Mangano. How sad is that excuse for inaction?

Kevin Law: Suffolk County’s MTA board member came up with the dopiest idea of the year: to address the transportation agency’s projected $16 billion deficit through 2024, he called for cutting fares in 2021 “to generate more revenues by increasing ridership than if we increase fares and continued the depressed ridership.” Apparently, Law fails to grasp that LIRR ridership is down over 75 percent because people are working remotely and safely from home with their employer’s blessing.

Hence, dropping the fare a buck or two will not convince these mostly white-collar workers to become dashing commuters. In addition, cutting fares will be a slap in the face to first responders and essential workers who have risked their lives taking public transportation throughout the pandemic while paying full fares.

A LOOK ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Forget greenery on nature walk with engineer

N

owadays even just taking a walk is fraught with danger. I’d rather remember some from better days.

When my oldest was 3 years old, all he cared about was cars.

His father and I tried to carry on conversations about the sights we were strolling past — which was OK with our son as long as the sights were vehicular in nature.

“Truck, Mommy!”

“Look, Sweetheart, an oak tree! Do you remember the squirrel with the acorns in the park?”

“One car, Mommy! Two cars!

One car and one truck!”

“And that’s a maple tree; You remember the seeds that came down like helicopters from the sky? Those were maple tree seeds.”

“Car under a cover!”

“Yes, that car is under a cover.

Maybe they don’t like the helicopters landing on it.”

A few years later, he and

his younger brother were a little more interested in natural phenomena: “Ants! Let’s step on them!”

“A spider! Let’s crush it before it can run under that rock!”

“A butterfly! Watch me catch it!”

“Boys, leave those poor creatures alone. Look, here’s a sweet gum tree. See the prickly seed pods all over the ground? No, don’t try to grind one under the stroller wheels. Give me that!”

“I want to grind one, too! I want one, I want one!”

“And that one’s a sycamore – you can tell by the peeling bark ” “It even looks sick!”

“You mean, because the bark is peeling off? Actually, it’s supposed to look like that. You know, it’s the only tree whose bark you can peel.”

“What about that paperbark tree you showed us at Grandma’s house? You peeled that one, too.”

“You mean paper birch, and

JUDY EPSTEIN

A Look on the Lighter Side you’re right, I did peel it – OK, there are only two trees you can peel. But hey — not that much!

Let’s look for more trees. That’s a Japanese maple ” “That’s odd,” said my spouse.

“No, they grow all over the place here.”

“I mean it’s odd that they’re marking all the sewage lines when they’ve just finished re-pav-

ing this whole street. See? The blue spray-paint shows where the water main runs, the yellow is the natural gas, the green is the sewer. I wonder what they’re planning?”

“Sweetheart, this is supposed to be a nature walk for the kids. So could you please pick out something natural to show them?”

“Sewage is natural – OK, OK. Look, boys, see how the sidewalk has been pushed up here? What do you think did that?”

“Oh, oh, I know, Daddy. Tree roots?”

“That’s a very good guess, but actually it was a backhoe trying to fix something else.”

A little farther on I tried again. “What do you think that one is – a spruce tree? Or a fir?”

“A tree made of fur? That’s silly, Mommy!”

“No, I mean a kind of evergreen – what do you think, dear?”

“I think they’re putting in the

optical cable sooner than they said. See those boxes up there?

It looks like they’ve been going around changing them.”

“But what do you think about that tree? Do you think it’s a spruce?”

“I think it’s going to need trimming, it’s getting too close to the power lines. Hmm three phases here, that’s quite unusual for a residential neighborhood.

It’s coming across the street in this direction, see that’s the stepdown transformer. I wonder where it’s coming from?”

So we followed the lines back to the power plant — which, we learned, was also where the snowplow trucks were parked.

It wasn’t a conventional nature walk, but it did get us out of the house. And if we noticed things that James Audubon wouldn’t have sketched, I’m sure it’s only because he didn’t have the good fortune to be married to an engineer.

16 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

E A R T H M AT T E R S

Audubon Christmas bird count to go on

T

he Audubon Christmas Bird Count was started as an antidote to traditional Christmas bird hunts and is the longest-running citizen science survey in the world.

This year marks the 121st Count. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count utilizes the power of volunteers to track the health of bird populations at a scale that scientists could never accomplish alone. Data compiled will record every individual bird and bird species seen in a specified area, contributing to a vast community science network that continues a tradition stretching back 120 years.

Last year the Count mobilized nearly 80,000 volunteer bird counters in more than 2,600 locations across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Due to COVID, the National Audubon Society has made the count optional this year and put together guidelines for maintaining personal safety during the count, so participant num-

bers may be lower, but enthusiasm among birders is not.

The count contributes critically important data to scientists. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Surveys, Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed in time and space over the past hundred years.

The long-term perspective is vital for conservationists. It informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people as well. In 2019, Science published a study using decades of Audubon Christmas Bird Count data to describe a grim picture: a steady decline of nearly 3 billion North American birds since 1970, primarily as a result of human activities.

Christmas Bird Count data have been used in more than 300 peer-reviewed articles. The count has become an important tool in other countries as well; in Colombia, the Audubon

JENNIFER WILSON-PINES Earth Matters

Count is a crucially important monitoring system of biodiversity in the country.

Long Island hosts eleven of the 15-mile diameter count circles from the eastern forks to Queens and Brooklyn. Each circle has one or more compilers who select the date from the three-week count period, organize the volunteers and compile and enter the data into Audubon’s system.

Today it’s done online, much easier than when it involved adding up sheets of paper lists.

Each circle is broken out into areas or sectors with dedicated individuals or teams trying to locate as many birds as possible.

I am a compiler for the Northern Nassau count circle, along with three co-compilers.

This year’s count will be Saturday, Dec. 19. The Northern Nassau Circle extends from the western edge of Manhasset Bay east to Caumsett State Park, and south to Westbury, and is cosponsored by the North Shore and Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Societies.

Typically, between 100-110 species of birds will be identified during the 24-hour count in our area. Some counters will go out as early as 4 a.m. to track down Eastern Screech and Great Horned Owls.

Generally, the most abundant species are Canada Geese (no surprise) with over 10,000 counted. If the rafts of ducks that winter off the north shore arrive in time, then Greater Scaup will have high numbers.

Coming in next are usually over 3000 European Starlings.

Counted in numbers over 1000 are Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Mallards, and American Black Ducks.

The most undercounted species are feeder birds and the very common House Sparrow.

Volunteers need not venture beyond the comfort of their home as feeder counts are welcome.

This year, due to COVID, we will not have an in-person compilation and dinner but will have a zoom to discuss the highlights of the day. We are asking for lists to be submitted via ebird, a free app created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, but emailed lists will also be accepted.

If you feel confident in your ability to accurately identify your feeder birds and would like to participate, go to https:// www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count .

Click on the map and zoom into Long Island. Click on the bird in the center of the circle and contact information will come up.

Information can also be found at northshoreaudubon.org .

VIEW POINT

Biden hopes to revive the American Dream

T

he economic team announced by Presidentelect Joe Biden points to how he intends to fulfill his promise of addressing economic inequality: creating jobs, increasing wages and income and building an economy that works for everyone.

Indeed, each nominee, in contrast to Trump’s economic team of grifters, foreclosure millionaires and stock cheats, brings a life story mimicking the challenges facing most Americans and understands both the struggle and how government policies and the values embedded in the budget should provide a social safety net and a backstop.

Republicans, who have inexplicably managed to capitalize on working-class grievance while gorging on the redistribution of wealth from the poorest and middle class, will shout, “socialism” at every turn – it certainly worked to win over Hispanic voters in Florida. (Republicans are already attacking Biden nominee Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress and CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, to head

the Office of Management & Budget over her “mean tweets.”) In fact, Biden’s plan is to restore the mechanisms underpinning the American Dream, where anyone regardless of zip code or parentage can fulfill their potential and go as far as talent, grit and hard work take them.

But with cash increasingly equated with political power since the Reagan years, Republicans have worked the system to control cash. Indeed, even while Trump was touting the strongest economy in history and the lowest unemployment in 50 years, wages still had not kept up with inflation.

Stephen Paolini of Civic Action, trumpeting a RAND Corporation report on economic inequality, writes, “For the first time, we know exactly how much money working Americans have lost to the top 1 percent since 1975: 50 TRILLION DOLLARS. (“The Top 1 Percent of Americans Have Taken $50 Trillion From the Bottom 90 percent —And That’s Made the U.S. Less Secure”, https:// time.com/5888024/50-trillionincome-inequality-america/) “How did this happen? In the

KAREN RUBIN View Point

1970s, trickle-downers committed the greatest heist in American history. They cut taxes on billionaires, deregulated the stock market, and eroded the power of working Americans, stealing an eye-popping $50 trillion from the paychecks of everyday Americans and delivering it to the ultra-rich.

Had income distributions remained at 1975 levels, the typical working American would be earning $42,000 more every year.

“So, now what? How do we combat wealth inequality that adds up to $2.5 trillion in lost income a year when most political platforms don’t even recognize in-

equality as the epidemic it is?

“We need your elected officials to understand that the central goal of our nation’s economic policy must be nothing less than the doubling of median income.

We must dramatically narrow inequality between distributions while eliminating racial and gender inequalities within them.

This is the standard to which we should hold leaders from both parties. To advocate for anything less would be cowardly or dishonest or both.”

As Sen. Bernie Sanders noted, “Since 1990, there has been a massive transfer of wealth from workers to the people on top.” He added, “While the 1 percent have seen their wealth go up by $22 trillion, the bottom 50 percent of Americans have seen their wealth go down by $776 billion. We need a strong middle class, not an oligarchy.”

Robert Reich, former labor secretary, wrote, “The four richest men in America have now amassed $542 billion in wealth.

That’s more than the bottom half of all Americans combined. If this doesn’t convince you wealth inequality is out of control, I don’t

know what will.”

“It’s going to be a Billionaire Thanksgiving. The combined wealth of U.S. billionaires surpassed $1 trillion in gains since March 2020 and the beginning of the pandemic, an increase of over 34 percent,” Chuck Collins writes at inequality.org (“Updates: Billionaire Wealth, U.S. Job Losses and Pandemic Profiteers”). “Tuesday, Nov. 24, as the Dow crossed the 30,000 mark, the wealth of 650 U.S. billionaires approached a total of $4 trillion, with $1.008 trillion in growth since March 2020.”

In just the first nine months of the coronavirus pandemic, 8 million more Americans descended into poverty; some 40 million fear eviction or foreclosure (108 million live in rentals) with moratoriums on eviction ending; a mind-boggling 26 million – twice the number before COVID — are “food insecure” (hungry) overwhelming food banks which are now having to ration food, while Republicans, picking up on Trump’s cruel orders, move to make it harder to obtain food stamps. Half of all Americans are Continued on Page 30

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

17

OUT OF LEFT FIELD

Here come the Supreme Court judges

O

ur “Aristocracy of the Robe,” as French diplomat de Tocqueville described America’s lifetime judiciary nearly 200 years ago, is facing the prospect of major changes.

Opponents tried to portray Joe Biden as a president who would pack the courts if he were elected as a reprisal against Republicans who confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on the eve of the election – an action that was legal but unprecedented and unprincipled by Republican senators and Donald Trump).

However, with a grace and caring for communication (contrasting so sharply with Loser Trump), Biden said during the campaign that he would appoint a bipartisan commission to consider appropriate changes for lifetime judiciary at all levels.

The formation of the federal judiciary was left to Congress — a sign that the new Congress in 2021, not limited by the Constitution as, for example, the Electoral College is, can have its opportunity to interact with Biden’s bipartisan commission. The Judiciary Act of 1789 was the very first measure introduced in the U.S. Senate. This

reflected concern of the nation’s founders to institute a system of checks and balances with an independent judiciary.

The 1789 Act divided the nation into 13 judicial districts, which were organized in three circuits. These became the Appellate Courts. Initially, the Supreme Court had a chief justice and five associate justices. However, the number of justices changed several times from six and once reached 10 before in 1869 settling on nine in our present nine.

Our judiciary is divided into District Courts, Appellate (previously Circuit) Courts and the Supreme Court. Appointees to all three, including the justices on the Supreme Court, are accorded other protections for independence in addition to serving “for good behavior” – which has long been interpreted as “for life.” (Efforts to impeach federal judges or justices are as rare as Halley’s Comet.)

Just as the numbers on the Supreme Court have been changed by Congress, so too have those for the lower courts. The “Article III lifetime judges have been increased

by Congress from 660 (Reagan’s presidency) to 757 (G.H.W. Bush) to 842 (Clinton) to 862 (G.W.

MICHAEL D’INNOCENZO Out of Left Field Bush), to 871 (Obama) to the current total of 870 (Trump).

Vacancies for lifetime justices and Judges occur with retirement, with death – and with Senior Status. That last category is enormously important going forward.

If a federal judge chooses senior status, a vacancy is created so a president can offer a nominee for that judgeship. There are currently 438 out of the 870 federal judges who are or will be eligible for Senior Status in 2021.

The math is not complicated: More than half of all lifetime federal judges could have vacancies, depending on the decisions of incumbents. What an opportunity

that would be for President-elect Biden to name younger, more diverse people to the federal judiciary.

Biden will need to deal with some major restraining forces, however. While Senior Status creates a judgeship vacancy, the sitting judge continues to be involved in a more limited basis.

Whether for replacing Senior Status judges or nominating people for other vacancies, Biden will need cooperation from the Senate. When there is a divided government trade-off deals are made sometimes; I will have Judge A this time and we will advance your Judge B next time (obviously easier if the trade-offs occur when a deal can be made with two vacancies at the same time). Such considerations could produce less partisan nominees.

Biden might have two avenues to bolster his strength: 1) if Democrats win both run-off Senate seats in Georgia, the Senate will be 50to-50 (with the precedent-shattering first woman, person of color Vice President Kamala Harris able to break ties.

Obviously, control of the Senate will also be vital to any Biden legislative program. In addition to

winning those two Georgia special elections on Jan. 5, what are the prospects that one or more Lincoln Project Republicans will vote with Democrats, reflecting independence from the harm Trump has done to the GOP? Might one or more change party affiliation? It has happened in the past.

Recently, TV news anchor Jake Tapper asked a panel whether the Biden administration would, in effect, be a “third Obama term?” To which, the ever perspicacious Van Jones exclaimed: “Halleluiah!”

A series of positive developments for Biden will ready him for the first Supreme Court vacancy, when he will name Barack Obama as the new Justice!

Going forward with Biden’s bipartisan commission, Justice Elena Kagan notes that the 18-year term for Supreme Court Justices seems to have the most favorable responses. If that system is phased in, each president will have the chance to name two Supreme Court Justices in a four-year term of office.

At the end of 18 years, there will be an expanded range of Senior Status options for justices who have served that long.

OUR TOWN

Frugality pays dividends in time of COVID

T

ry as I may, there is no escaping the compulsion to write about the pandemic.

This story has more legs that you can count like a huge centipede that just keeps on growing.

Last week I came across a piece in The New York Times saying that consumer spending is way down and that since it typically makes up about two-thirds of the economy, there is worry that our economic slowdown may become extended. It said the value of FRUGALITY, which blanketed a generation following the Great Depression, may be embraced by America and that’s bad news for malls, restaurants, local stores, gyms, nail salons, clothing makers, shoe manufacturers etc, etc, etc.

Whether you’re a Democrat who likes to wear masks or a Republican who likes to make money, you are undoubtedly spending less time shopping and it’s dawned on you that you really don’t need that new pair of shoes. Let’s face facts: There is nowhere to go anyway so why not just keep on your

old slippers and enjoy a cup of tea in front of the TV. In 1890 a guy called Sigmund Freud came along and developed a theory on human nature which said we are dictated by only two essential drives, which he called our life wish (sex) and our death wish (aggression.) He thought that all activities created by human culture are based upon efforts to sublimate or channel these two instinctual drives. Our need to randomly exploit or kill our fellow man gets channeled into competitive sports. Our need to have endless pleasurable sex gets channeled into buying attractive clothing, eating good food, consuming sweets, painting or listening to fine music.

But if Freud had been born 100 years later and were alive and working today, I guarantee he would not have geared his theories toward sex or aggression. There can be no doubt that he would have been more focused on issues we call narcissism and, to put it in economist’s lingo, conspicuous

DR. TOM FERRARO

their neighbor but actually better than them. Social hierarchy and therefore social class is every bit as biological as sex and aggression.

Conspicuous consumption is a term coined in 1899 by the sociologist Thorstein Veblen in his book “The Theory of the Leisure Class.”

He wrote about the nouveau riche, who had developed a tendency to spend lavishly in order to es-

tablish their newfound status. As time went on, the middle class in America gained in discretionary income and the habit of conspicuous consumption entered their social strata. We work and we spend in order to display power, social identity, social status and worth.

We work and buy to establish our place in society.

Continued on Page 31

Our Town

consumption. Conspicuous consumption is the driving force behind the American economy. We buy in order to show off, not out of need. If I never bought another stitch of clothing, I would still be clothed for life.

We have become conspicuous consumers based upon the Constitution, which clearly declares that “all men are created equal.” This puts all Americans in a situation whereby they must spend their life proving that contrary to the Constitution, they are not equal to

The River Cafe with an empty table. Yet another sinister sign of COVID times

18 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

THE BACK ROAD

Preparing for another pandemic winter

A

s we approach a second consecutive pandemic winter, I’m picking up the vibe that many folks are experiencing trepidation about how they will weather yet another round of being cut off from the usual hustle and bustle of life as we once knew it.

There is no shortage of advice that can be found in selfhelp publications and tips by psychologists on survival techniques for coping with the pandemic when stuck at home.

Although Twitter has been much-maligned of late for the divisive political rhetoric that has a become a staple of this social media platform, there is more to discover there than just sarcastic, hostile and threatening tweeting.

For example, Shannon Watts (@MomsDemand) who is the founder of Moms Demand Action — a grassroots movement of Americans demanding reasonable solutions to address our nations culture of gun violence, recently tweeted to her 300,000-plus followers: “Eight months of being at home. [Any] tips on staying mentally and physically healthy, especially during the dark days of winter?”

She received more than 1500 comments! I thought I’d share just a few that I curated from the massive response.

Many of them reinforce what we are already familiar with – get plenty of fresh air, take long walks or hikes, stay hydrated and have a daily routine, for example. There were many more,

ANDREW MALEKOFF The Back Road

though, that you might not readily find in publications like Psychology Today.

For example, @brettbum had lots of ideas. He advises, “Use a blue light at the breakfast table to replace a little of

the lost sunlight. Buy or grow some flowers and plants. Both cleans the air and brings life to your digs. Keep lots of chewing gum in the house to avoid eating everything.”

Then, @sironontheriver reflected, “We cleaned out a bunch of junk from [our] house.

Also, a lot of gardening. YouTube Zen videos help. Write letters.” Sticking with the gardening theme, @VidProducerGal, recalled “This spring we bought an AeroGarden and grew tomatoes and herbs indoors. I got excited anytime there was a sprout of green!”

Next, @super_girl_kara offered some of the more meatand-potatoes advice that we have become accustomed to, yet bears reinforcing: “Walking

outside every day. Hard limits on screen time (no phone in my bed, no phone during meals).

Half an hour a day reading from a paper book. Alarm on my watch to remind me to drink water every hour.”

Quite a few posters commented on the benefit of their particular birth status in surviving the pandemic. For example, @MichLovesMoney said, “I’m an only child. I have a lifetime of learning how to entertain myself.” And, @judithpoirier4 seconded that by stating, “Me too. Being an “only” makes you self-reliant and innovative.” It is noteworthy that I didn’t see any eldest or middle children citing their birth order as a qualification for survival.

Continued on Page 36

F R O M T H E D E S K O F S TAT E A S S E M B LY M A N E D W A R D R A

Even now there’s so much to be thankful for

T

his has been an exceptionally difficult year. Our region was the epicenter of a global pandemic.

This spring, we experienced real suffering and heartbreak on a scale that’s still difficult to process.

We’re still dealing with the lingering public health threat, and we’re only beginning to combat the economic devastation. On top of it all, the American people just endured one of the most bitterly contested election cycles in modern memory.

If your first impulse is that there’s not a lot to be thankful

for right now, I can understand where you’re coming from.

If that’s how you feel, though, I think you should reconsider.

We owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to the frontline and essential workers who saved countless lives and risked everything to meet the needs of their neighbors during the worst of the crisis.

Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers put everything on the line to provide critically important care around the clock.

The quick, decisive actions

EDWARD RA

State Assemblyman of first responders in many cases were the difference between life

and death. And the law enforcement officials, transportation workers, pharmacists, grocers, food service workers, counselors, educators and so many others who adapted on the fly to keep us safe, keep us moving and keep us healthy deserve our unyielding appreciation.

We should also be thankful for the amazing doctors, scientists and researchers who are finalizing COVID-19 vaccines.

These breakthroughs represent hope and a return to normalcy.

They’re a reminder of our boundless potential and our ability to respond to adversity.

They are a testament to cooperation, innovation and hard work.

I’m thankful to live in a society where those values are foundational.

Most of all, we’re thankful for each other. We’re thankful for the friends and neighbors we trust. We’re thankful for the family members we love more than anything. And we’re thankful for the opportunity to revitalize our state and move forward together.

May God bless you and your family during this holiday season!

State Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square)

READERS WRITE

A lesson on perils of socialism in the U.S.

T

his story may or may not be true, but it explains socialism in its most basic form so that anyone can understand its ramifications.

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that she had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, “OK, we will have an experiment in this

class on this plan.” All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A (substituting grades for dollarssomething closer to home and more readily understood by all).

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied

hard decided they wanted a free ride, too, so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the third test rolled around, the average was an F. As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

To their great surprise, all failed and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great,

the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

These are possibly the five best sentences you’ll ever read and all applicable to this experiment: You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first

take from somebody else. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!

When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

Gayle Palmer Williston Park Letters Continued on Page 30

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

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Coyotes to cut through Whitney Woods Continued from Page 12 Seatuck, together with the Manhassetbased Greentree Foundation, has conducted surveys and studies of the wildlife in the wooded area surrounding the congregation’s campus, informally called Whitney Woods, for the past 12 years. Over the years, the organizations have developed management plans for invasive species and sustainability plans for the property, and they are beginning to work with the congregation on further surveys and plans.

Whitney Woods falls in the middle of a stretch of land Nardone calls “Coyote Alley,” and the woods have been identified as a prime area for coyotes to move through

or stay in.

“At some point, it just seemed too obvious a place, so that’s why we started partnering with Greentree and the congregation, to try to see what’s coming,” Nardone said.

He added that the effort would involve cameras, tracks and scans, among other things, and that coyotes tend to be adaptable to differing environments and food sources.

“It’s hard to know exactly what they’re going to do all the time,” Nardone said.

“That said, there’s a long track record of people watching coyotes over the years. We should generally know how they’re going to behave. What do they eat is one of the key

questions. They’re very capable hunters, relying on a really wide range of prey from all kinds of rodents, rabbits, birds and snakes.”

Coyotes are known to also eat fruit, insects, vegetation and mammals like young deer, he said. Their omnivorous ways do, however, mean that they are likely to eat garbage and come closer to human habitation, putting household pets at risk.

“If they’re eating garbage, they’re close to human habitation,” Nardone said. “And at that point, conflicts arise. Coyotes certainly will take the opportunity to prey on cats and small dogs if the opportunities are presented.”

Nardone suggests that homeowners

avoid putting garbage close to wooded areas and avoid letting small pets outside after dark.

“If your little dog or your cat is roaming around back there, the coyote doesn’t know that it’s somebody’s pet, it’s just a food source,” Nardone said.

All told, he said, the keys to avoiding conflict will rely on simply being a good neighbor.

“We know coyotes can be good neighbors. They have a long track record of being good neighbors,” Nardone said. “The question is whether we can be good neighbors and whether we can take the steps to help ... coexist with coyotes.”

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Parties, Dining & Shopping

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22 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

Tips to simplify shopping and wrapping

T

he holiday season is a busy time of year. People devote many hours to generating gift lists and planning their shopping excursions. Shopping can be all-encompassing during the holiday season, but it is only half of the gift-giving equation.

After all of those toys, articles of clothing and other goodies are purchased, those items will need to be wrapped and hidden away.

Gift-givers may be looking for ways to make these tasks just a little easier.

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Shop early

The sooner you begin shopping, the more time you will have to purchase everything you need and then get it prepared for giving. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales feature great deals, there are discounts to be had all year long if you keep your eyes open.

Grab an item here and there when

there is something that catches your eye and fits the needs of a gift recipient.

Shopping early also affords shoppers a greater buffer if they plan to do some of their shopping online. Shipping times have changed due to COVID-19, which has disrupted some supply chains and put added pressure on shipping companies. The U.S. Postal Service says products and packages may require more time to be delivered due to limited transportation availability, so shopping early can help ensure everything arrives on time.

Tackle the kids’ gifts first

Watching children’s bright grins and all their excitement opening presents can make all the hard work worth it. Be sure that you shop for all of the gifts for children in your household first, especially if you play Santa’s helper. Use opportunities when the kids are in school or at daycare to bring gifts into the house and then wrap them.

Wrapping as you go can help to ensure there are no “spoiler alerts” prior to the holidays.

Create a wrapping station

A dedicated area for wrapping can streamline the process. Gift wrapping supplies can be tough to keep organized because they’re usually awkward sizes and can eat up a lot of space.

That’s where a wrapping station can come into play. It can be custom-made or you can use items already around the house.

A laundry room or a large closet can be the ideal location for a wrapping station. Because wrapping paper rolls are the most cumbersome wrapping supplies, find a way to corral them. A tall laundry hamper works, or consider hanging wrapping paper rolls horizontally on thin curtain rods attached to a wall or the back of a door. Simply pull off the amount of paper you need and cut.

Organize other supplies in a nearby drawer or organizational caddy. Store gift bags and tissue paper in a fabric tote bag. Having everything within arm’s reach cuts down on time spent searching for supplies.

It’s that time of year for shopping and wrapping. Ensure it is a lowstress experience with some time-saving tips.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

23

How to prioritize shopper safety during the holidays E

ach November and December, many people direct their focus on the festive holiday season. While good intentions reign supreme during the holiday season, it’s best that store owners and consumers alike pay attention to personal safety amidst all the hustle and bustle.

According to Dr. Janet Lauritsen, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri, robbery and personal larceny increase around the holidays.

In addition, retail crime increases by around 30 percent during the holiday season.

Business owners and consumers can keep these tips in mind so this

holiday season is as safe as it is festive.

• Be aware of your surroundings. When you leave a store, no matter how big or how small it is, put your phone down and avoid distractions.

Opportunists look for distracted people who may not see them coming.

• Shop trusted online retailers. Many people shop online for holiday gifts, and this year the increase in online revenue may be pronounced as people continue to avoid crowds to protect themselves from COVID-19. Fraudulent online retailers and false charities prey on unsuspecting consumers.

Consumers can patronize sites of locally owned businesses or larger

retailers they recognize and use frequently.

Verify that the site is encrypted by looking for the “lock” symbol in the address bar when you reach the payment page.

If something seems off, avoid that site or reach out to customer service.

• Change routines. If you always head to the store at a specific time or leave for work or school at the same time each day, think about altering your routine to thwart would-be criminals. This can throw off anyone who has been observing your patterns.

The same tactic can be applied to someone working in a retail store, as private homes and consumers are not the only targets this time of year.

• Don’t leave items exposed. At home and in the car, keep purchases or gifts hidden. This can reduce the temptation for thieves.

• Invest in security cameras. If you do not already have a camera on your home or business,

now is the time to get one. Even doorbell cameras can deter crime.

Porch pirates/bandits are individuals who steal packages right off of people’s front porches.

Porch Bandit Protection™ says the average value of stolen packages is $140.

Thieves may even follow

delivery vehicles closely in order to grab packages minutes after they are delivered. Cameras can deter the criminals who commit these types of crimes.

It’s time to step up on safety so this holiday season stays festive.

1030 Willis Ave. • Albertson, NY 11507 516-484-6444 • email: solomonsalb@optonline.net

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The bright side of small holiday celebrations

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o say the novel coronavirus COVID-19 changed life would be an understatement. Due to COVID-19, the way people interact with one another has changed dramatically over the last several months. Despite this, the public has proven very resilient and adaptive, often finding a silver lining while confronting challenges that might once have seemed insurmountable.

The holidays are one aspect of life that have been modified as people continue to navigate the new normal. It’s easy to lament the fact that extended family may not be able to travel or celebrate the holidays together. However, there is something to be said for small celebrations. The following are some of the positive aspects of scaling back holiday festivities.

• More personal: Certainly it can be great to see distant cousins or old college roommates for the holidays.

But the more people who you see each holiday season, the less personal interaction you get. When the holidays are scaled back, dinner becomes more intimate and everyone can exchange gifts and see their loved ones’ reactions.

• Reduced expenses: Putting out an extensive holiday spread and

entertaining 10 or more people can be expensive. Small gatherings are less expensive because there’s fewer mouths to feed.

• Ability to splurge: On the other side of the financial coin, having fewer people for the holidays means one can indulge on items that may not be possible when hosting a crowd. Therefore, if chicken was normally on the menu, it could be possible to upgrade to a roast or something indulgent like lobster and other seafood. In addition, a small holiday celebration may free up the budget to spend more on gifts.

• Special touch: When there are only a few people celebrating, hosts can go the extra mile to give celebrations a special touch. Create a special holiday dessert even if the recipe is time-consuming. In addition, immediate family can pile into the car to tour the neighborhood decorations, something that may not be as manageable with a motorcade of relatives.

While holiday celebrations may need to be scaled back this year, small gatherings can produce some pleasant, unanticipated benefits.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

25

Must-haves to achieve a holiday wonderland T

he end of the year marks a period of heightened festivity. Come the holiday season, homes and businesses are decorated and everyone seems to have an extra spring in their step.

The sight of snowflakes, candy canes, evergreen wreaths, and Christmas trees can elicit nostalgia for happy holidays of the past, as well as excitement for what is yet to come. When it comes to decorating for the holidays, there are certain items that set the scene.

• Christmas trees: Germany is credited with starting the modern Christmas tree tradition. It dates back to the 16th century when devout Christians brought trees into their homes and decorated them.

German settlers brought Christmas tree traditions to America upon their arrival in Pennsylvania in the 19th century.

• Mistletoe: Mistletoe is known as the “kissing plant” and it is customary for couples to kiss while standing beneath the plant, typically hung in doorways and arches. Mistletoe was once hung to drive off evil spirts and ensure fertility.

Kissing under the mistletoe was first found associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive marriage rites.

• Lights: Lights are commonly seen during the holiday season. The custom of having holiday lights dates back to when Christmas trees were decorated with candles, which symbolized Christ being the light of the world. These traditions evolved from pagan rituals that would celebrate the return of light of the sun as the days grow longer after the winter solstice.

• Yule log: Many families burn a yule log in the fireplace and watch it burn while listening to Christmas carols.

The familiar custom of burning the log dates back to solstice celebrations and the tradition of bonfires.

The Christmas tradition called for burning a portion of the log each evening until Twelfth Night, also known as the Epiphany, which takes place on January 6.

• Poinsettias: Poinsettias are a tropical plant that originated in Mexico.

Joel Roberts Poinsett was the first Ambassador from the United States to Mexico. He became enamored with the plants, and brought them back to his native South Carolina. An old Mexican legend suggests a poor girl had nothing to offer baby Jesus at Christmas Eve services, so she picked a handful of weeds and put them at

the bottom of the nativity scene. These weeds burst into bright red flowers and became known as “Flores de Noche Buena,” or “Flowers of the Holy Night.”

Holiday decorations borrow traditions from all over the world to help establish a festive wonderland.

26 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

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xchanging gifts with loved ones is a holiday season tradition. That tradition figures to continue this year, though families will almost certainly have to adjust the ways they exchange gifts.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in the winter of 2019-20 changed how people across the globe live their lives.

Social distancing guidelines encouraged people to limit gettogethers, particularly indoor gatherings. Experts anticipate restrictions on indoor gatherings will continue in the early part of the winter of 2020-21, which could force families to rethink how they get together during the holiday season.

Families also may want to think outside the box when buying gifts for their loved ones, targeting items that can make social distancing easier. The following gift ideas can make a socially distant holiday season that much more special for a loved one.

Streaming subscription

Movie theaters have been closed for months in many areas. But movie lovers still want to see their favorite flicks, so a streaming subscription to a service such as Netflix or Amazon Prime can be just what they need to stay entertained while social distancing this winter. For fans of classic films, including indie movies, foreign films and big studio productions, a subscription to the Criterion Channel might make the perfect gift. Curated by the Criterion Collection, this streaming service provides access to a library of more than 1,000 classic and contemporary films, making it an ideal gift for the family film buff.

Many people have spent the last several months honing their culinary skills. Gift givers can help them take those skills to the next level by enrolling them in online cooking classes. The options are endless and some even include access to legendary celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay. Many online cooking classes feature monthly memberships or single classes, making them ideal for loved ones of all skill and interest levels.

Technology

Technology has helped many people stay connected with friends and family while social distancing, so a new tablet, laptop or desktop computer can be just what people need to fully engage in family Zoom sessions or weekly virtual happy hours with coworkers and friends. If a new tablet or laptop stretches your budget, consider a pair of noisecanceling headphones, which can make it easier to concentrate while working remotely in a crowded house.

Crafting kit

Hobbyists may have had their passions for crafting reinvigorated while social distancing, making a crafting kit an ideal gift to help them fill their downtime. Beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kits also can make an ideal gift for novices looking for an engaging, time-consuming hobby.

Certain gifts can be a perfect fit during a socially distant holiday season.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

The meaning of the menorah M

enorahs are a prominent symbol of Chanukah.

Menorahs are seven-branched candelabras that have been used in Jewish worship since ancient times. The seven branches refer to the seven days of creation. The menorah is the traditional symbol of Judaism and the emblem of the state of Israel. For Chanukah, a nine-branched candelabra called a hanukkiah is used, but the word “menorah” has become interchangeable. The Chanukah menorah consists of nine candles. The center and ninth candle are referred to as the Shamash. It is used to light all the other candles. The Shamash is raised above the other candles to make it kosher. The lighting of the menorah over the eight days of Chanukah symbolizes the miracle that occurred during the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean revolt. The sacred oil, of which there was only enough for one day’s lighting, miraculously lasted for eight days.

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28 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

How to support small businesses this holiday season

T

he holiday season is an important one for small businesses every year, and it figures to take on heightened mportance in 2020. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 n late 2019 and early 2020 hit small businesses especially hard, with many being forced to close their facilities to customers in an effort to prevent the virus from spreading.

Estimates regarding the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on small businesses varied, but many small business owners were forced to let go employees as they confronted steep declines in revenue. A ZenBusiness survey of more than 1,000 small business founders, senior managers and decision makers found that 37 percent of small businesses that employ between 11 and 25 people were

considering laying off more than one-fifth of their workforce.

As small businesses face difficult challenges, it’s no surprise that many consumers want to support locally owned small businesses this holiday season. Such support not only can help small businesses, but also can help to revitalize local communities.

• Shop online. Online shopping has traditionally been dominated by big box retailers. However, many small businesses increased their ecommerce capabilities to generate revenue. Shoppers concerned about shopping in person this holiday season should explore the delivery and curbside pickup options available at locally owned small businesses. Even businesses that have not traditionally been allowed to deliver, such as

Holiday shoppers may want to start early

breweries and wineries, have been able to do so during the outbreak, giving consumers unlimited online shopping options.

• Purchase gift cards. Gift cards take the guesswork out of holiday shopping, and such cards are easily shipped or even emailed to loved ones. That’s a significant benefit during the 2020 holiday season, when delivery times are expected to be lengthy. Gift cards to local businesses simplify holiday shopping, support small businesses and help shoppers avoid potential delivery delays.

• Share your experience. Word-ofmouth is vital to small businesses at any time, and can be especially valuable as these companies try to

T

he outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in late 2019 and early 2020 had a ripple effect on the world economy.

One consequence felt by consumers across the globe was longer than usual delivery times on products purchased online.

Retailers like Amazon and delivery services like the United States Postal Service informed consumers that products and packages may require more delivery time due to limited transportation ability resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. That’s an important consideration for holiday shoppers who want the gifts they purchase for loved ones to arrive on time this holiday season.

In anticipation of longer delivery times, which may be even longer

overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. Holiday shoppers can share their experiences with local businesses via social media. Share information about the lengths local small businesses have gone to in regard to safety measures, order fulfillment and their delivery and pickup efforts. Such sharing may compel neighbors and friends to follow your lead and provide vital support to local businesses in need this holiday season.

Small businesses are the backbone of many communities, and the holiday season provides a great opportunity to support such firms as they look to recover from a difficult year.

during the notoriously busy holiday season than they were at the outset of the pandemic, shoppers may want to begin their shopping early.

Doing so not only accounts for longer shipping times, but also increases the chances shoppers will find what they’re looking for during a time when many retailers’ supply chains have been interrupted.

Shoppers concerned by online shopping this holiday season due to the likelihood of catching COVID-19 by contacting cardboard boxes likely have little to fear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that the chances are low that the virus spreads from packaging that’s shipped over a period of several days at ambient temperatures.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

DISCOVER THE FINEST IN SENIOR LIVING

The Bristal Assisted Living has been serving seniors and their families in the tri-state area since 2000, offering independent and assisted living, as well as state-of-the-art memory care programs. We are committed to helping residents remain independent, while providing peace of mind that expert care is available, if needed. Designed with seniors in mind, each of our communities feature exquisitely appointed apartments and beautiful common areas that are perfect for entertaining. On-site services and amenities include daily housekeeping, gourmet meals, a cinema, salon, plus so much more. Discover a vibrant community, countless social events with new friends, and a luxurious lifestyle that you will only find at The Bristal.

SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT TODAY!

For a list of all locations in the tri-state area, visit: THEBRISTAL.COM

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Eligible for Most Long Term Care Policies.

29

30 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

READERS WRITE

Park District’s Stellato has earned 2nd term

E

ileen and I are proud to advocate for a second term for Great Neck Park Commissioner Tina Stellato.

Prior to the pandemic, I/we had the privilege of attending workplace meet-

Cereal and a side of hope Gold is dripping outside my window, Punctuated by garnets and rubies.

Overhead the sun is sparkling Hope is hanging on broken limb.

Is healing for humankind on its way?

Judy Rosenthal Great Neck

ings at the Park District office. We both got to know and appreciate the managerial maturity of Ms. Stellato and her willingness to deal with improving or solving issues that could be improved.

She understands the role of commis-

sioner and the relationship with Superintendent Jason Marra to achieve the best service to Park District residents.

Simply put, Tina has demonstrated competence, compassion and communication skills during a very challenging

year.

We urge you to vote for her either in person on Dec. 8 or secure an absentee ballot.

Eileen and Steven Walk Great Neck

High school sports needed

I

am writing to express my frustration with Section VIII NYS Public HS Athletic Association who voted to postpone fall sports in Nassau County to January.

Most sections in NYS played in the fall — as well as surrounding states. Studentathletes in New Jersey, Connecticut and most of New York State played sports.

Section VIII made a decision that was not based on science or any facts and deprived thousands of kids of an oppor-

tunity to play this past fall — for seniors it may have been their last chance. Lost opportunities to be involved in positive activities remain busy and loss of athletic scholarships for some.

It is clear now — after seeing sports run successfully in Catholic schools and in the rest of the state — also club sports — that these activities are not the source of transmission.

Now we are waiting on the fate of winter sports — as well as sports deemed

“high risk” by our governor.

We are urging all elected officials, Superintendents, Board of Education members and Section VIII to make sure our kids are not deprived of any more activity. It is becoming clearer every day that closing schools and not allowing sports does nothing to stop COVID and does everything to create more problems.

Lorraine Lubicich Floral Park

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

It’s the season to support local business

I

n these difficult economic times as a result of COVID-19, it is especially important to patronize your neighborhood businesses.

“Shop Local Holiday Guide” (Nov. 27). Do it not only on annual Small Business Saturday, which has passed, but every day of the year.

In Great Neck, there are so many great local businesses which were already fighting to survive prior to COVID-19. They are within the heart of our main commercial artery, along Middle Neck Road in various villages from Great Neck Plaza to Kings Point. Don’t forget our other stores on Northern Bou-

levard, East Shore Road, Cutter Mill Road and Great Neck Road, as well.

The same is true with other commercial districts such as Willis Avenue in Albertson, Tulip Avenue and Jericho Turnpike in Floral Park, Hillside Avenue and Jericho Turnpike in New Hyde Park, Northern Boulevard in Little Neck, Plandome Road in Manhasset, Main Street in Port Washington, Old Northern Boulevard by the Clock Tower in Roslyn and Hillside Avenue in Williston Park.

My wife and I don’t mind occasionally paying a little more to help

our local businesses survive. Don’t forget your cook and server at your favorite neighborhood restaurant.

We try to tip 20 percent against the total bill, including taxes, year around. During the month of December, as a thank you for being there for us all year long in good times and bad, we tip 25 percent against the total bill. Whenever it is an odd amount, we round up to the next dollar. If we can afford to eat out, we can afford adding extra dollar or two to the tip.

When ordering take-out, we always leave a dollar or two for the cook. It is appreciated. Remember

these people are our neighbors.

Our local entrepreneurs have continued the good fight to keep their existing staff and suppliers employed without layoffs and canceling product or supply orders.

They continue to work long hours, pay taxes and keep as many local neighbors employed as possible.

Many maintained the tradition of offering job opportunities to students during the summer. If we don’t patronize our local community stores and restaurants to shop and eat, they don’t eat either.

Please join me and your neighbors in continuing to support the

Great Neck News and all other Blank Media Slate publications, including the Manhasset Times, Port Washington Times, Roslyn Times, New Hyde Park Herald Courier and Williston Times. Patronize their advertisers. They provide the necessary revenues to help keep them in business. Let them know you saw their ad. Stop by your favorite restaurant or store and also drop off a box of candy or cookies as a show of appreciation. Something sweet for the holidays helps take the edge off the stress we all face.

Larry Penner Great Neck

Biden hopes to revive the American Dream Continued from Page 16 unemployed, furloughed, or have lost income because of coronavirus, as the number of people applying for unemployment continue to rise by well over 750,000 each week, but because of Republican obstruction, expanded unemployment benefits end this month for 13 million people.

With the coronavirus pandemic taking its toll not just on lives but livelihoods – forcing people to spend down whatever savings they had, eat into college funds and retirement accounts and nest eggs that would have been used to purchase a home, while pushing millions onto food bank lines and fanning anxiety over

homelessness – COVID-19 isn’t just a blip in the road, it is a life-altering change.

Republicans, led by Mitch McConnell, are doing their very best to re-create the society Charles Dickens described in “The Christmas Carol”.

It is truly cynical, as the country waits for the Georgia Senate runoff to decide if the Grim Reaper Moscow Mitch McConnell will continue to rule the country, the Senate majority leader is hinting, teasing at the possibility of some kind of COVID relief package. But in McConnell’s machinations, COVID relief consists of giving employers unlimited protection against liability for lawsuits from workers who

get sick due to their failure to provide a safe workplace.

And it’s so misguided, because whether or not McConnell and the Republicans care, America’s economic growth depends on consumers having the wherewithal to buy stuff – 70 percent of the Gross National Product is generated by consumer spending. The economy – and America’s domestic and global political might – can’t recover until and unless the coronavirus pandemic is ended and policies are in place to, as Biden has said, “Build Back Better.” That includes installing a rational, humane health care system and policies because health care

is not just 18 percent of the economy but bankrupts families while pain and suffering robs society of an individual’s productivity and premature death robs families of breadwinners.

Biden hopes to institute policies to lift people out of poverty and strengthen the middle class – what used to be known as the “American Dream.”

This is the season of giving, when those who have managed to amass enormous wealth by cheating others out of a decent life, get to redeem themselves with charitable contributions.

But it shouldn’t be that way. People shouldn’t have to beg.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

31

OUR VIEWS

Decisions that our lives depend on Continued from Page 14 On the other hand, virtual events do not pose the threat of illness and death to people who attend in-person events. And those they come in contact with, including frontline workers in hospitals who have been putting their lives at risk since the

beginning of the pandemic.

If a house of worship does not intend to comply with the state’s recommendations, it should at least inform the immediate community what its policy is – to allow people to decide how they choose to respond.

This should not be limited to houses of worship. We all have a responsibility in this fight.

There is light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel with the discovery and production of vaccines. But the impact of vaccines may be months away and health

experts predict that the rate of infections and death will get worse, perhaps far worse, until then.

With the Supreme Court’s decision, it is that much more important that we make sure to do the right thing in Nassau County and across the state.

OUR TOWN

Frugality pays dividends in time of COVID Continued from Page 17 This process is the fuel that drives the American economy and I don’t see it evaporating any time soon. If Americans lose their sense of status seeking and are unable to display wealth, they will be forced to find meaning with a return to either religion, philosophy or literature.

And the chances of this occurring are slim.

Let’s use an example. To show what I mean, if you are a woman, you may enjoy a feeling of triumph and status with the purchase of a nice Louis Vuitton handbag ($4,000) and displaying it at dinner in the River Café ($450: total cost $4,450) If

you’re a man, you might like to feel status with the purchase of a Ferrari ($260,000) and driving it to the club next weekend (club fees approximately $32,000 per year; total cost $293,000. ) One can see right away that this urge costs more for men than women, but that’s another story for another day.

If FRUGALITY is truly embraced in America, thanks to the pandemic and loss of discretionary income, here is what you will have to do. You must go out and purchase any one of a number of great masterpieces. Let’s say you buy “Les Miserable” by Victor Hugo. The cost is dirt cheap at Barnes & Noble since it’s found

with all the other classics on a table in the back and are all priced very low. Maybe $9. The book is rather lengthy — maybe 746 pages with about 655,000 words and takes about 13 hours to read. But if you do take notes and read it carefully, you can name-drop a few of the story points during any dinner conversation and this will immediately establish your social standing perhaps even more than the Ferrari will.

You might ask how does one namedrop a reference to “Les Miserable” during dinner talk. Let’s say the dinner conversation is about how depressing the cold wet weather is this time of year. You

can say something like “that reminds me of the time Javert was so depressed at the end of ‘Les Miserable’ that he jumped into the Seine.” Granted the other diners may look at you blankly, but you can go on to explain his guilt feelings and I bet your social status meter will jump up a bit. The book only cost you $9 vs. the $260,000 the Ferrari will set you back.

I guess after all is said and done I have convinced myself that this FRUGALITY thing may not be so bad after all. It’s kind of like being permitted to jump off the treadmill and land onto a soft bed with cushions. Who can argue with that?

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32 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

Business&RealEstate

Thinking about a career change now?

I have been having amazing calls and conversations with my readers over the last 8 months about their specific “needs and wants” in selling, investing, purchasing, renting, and leasing residential and commercial properties.

However, somehow one of us diverged and segued into a totally different conversation and dialogue about what they do for a living and how the Covid-19 pandemic has either enhanced their income by saving them money and now not having to commute, wasting precious and valuable time from five to 30 hours per week.

The time gained back is the added financial benefit to both working more efficiently, being remunerated in extra pay, and/ or creating more leisure time with their family, grandchildren, and friends.

So that is the brighter side of what the COVID-19 pandemic has enabled those who were fortunate enough to keep their jobs and being able to work externally via telecommuting from their home, homeowner association, condo, coop, or rental and still pay their monthly mortgages, rents as well as their everyday living expenses.

However, I have also real-

ized that so many people are not happy doing what they do for a living and are always complaining about it to me, but are afraid to change careers due to the fact that they are earning money that they feel that they cannot duplicate in another venue.

I tell them if you have the need, fortitude, effort, diligence, and sacrifice devoted to their real passion to make that change and a bit of financial wherewithal, then just do it and never look back, but look forward to a healthier, happier and more financially rewarding future and a new career.

I say, no pain, no gain, no risk, no reward. If you don’t love what you do, then do what you love, something that you have been thinking about doing for either a very long time or just recently. Some tell me that they get a sudden surge of “inner satisfaction and a tingling sensation.”

My response is to plan and take small but calculated baby steps but adding some controlled risk and do what you really want to do. I say, your passion is spot-on when you get that amazing feeling of euphoria and excess happiness you have now begun to hit your

PHILIP A. RAICES Real Estate Watch

“sweet spot of yearning for that satisfaction.“ Most people never grab that opportunity that stares them right smack in the face and begs them to say, “I will do it!

For some, opportunity doesn’t always pass their way or doesn’t always become apparent all the time until they miss their chance and it rushes right by them like the wind.

Most never grasp the chance to do something different, something that they feel that they really need and want to do, because they are either not thinking outside the box, procrastinating, saying, “oh I will get to it someday” supposed lack of income to make the

change (use your credit cards if needed), just sheer apathy or constant excuses or I should have, would have but I didn’t and then they just live their lives in mediocrity!

I have almost heard it all and nothing usually surprises me anymore, except when I see someone so different and unique and the will to succeed where nothing will stop them. I use to have an agent who earned $110,000 in the very first year in our company. She had never done real estate before.

Nothing stopped her as she took her 3-year-old son everywhere she went whether it be for a listing presentation or a showing. Nothing was going to stop Carol from excelling and succeeding and nothing did!

The second-year she was tracking to earn $170,000-plus but unfortunately, she moved to Virginia due to her husband’s phenomenal job offer at a hedge fund and the lifestyle was more conducive based on his earnings and the much lower cost of homes compared to Long Island.

She still holds her New York State license as well as her Virginia license and we stay in touch when she has anyone coming to New York to purchase

or invest, so we share the commission.There are those that aren’t receiving much money and whose benefits will be running out this month or next. I have much sympathy for those who don’t have the skill set at the moment or who don’t think they can do anything else because they don’t have the right education, mentor, motivator, or person to look up to, whether it be a parent, friend, current employer or business associate.

Self-motivation is not the simplest task to undertake and it takes a lot of gumption and resourcefulness to push oneself to get out of the “plateau of doubt” and “not good enough” mindset. I do not have a specific answer for everyone, but it can be done by digging deep and “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” and just saying, “nothing will stop me, nothing at all.”

This needs to be your affirmation and belief system going forward into 2021 and constantly thinking outside the box by seeing what are the possibilities and finding your passion in whatever it is and whatever you really want to do. It may be a bit early, but why not be, “the early bird that catches the worm” and make this your New Year’s resolution today, right after you finish my column. If you thoroughly enjoying assisting and helping people then maybe, just maybe real estate might be your next career adventure.

Philp A. Raices is the owner/ Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 Great Neck. He has earned designations as a Graduate of the Realtor Institute and a Certified International Property Specialist. Receive regular “free” updates of sold homes in your area and a “free” Comparative Market Analysis” of what your home would sell for in today’s market or search on: WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com He can be reached by email, at:Phil@ TurnKeyRealEstate.Com, or by cell: (516) 647-4289.

CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK AT FACEBOOK.COM/ THEISLANDNOW AND TWITTER: @THE ISLANDNOW

The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

33

Recent Real Estate Sales in

New Hyde Park

28 Allen Street, New Hyde Park

123 Aster Drive, New Hyde Park

4 bd, 2 ba, 1,138 sqft, Sold on: 10/26/20, Sold Price: $688,000 Type: Single Family, Schools: Herricks

4 bd, 3 ba, 1, 361 sqft, Sold on: 10/27/20, Sold Price: $749,000 Type: Single Family, Schools: Sewanhaka

1700 Hillside Avenue, New Hyde Park

142 Haddon Road, New Hyde Park

3 bd, 3 ba, 2,384 sqft, Sold on: 10/27/20, Sold Price: $825,000 Type: Single Family, Schools: Sewanhaka

4 bd, 2 ba, 1,900 sqft, Sold on: 10/18/20, Sold Price: $925,000 Schools: Great Neck

Editor’s note: Homes shown here were recently sold in New Hyde Park, by a variety of real estate agencies. This information about the home and the photos were obtained through the Zillow.com. The homes are presented solely based on the fact that they were recently sold in New Hyde Park and are believed by Blank Slate Media to be of interest to our readers.

Welcome to our New Hyde Park Office George Panagopoulos

George Panagopoulos Licensed Real Estate Salesperson O 516.281.3843 | M 917.440.5635 george.panagopoulos@elliman.com

elliman.com

© 2020 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. 110 WALT WHITMAN ROAD, HUNTINGTON STATION, NY 11746. 631.549.7401

Douglas Elliman is proud to welcome George Panagopoulos to our New Hyde Park O!ce

34 The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

Have your faith but stay safe: Cuomo Governor says Supreme Court’s ruling on religious capacities will have little effect

Continued from Page 1 “I think that Supreme Court ruling on the religious gatherings is more illustrative of the Supreme Court than anything else,” Cuomo said last Thursday.

“I think this was really just an opportunity for the court to express its philosophy and politics.

It doesn’t have any practical effect.”

Cuomo said the rules being challenged were no longer in effect in the areas where the suits were filed.

Cuomo, a product of a religious upbringing, said his initial limit on places of worship was not intended to deter people from expressing their beliefs, but rather to encourage safety.

“I fully respect religion and if there’s a time in life when we need it, the time is now, but we want to make sure we keep people safe at the same time,” Cuomo said. “That’s the balance we’re trying to hit, especially through this holiday season and the coming Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, et cetera celebrations.”

Cuomo previously imposed regulations of 10- and 25-person capacity limits on houses of worship throughout the state in efforts to avoid those gatherings turning into superspreader events. In October, state officials noted that some hot spots in New York coincided with communities with Orthodox Jewish populations such as Brooklyn.

Steve Markowitz, a Great Neck resident who served as the chairman of the board of directors at the Nassau County Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center for eight years, said he is in favor of restrictions on religious gatherings, with the proper backing behind them.

“While I am a very strong believer in freedom of religion, and separation of church and state, I also think in times of national health emergency like now, that sensible, reasonable and sciencebased restrictions on large gatherings should prevail,” Markowitz said. “Remember, it is not just those at a religious service, political rally, [or] other large gatherings who are at risk; it is also everyone that they might be in contact with once they leave.”

Markowitz said he would extend the restrictions beyond religious institutions to all “comparable gatherings,” including indoor settings where people are talking, singing or performing in front of others.

Great Neck, which was deemed a yellow zone by Cuomo last week, has had its fair share of controversy over what role religion plays when it comes to the virus.

According to Cuomo, yellow zone restrictions allow for nonresidential indoor or outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people and residential gatherings of up to 10 people. Places of worship are capped at half capacity and restaurants are required to limit tables to no more than four people. Schools are permitted to remain open but are required to test 20 percent of in-school students and staff members each week.

As of Saturday, the most recent figures posted by the state Health Department, the Great Neck peninsula had a seven-day average positivity rate of 3.01 percent. The Village of Kings Point, a micro-hot spot within the peninsula, had 370 cases as of Tuesday. The 370 cases translated to more than 71 cases per 1,000 residents, third-highest in

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the Supreme Court’s ruling against states’ capacity restrictions for houses of worship would have little impact.

Nassau County.

A Great Neck News article titled “Religion an issue in Great Neck’s coronavirus discussion” on Oct. 14 outlined concerns that residents, government officials and religious officials shared about the spread of the virus.

“The fact is COVID-19 does not discriminate,” Village of Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral said. “It infects and, unfortunately, takes the lives of many without any regard for race, creed, religion, or political agenda.”

Comments posted online about the article included those who blamed the Orthodox communities for the spread of the virus due to allegations of hosting religious services in residential homes, which violated previous state rules.

“The Orthodox Jewish Community are not wearing masks, they are partying and doing whatever they do in large

groups,” Laura Ann Schnall commented. “What’s so disgusting is they have a choice! They are wealthy! They don’t have to be so selfish!”

Schnall, who said she was Jewish, said she was frustrated with people’s “disgraceful disrespect and disregard for their neighbors.”

Bonnie Salkind replied below Schnall’s comment, agreeing with her statement and implored people to “stop crying anti-semitism as an excuse to not follow good procedures.”

“My friends and I have not seen each other for months and barely go out,” Salkind said. “I am Jewish but I follow ‘rules’ and don’t feel my freedom is taken away.”

A Great Neck News article titled “Residents irked by lack of mask wearing, enforcement as COVID-19 cases increase throughout village” published

on Sept. 30, received a comment from a resident of the peninsula, Nina Gordon, who criticized people holding large gatherings and cited Persian weddings as one example.

Gordon’s comment was followed by one from an online user with the name “Seymore Butts” who said, “If you or whoever doesn’t like the fact that people in Great Neck don’t wear masks, put your house up for sale and move to another town or country like China that adheres to masks. If you choose to stay in Great Neck, stay indoors, and zip your mouth.”

Another online user with the name “NonPersian Observer” accused Gordon of shaming the Persian community and Bral for an alleged lack of effort.

“No other mayor in Great Neck has informed the public about how to stay safe during the Covid pandemic more than Bral,” the user wrote. “It seems that your goal is to shame the Persian community, when noncompliance is not limited to one group.”

Other members of the Great Neck community outlined instances of children, adults and teenagers of varying races and religious affiliations who were not wearing masks and complying with social distancing mandates.

“It’s not just the Orthodox Jews or Iranian Jews,” one person who lives near a Great Neck North school commented. “If you single out any religion or culture you’re a racist and a moron. I have security camera footage of all the children who walk past my house to go to school. Most of the students (and adults) who aren’t wearing masks aren’t even Jewish.”

Report released on Town intends to spend vendor fraud incident $100M from CARES Continued from Page 6 taxpayer money,” Kopel said Monday. “Unfortunately, this is just the most recent example of Comptroller Schnirman showing a complete lack of respect for taxpayer dollars. I am thankful for the Independent Inspector General, and my fellow members of the Finance

Committee for providing the oversight residents deserve, and I look forward to continuing to monitor the office to make sure taxpayers’ hard-earned money is protected.”

But Spielberg questioned the independence of the investigation Franzese’s office conducted.

“The largest question

that this review raises is the structural independence – or lack thereof – of the Inspector General’s Office who is appointed by, who reports to, and who is forbidden from investigating the Legislature,” he said. “Warping a tool of reform into a political weapon isn’t oversight, it’s a waste of tax dollars.”

Continued from Page 2 “He shouldn’t desperately be trying to find things to spend money on,” Rice told Newsday. “It’s going to go away and there will be no words, but to give $100 million back to the federal government. Shame on him.”

Representatives across Long Island have been clamoring for Clavin to dis-

tribute the money since the town received it in May. Rice, along with fellow Reps. Gregory Meeks (DQueens) and Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), and Long Beach City Manager Donna Gayden released a statement asking that Hempstead turn over the federal funding to the county in May. “We’re pleased that the

Town of Hempstead has received funding through the CARES Act, but given that the County has spearheaded the response and incurred the largest share of related costs, we feel strongly that the Town’s funding should be made available to both the County as well as the Town’s municipalities, who have been most affected by this crisis,” they wrote.

The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

35

47 in Sewanhaka have coronavirus Continued from Page 2 (11), Silverstein Hebrew Academy (3), and North Shore Hebrew Academy Middle School (2), all located on the Great Neck peninsula.

Efforts to reach representatives from the private schools were unavailing.

In Sewanhaka, 37 of the 47 total positive student cases were on-site, while the rest were off-site, according to state figures. Elmont Memorial High School was closed Tuesday and Wednesday due to more coronavirus cases being reported on school grounds, according to Superintendent James Grossane.

“In consultation with the Nassau County Department of Health, Elmont Memorial High School will be closed for at least tomorrow, Tuesday, December 1st and Wednesday December 2nd,” Grossane said. “All Elmont Memorial High School faculty and staff will work re-

motely during this time. All instruction for students of Elmont Memorial High School will be conducted remotely as well.”

Port Washington Superintendent Michael Hynes released a statement last week that addressed the increase in cases in the Port Washington area.

“If new developments arise, our district will adhere to the expertise and any new guidance issued by our local and regional health departments, as well as the CDC,” Hynes said. “I am confident that the protocols our district currently has in place maintain a healthy and safe environment for our students and staff, but I implore the community to continue the same effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in our community.”

He said: “I can assure you, everything we are doing within our schools is extremely effective. Our staff and students are doing such a remarkable job and I’m so

proud of their hard work and diligence.”

The North Shore school district, with 28, the Mineola school district with 26, and the Roslyn school district with 25 were the only other districts with 20 or more confirmed student cases. The East Williston, Herricks and Manhasset school districts combined for 46 student cases, with East Williston and Herricks having 16, and Manhasset having 14.

Despite being surrounded by areas with a high number of confirmed cases outside the classroom, schools in the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park and Floral ParkBellerose school districts had a combined 10 cases. New Hyde Park-Garden City Park had seven cases, while Floral Park-Bellerose had three.

For more information on how school districts and their schools are faring with the coronavirus, visit https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/#/home.

Election results to be certified Monday Continued from Page 3 In the 13th State Assembly District, Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove), led attorney and Republican candidate Andrew Monteleone of Syosset by 63 percent of the vote to Monteleone’s 37 percent. Lavine received 39,446 votes to his opponent’s 23,015.

Neither candidate has declared victory or conceded yet. The district includes Roslyn, Greenvale, Sea Cliff, Glen Cove and parts of East Hills and Westbury, and if declared the winner Lavine will serve an eighth term.

In the 16th Assembly District, 20-year government employee and Democratic nominee Gina Sillitti of

Manorhaven overtook Republican candidate and small-business owner Ragini Srivastava of Manhasset Hills after coming in short the day after the election.

Totals from the Nassau County Board of Elections showed that Sillitti had received 35,455 votes, or 54 percent, to Srivastava’s 30,263, or 46 percent.

The district includes Great Neck, Port Washington, Manhasset, Roslyn Heights, North Hills, Flower Hill, Lake Success, Baxter Estates, Manorhaven and Sands Point. The winner will succeed two-term Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso (D-New Hyde Park), who announced in January that he would not seek re-election.

In the 19th Assembly District, As-

semblyman Edward Ra (R-Garden City) continued to lead attorney and retired Army Lt. Col. Gary Port of West Hempstead. Ra received 38,509 votes, or 59 percent, and Port received 26,831, or 41 percent.

Neither candidate had declared victory or conceded as of Wednesday morning, and requests for comment to both campaigns were unavailing.

The district includes Glen Head, Old Brookville, Old Westbury, New Hyde Park, Williston Park, Garden City Park, Garden City South, Garden City and Mineola, and if decided in Ra’s favor will mean a sixth two-year term in the Assembly.

NATIONAL RACE After initial election night results had him down by more than 6,000 votes, Democratic President-elect Joe Biden had a commanding lead in Nassau County over Republican President Donald Trump, winning by nearly 70,000 votes as absentee ballots continued to be counted.

As of Tuesday morning, Biden had received 396,504 votes, or 54 percent, compared with Trump’s 326,716, or 45 percent.

Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen received 3,594 votes, Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins received 1,924 votes, Independent candidate Brock Pierce received 1,901 votes, and 2,117 write-in votes were submitted in Nassau County.

More than 550 new cases reported Continued from Page 1 According to Cuomo, yellow zone restrictions allow for nonresidential indoor or outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people and residential gatherings of up to 10 people.

Places of worship are capped at half capacity and restaurants are required to limit tables to no more than four people. Schools are permitted to remain open but are required to test 20 percent of in-school students and staff members.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, in a news conference last month, said she was worried about the recent increase of coronavirus cases in the Port Washington area. The area’s 716 cases account for 10 percent of the North Shore’s positive tests.

Members of the Port Washington community spoke out via Zoom last week in a forum organized by the Port Washington school district to implore the community to stay home during the Thanksgiving holidays and follow health advisories in order to prevent the area from developing clusters of COVID-19 cases.

“The objective of our panel discussion is to hone in on the significance and urgency of uniting as a community from all facets of life at the spread of COVID-19, understanding the importance of adhering to local and regional health guidance and taking necessary precautions to ensure that schools remain open,” School Superintendent Michael Hynes said at the forum.

Nora Johnson, president of the Port Washington Board of Education, thanked the families in the area who

were “following the rules.”

“We’ve just heard and we’ve all heard before that the numbers are going up in Port Washington as they are everywhere,” Johnson said. “But the truth is that our numbers seem to be higher than some of our other neighboring districts in Nassau County. There’s different theories for that, including that we’re doing more testing.

But regardless of the why, as a community, we have to be even more vigilant about protecting our loved ones from COVID.” Local faith leaders were also at the forum to encourage community members to stay home over the holiday and have patience as the pandemic ran its course.

Rabbi Irwin Zeplowitz of the Community Synagogue at Sands Point encouraged patience in his remarks.

“None of us have been in this situation before, and we’re all feeling our way forward,” Zeplowitz said. “So with a little bit of glue, a little bit of patience and a little bit of thinking about people trying to do their best, rather than to think about the worst, I think that in some ways that can lower the temperature and create a sense of calm, as we move forward.”

North Hempstead Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte said that the local uptick would require the community to “be creative and come up with other ways to connect with the people we love.”

“Please remember that in order to have all our generations around the table together next year,” Dalimonte said. “We need to stop the spread for better days ahead.”

The New Hyde Park area accounted for 1,627 of the

North Shore’s cases, with North New Hyde Park having the second-most confirmed positives, 592, out of any analyzed area. The villages of Floral Park, with 480 cases, and New Hyde Park, with 419 cases, were also among the top seven villages or unincorporated town areas in terms of positive tests, according to Health Department statistics.

Municipalities and unincorporated areas 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 1,035 cases, according to county statistics.

The villages of Mineola, with 641 cases, and Garden City, with 570 cases, accounted for 1,211 of the 1,507 cases in the area that also takes in the Willistons.

Manhasset, which has consistently remained comparatively low since the beginning of the pandemic, had 435 cases, with around half coming from town-governed areas as of Wednesday.

The Village of Roslyn’s 172 cases may not seem high compared with other North Shore areas, but the cases per 1,000 residents, 60.31, is one of the highest rates in Nassau County, according to Health Department figures.

Despite this, the Village of Roslyn was the lone village throughout the analyzed areas that did not see an increase in cases over the one-week period.

Throughout New York, more than 660,000 people had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Wednesday, according to state figures. Of that total, more than 34,200 people had died. In New York City, 319,000 people had contracted the virus, and 24,287 had died.

36 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

PROFESSIONAL GUIDE ▼ ATTORNEY ▼

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Advanced Practice Nurse Care Manager Assistance with Aging at Home/Care Coordination Nursing Home & Assisted Living Placement PRI / Screens / Mini Mental Status Exams

D’Angelo Law Associates, PC Stephanie A. D’Angelo, Esq.

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County presses shop local Continued from Page 8 The announcement of the scavenger hunt follows another initiative Curran proposed two weeks ago that will give nearly 300 restaurants grants up to $10,000 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Curran said the county’s $2.2 million investment will provide financial assistance to one of the industries hit hardest by the pandemic.

As winter months quickly approach, Curran said, the program will help fullservice restaurants combat colder temperatures and any restrictions set forth by the state as cases continue to increase throughout New York and Nassau.

According to Curran, a restaurant with up to 10 employees is eligible for as much as $5,000 in grant money, and a restaurant with 11 to 50 employees is eligible for the maximum $10,000 grant. Restaurants that receive the funds must be clear of any violations from the state and local health departments.

Curran said the county Legislature must first approve the program, but provided no immediate timetable for it. Efforts to reach the Legislature for comment were unavailing. Curran said restaurants could begin applying for the grants on Nov. 30 for two weeks before money is awarded starting in January.

Preparing for COVID winter Continued from Page 18 Commenting further on the benefits of the great outdoors was @JohnJTerrible who tweeted: “Never underestimate the value of a good long walk [or hike]. At least a mile, preferably two. And while you’re out there, take some good long deep breaths. Get that musty indoor air out of your system, clear your head.”

Some folks, like @ mscheryl58, were eclectic in their approach: “Put on music and dance, dance, dance.

Fill your meals with legumes, whole grains, veggies and fruits. Set up routine Zoom calls with friends and family.

Order a yoga DVD. And use it every day.”

The next tip by @ RhondaOneOneillRN caught me by surprise, yet had several adherents. She tweeted, “Start birdwatching.

I placed multiple bird feeders outside my windows and bought identi-

fication books and apps.

Amazing how much joy watching these little creatures can bring.

My favorite is a pair of red-breasted nuthatches that visit daily. I’ve named them Zorro and Zippy.

Soon thereafter, @ woofyjul responded to Rhonda by stating, “My grandchildren and I saw a Ruby Crowned Kinglet for the very firsttime last week. Beautiful little bird!” And, not to be denied her two-cents, @SarahCDoyle9517 pitched in by tweeting, “We did this too and have enjoyed it immensely. Bird nerd all day long.”

Finally, to round out this summary recitation of everyday pandemic survival advisors, @ wendylarz tweeted, “It sounds corny, but practice gratitude. Every day, verbalize to yourself what and who you are grateful for.”

Andrew Malekoff is a New York State licensed clinical social worker.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

37

BUYER’S GUIDE ▼ ANTIQUES

BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS

$$ Top Cash Paid $$

EXPERT BATHROOM REPAIRS

wanted

CALL JOSEPH OR RUTH

718-598-3045 or 516-270-2128 Family Business for over 40 years

AntiqueAssets.com

“We clean and pamper your car”

• SUV’s, Vans & Pick-Ups also detailed at a higher price • We provide Mobile service

$10 OFF

Complete Detail Coupons not to be combined

Specializing in bathroom repairs & leaks • Mold problems.

• Shower pan leak experts • Tile repair • Sheetrock • Plastering • Painting • Plumbing Repairs • Grouting NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL “Old Fashioned Craftsmanship”

Office: 516-933-6508

• Cell: 516-263-6774

Lic # H3700460000

You’re Just One Phone Call Away From a Clean Home or Office!!

Thorough and Professional home and office cleaning at affordable rates.

COMMERCIAL and RESIDENTIAL Customized Services • Excellent References Call for a free estimate

Anna Klimas 516-360-8340 Polish cleaning lady

4klimas@gmail.com

CUSTOM FRAMING

JACK’S CUSTOM FRAMING Over 30 Years in Business We can frame anything!

Design & Construction ! Renovations Interior & Exterior

! Waterfalls ! Concrete ! Steps ! Retaining Walls ! Patios ! Brick ! Driveways ! Interior & Exterior Painting Licensed & Insured FREE ESTIMATES! ! Bathrooms ! Crown Molding ! Door & Window Installation ! Deck Staining ! Pressure Washing www.joveldeluxe.com

(631) 926-3773

Elegant Touch Remodeling “Quality Construction with a Personal Touch” Deal direct with owner - Serving li over 25 years

Call for Idea session or FREE ESTIMATE ANDREW COHEN 631-867-6557 nehoc23@gmail.com

Crown Molding Window Molding Base Molding Picture Frame Molding

New Doors Old Plaster Removed New Drywall Installed Rotted Wood Replaced

516-884-4016 Lic# H0454870000

All Types of Home Improvements Free Estimates • Free design service extensions • Kitchens dormers • bathrooms decks • siding

631.281.7033 Licence #H18H2680000

COMPUTER REPAIR

MASTER CLEANING A Complete Home Service

by Reliable Professionals

• Homes • Apts.

• Offices • Carpet Cleaning • Window Wash • Floors Stripped & Waxed • Move In Move Out • Attics • Garages • Basements • Rubbish Removal • Pressure Cleaning • All Cleaning Supplies Included • Construction Cleanups Commercial & Residential

FREE ESTIMATES

Cell: 516-770-0514

• Screen Fix • Computer Repairs • Onsite Service • Tutoring • VHS to DVD

516.472.0500

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DEMOLITION AND JUNK REMOVAL

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AMBIANCE

• Kitchen Installations • Furniture Assembly • Finish Carpentry • Minor Electrical & Plumbing 28 YEAR GC RESIDENT

HOURS: Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 @jacks_custom_framing jackmccullough@me.com

Nehoc’s Organizing & Handyman Services

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HOME IMPROVEMENT

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Quality Care & Workmanship Thousands of frames to choose from

HOME IMPROVEMENT

INSURED

CARPENTRY

CLEANING

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SERVING ALL NASSAU COUNTY

CHIMNEY SPECIALISTS

CONSTRUCTION

Wash & Wax Fall Special $95 Cars only

Anthony Masia Owner/Operator - 631-612-7152

Buying and Selling over 40 Years / Member New England Appraisers Association

Chimneykinginc.com

DETTAGLIO DETAILING • We specialize in Imports: Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Jaguar & Maserati

HIGH END ANTIQUES HIGH CASH PAiD Oil Paintings, Mid-Century Accessories 1950s/60s, Porcelain, Costume Jewelry, Sterling Silver, Gold, Furniture, Objects of Art, etc.

• 1 Pc.or entire estates • Premium prices paid for Tiffany, Damaged Quality Pieces Meissen Porcelain, Bronzes, Marble, etc. also

CAR DETAILING

Lic & Ins H18E2170000

Call BOB 516-741-2154

• We Remove Or Demo Anything & Everything • Entire contents of home and/or office • We clean it up and take it away Residential - Commercial Bonded Insured / Free Estimates

STRONG ARM CONTRACTING, INC.

516-538-1125

HOME IMPROVEMENT

LAMPS FIXED $ 65 In Home Service Handy Howard 646-996-7628

38 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

BUYER’S GUIDE ▼ HOME IMPROVEMENT

15-YEAR RESIDENTIAL WARRANTY POLYUREA NOT EPOXY đ 4X STRONGER THAN EPOXY đ NO HOT TIRE PICK-UP! đ WON’T CHIP OR PEEL đ EASY TO CLEAN đ INDOOR/OUTDOOR

HOME IMPROVEMENT

ISA

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• New Construction & Conversions • Dormers • Extensions • Mason Work • Stone • Kitchens • Windows • Siding • Decks • Porticos • Baths • Basements • Carpentry Work

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• Suff#HI-61446 • Insured

JUNK REMOVAL

ONE DAY FLOORS

ALL PHASES OF RUBBISH REMOVAL & DEMOLITION • Residential • Commercial Construction Sites

đ GARAGE FLOORS đ LAUNDRY ROOMS đ PATIOS đ WALKWAYS đ RECREATION ROOMS đ BASEMENTS đ SERVICE AREAS đ OFFICES đ SCHOOLS đ SHOWROOMS đ RESTROOMS đ PRODUCTION AREAS đ VETERINARY CLINICS

516.676.8469 CONCRETE COATINGS

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FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED

DRIVEWAYS & PARKING LOTS RETAINING WALLS FOUNDATIONS DRYWELL WATER DRAINAGE WATER PROOFING

SIDEWALKS PATIOS / PAVERS BRICK / BLOCK BLUE STONE STEPS / STOOPS BELGIUM BLOCK CULTURED STONE

Contracting LLC

MASONRY • PAVING • CONCRETE

FULLY INSURED

LIC: #H2219010000

PAINTING

Bob Cat Service

MOVING & STORAGE INC.

Long Island and New York State Specialists

• Residential • Commercial • Piano & Organ Experts • Boxes Available FREE ESTIMATES www.ajmoving.com

516-741-2657

est. 1978

Interior and Exterior • Plaster/Spackle Light Carpentry • Decorative Moldings Power Washing www.MpaintingCo.com

516-328-7499 Licensed & Insured

WINDOW REPAIRS

631-385-7975

WINDOW REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS

Outdated Hardware • Skylights •Andersen Sashes • New Storm Windows • Wood Windows • Chain/Rope Repairs • Falling Windows • Fogged Panes • Mechanical Repairs • Wood Repairs

ALL BRANDS

WWW.SKYCLEARWINDOW.COM Call Mr. Fagan • 32 Years Experience Lic. # H080600000 Nassau

WINDOW TREATMENTS

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• INTERIOR / EXTERIOR • B. Moore Paints • Power Washing • Dustless Sanding Vacuum System • Taping • Spackling • Plaster Removed • New Drywall

516-884-4016 Lic# H0454870000

TREE SERVICE

PAINTING & WALLPAPER

Joe Barbato (516) 775-1199

PAINTING, POWERWASHING

N.Y.D.O.T.#10405

114 Jericho Tpke.

Mineola, NY 11501

• Fall Drain Outs • Backflow Device Tests • Free Estimates • Installation • Service/Repairs

ALL SIZE DUMPSTERS Same Day Service, Fully Insured

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Kitchens • Bathrooms Clean-Ups • Attics Basements Flood/Fire

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PLACE YOUR AD WITH US! To place your ad, call 516.307.1045 or fax 516.307.1046

COMMUNITY NEWS

Nursing homes said ‘best’ Northwell Health’s Stern Family Center for Rehabilitation in Manhasset has been ranked among the nation’s best, according to Newsweek’s Best Nursing Homes 2021 report.

Recently released data rates Stern as one of the top 400 facilities out of 15,000 nursing homes nationwide to make the list, which places it among the top 3 percent of skilled nursing facilities in the country.

Newsweek’s report provides important guidance to families and medical providers caring for people in need of a nursing home.

There are more than 47 million Americans age 65 and older and the number is growing, Newsweek found. By 2030, the 65-plus demographic will account for more than 20 percent of the population and studies indicate that two-thirds of them will need some type of longterm care.

To determine its nursing home rankings,Newsweek teamed with the global data research firm Statista Inc., which analyzed 15,000 nursing homes in the United States and recognized award winners across 20 states. A score was calculated for each nursing home based on recommendations from medical experts and nurs-

ing home performance based on the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This year, facilities were reviewed in how they handled the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“Nursing homes and shortterm rehab facilities in New York and across the country vary in quality of care and the health care services they provide to residents,” said Gerard Kaiser, executive director of Northwell’s two skilled nursing facilities. “We are extremely proud that the Stern Center is distinguished in Newsweek’s second annual Best Nursing Homes report. It demonstrates the commitment of our entire team to provide the highest quality care to our patients and residents as well as our effective response to COVID-19.”

Despite significant challenges faced by nursing facilities and hospitals in the U.S. during the current pandemic, the Stern Center and Orzac Center for Rehabilitation in Valley Stream recently earned a high-performing rating for its short-term rehabilitation programs

by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Nursing Homes 2020-2021 report.

US News’ evaluation of nursing homes is based on data from Nursing Home Compare, a consumer

website run by CMS Nursing Homes. Facilities earn an overall rating between one to five stars based on the following categories: health inspections, nurse staffing and quality of care. Both Stern and Orzac achieved a five-star rating by CMS on Nursing Home Compare.

For eleven consecutive years, Stern and Orzac centers have been recognized by U.S. News & World Report for its expertise in shortterm rehabilitation. “Congratulations to the entire staff at Stern and Orzac centers for achieving an outstanding level of excellence for their patients for more than a decade and being recognized by such a prestigious organization as US News,” said Kaiser. “The safety of our patients is of utmost importance. Our dedicated team of health care professionals continue to take the highest level of precautions in caring for patients during the coronavirus pandemic and we want to share that information with our community.”

Stern, with 256 beds, is located on the campus of North Shore University Hospital. The 120-bed Orzac center is on the campus of the Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital. To contact Stern, call 516-562-8000, or Orzac at 516-256-6710.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

Famed prof to speak at Emanuel All members of the community are invited to view Temple Emanuel’s “virtual” SCW Friday night service, December 4, 2020 at 7:30 p.m., when Dr. Ralph Buultjens will offer the talk, “America and the World: Post-Election Prospects.”

Ralph Buultjens is Professor at New York University and former Nehru Professor/Professorial Fellow at the University of Cambridge (U.K.). He is also on the faculty of the New School University and is affiliated with several educational institutions abroad. Professor Buultjens is a well-known media commentator (featured on BBC, CNN, ABC, and other networks) who is regularly broadcast to several countries. He has been a consultant/advisor to the United Nations.

Among his publications are 10 books (including “Windows on India,” “The Decline of Democracy: Essays on An Endangered Political Species,” “Rebuilding the Temple: Tradition and Change in Modern Asia, Politics and History,” “Lessons for Today, and “China After Mao: Death of a Revolution”) and sev-

eral hundred articles, monographs and essays.

Buultjens’ numerous awards include the Toynbee Prize for the Social Sciences, the French Order of Arts and Letters, several awards from India and other Asian countries, and many honorary degrees.

He has been chairman of the International Development Forum and the Society of Asian Affairs. He is continuing editor of the Boston Book Review, and he writes a syndicated column on international political economy. Dr. Buultjens lectures regularly at the 92nd Street Y. The talk is preceded by a brief service conducted by Rabbi Robert S. Widom and cantorial soloists Ron Morton and Patti Dunham.

Funding for this “virtual” SCW Friday at Emanuel was generously provided by Amy Wolgel.

At the time of the service, go to: https://www.emanuelgn.org/ event-12-4-2020 There is no registration fee.

Call 516.482.5701 for further information.

Sport Psychology Dr. Tom Ferraro

!"#!$%&#'( ,.+ )*+,-( !"//*%)(0*$,0(1*"%.,0&!23 !"#$%&'"&'$(#$)*&+%%,-.//%+)#-(0$1$'234'5/-67-4"#,%#'$/

has specialized in sport psychology for 20 years and works in the fields of golf, tennis, soccer, baseball, football, wrestling, lacrosse, figure skating, gymnastics, softball, fencing and more. He has helped professional teams, Olympians and elite young athletes learn how to manage the intense pressure of competitive sports. He appears on both TV and radio and has sport psychology columns in 5 different newspapers and has been featured in The New York Times, Wall street Journal and the London Times. Golf Digest includes him in their list of top mental game gurus in America. For a consultation see below: Williston Park Professional Center 2 Hillside Ave, Suite E. Williston Park NY 11596 (building parallel to E. Williston railroad station)

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39

drtomferraro.com drtferraro@aol.com

(516) 248-7189

nassau

40 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 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

We’re Open:

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

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

NASSAU COUNTY NEEDS CERTIFIED HHA’S, COMPANIONS AND HOMEMAKERS. ★★★ HIRING IMMEDIATELY★★★ “A Special thank you to all the Nurse Aides and all who Save Lives.”

• Competitive Pay Rate • Flexible Scheduling • All Shifts & Locations available

718-850-3400

RECEPTIONIST Part Time

PORT WASHINGTON ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Must love animals. Excellent opening for experienced person. (Will train right indiv.) Responsible individual to work Evenings, Weekends.

Busy & friendly environment.

Call: 516-883-2005

Help Wanted $18.50 P/H NYC$16 P/H LI$13.50 P/H UPSTATE NY! If you need care from your relative, friend or neighbor and you have Medicaid, they may be eligible to start taking care of you as a personal assistant under NYS Medicaid CDPA program. No Certificates needed.Phone: 347-713-3553 LYNEER STAFFING SOLUTIONS Hiring Mail Sorters, Data Entry $14.50, Forklifts $17.00, Mystery Shoppers Ages 21-25 $18.00. 860 Long Island Ave, Deer Park, NY 11729 631-586-4699

SITUATION WANTED

A COMPANION HOME HEALTH AIDE With 20 years experience in home care & nursing homes seeking position to care for the sick/elderly. Experience with Parkinsons, Alzheimers, Dementia, Stroke. References available. English speaking.

Please call 347-546-4133

MATURE LADY SEEKS employment as CNA. Home health aide, very reliable, hard working, willing to do background checks, 15 yrs nursing home experience. Please call 516-410-1892 or 917-244-3714

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AUTOMOTIVE

AUTOMOTIVE

AUTOMOTIVE

UNWANTED CARS

QUICK CASH FOR ALL YOUR JUNK CARS, TRUCKS AND VANS. CRASHED OR RUNNING CARS •NO TITLE • NO KEYS • NO PROBLEM PROMPT SERVICE, CALL

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BEN’S IS HIRING CASHIERS AT ALL LONG ISLAND LOCATIONS. Please apply in person at Carle Place, Greenvale or Woodbury. www.bensdeli.net

SITUATION WANTED

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*67.+74+8(1,2( "+982+:(;728<( =>,??./0< @.0>A(>,B=8-88?./05( )768(,C/(;725 D+87=8(;7++( E720728A(7A FGHIJKLIKKFL

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• Experienced • Excellent references.

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Kind, loving and caring at this very difficult time.

Call Gertrude

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ANNOUNCEMENTS HEARING AIDS!! Buy one/get one FREE! High-quality rechargeable Nano hearing aids priced 90% less then competitors. Nearly invisible!

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MARKETPLACE A.T. STEWART EXCHANGE CONSIGNMENT SHOP 516-746-8900 Antiques-FurnitureJewelry-Silver-Mirrors-Lamps-Artwork Come to Consign & Stay to Shop Visit... Our Shop 109 Eleventh St. Garden City Tues-Fri 10-4 (Wed till 6) Saturday 12-4 Our Website tgchs.org Our Online Store stores. myresaleweb.com/ at-stewart-exchange Items to Consign? Email photos (with sizing info) to: store@atstewartexchange.org All proceeds benefit The Garden City Historical SocietyLike us on Facebook & Instagram 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!

Selling plot at Pinelawn cemetery with tombstone. $16,000. *NEGOTIABLE* Please contact Elizabeth 917-334-0327

AUCTIONS Cool Old Stuff in Glen Cove Vintage Shop. WINNER OF BEST OF NORTH SHORE 2020. GREAT PRICED items for Boat and Home.

See ALL online: Wilsonsdrydock. com. For info / appt Please call 516-662-2821

WANTED TO BUY I BUY OLD AMERICAN MOTORCYCLES Up to 1999. Call Dan 516-639-1027 LOOKING TO BUY! Estates, Oriental items, Gold, Silver, Costume Jewelry, Dishes, Flatware, Watches, Clothing, Old Photos, Coins, Stamps, Records, Toys, Action Figures, Comics, Art and Furniture. Immediate Cash Paid Call George 917-775-3048 or 718-386-1104

WANTED TO BUY TOP CASH PAID: ESTATE CONTENTSALL OBJECTS OF ART JEWELRY, ETC. Please call 718-598-3045 or 516-270-2128 www.antiqueassets.com

PETS

PET SERVICES CHERYL’S PET SITTING SERVICE Dependable pet sitter will walk and feed your precious pet while you work or travel. Also available to board small dogs. Many excellent references. Call 516-971-3242

AUTOMOTIVE

AUTO SERVICES Dettaglio Detailing: Anthony Masia. Owner/Operator. Dependable, professional detailer. SUVs, vans, pick-ups also detailed at a higher price. We specialize in imports/Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi, Jaguar & Maserati. $10 off with this ad. Call 631-612-7152

AUTOS WANTED

JUNK CARS BOUGHT Auto Wrecking Frank & Sons

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 “ORGANIZE MY RECORDS” Do you struggle to manage medical records for yourself or a loved one?

Too many test results, doctors visits and medications? We can help!

This is particularly useful for patients with cancer. Services include sorting, organization, and logically, neatly presented medical records.

All medical information will be handled in a HIPAA compliant, confidential and respectful manner. For more information and pricing, email: organizemyrecords@gmail.com We will help save you time and stress!

SUNFLOWER FINE ART GALLERIES MIRRORS PICTURE FRAMING Paintings Art/Photo Restoration Printing, Hanging Services Shadowboxes, Smiles 6 A Terminal Road West Hempstead, NY 11552 www.sunflowerfineart.com @SunflowerArtGuy 516-747-7406 WE HAVE THE HELP YOU NEED HHA, LPN, Nurse’s Aide, Childcare, Housekeeping & Day Workers. No Fees to Employers. Call Evons Services 516-505-5510

516-997-5736

ATTORNEY

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

STEPHANIE A. D’ANGELO, ESQ. Elder Law, Wills & Trusts Asset Preservation, Estate Planning, Probate & Estate Administration/Litigation 901 Stewart Ave, Ste 230 Garden City, NY 11530 516-222-1122 www.dangelolawassociates.com

CARS, TRUCKS, SUVS & VANS WANTED. Buying all years, running or not. NO TITLE, NO KEYS, NO PROBLEM! Same day service. CALL CASH CARS GUYS 631-417-5040 Call us last, we will match or beat any legit quote! Drive out Breast Cancer: Donate a car today! The benefits of donating your car or boat: Fast Free Pickup24hr response Tax deductionEasy to do! Call 24/7: 855-905-4755

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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

COMMUNITY NEWS

Northwell recognized as age-friendly system Northwell Health has announced two major milestones around geriatric care — being recognized as an “agefriendly” health system by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and The John A. Hartford Foundation, and that Glen Cove Hospital has become Northwell’s first Geriatric Center of Excellence.

“Caring for our older adults is a big responsibility, one that we take great pride in,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health.

“Our agingpopulation will face health issues that require the right care at the right time which is why we have increased our services including at Glen Cove Hospital. This recognition is humbling and a true testament to the exceptional care we are providing our elders.”

Bestowed by the IHI and Hartford Foundation in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, the “age-friendly” recognition helps hospitals and other care settings implement evidence-based interventions specifically designed to improve care for older adults. AgeFriendly Health Systems address four essential elements of care for older patients: what matters most, medication, mentation and mobility. Northwell’s facilities being recognized are: Glen Cove HospitalGlen Cove Family Medicine GroupMather HospitalPhelps HospitalLong Island Jewish Forest Hills andNorthwell Health Physician Partners Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at New Hyde Park.

Among some of the steps that Northwell has taken to earn this recognition is having all its emergency departments achieve geriatric emergency department accreditation through the American College of Emergency Physicians, providing falls prevention education and bringing together multi-disciplinary co-management teams to provide the best management of people hip fractures.

In addition, Northwell has developed a dementia memory care program through the University of California, Los Angeles that incorporates neurologists and psychologists and aims to help families understand the stages of this disease and how to manage their loved one’s mood.

Northwell Health and Zucker School of Medicine have expanded its specialized fellowship training opportunities in geriatrics and palliative medicine in order to further educate the next generation of physicians.

“Northwell Health has been steadily and thoughtfully adding services

and protocols over the last several years to provide expert and improved care for older adults,” said Dr. Maria Torroella Carney, Northwell’s chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine.

“We aim to promote longevity, safety, and independence for a person as they face a challenging aspect of life and as needs evolve across a lifespan. I am proud of Northwell for all of its effort to provide the best care possible for this population.”

Central to Northwell’s initiatives to care for older adults is Glen Cove Hospital, which is now the health system’s first Geriatric Center of Excellence. To achieve this, the hospital hired a director of geriatric hospital medicine and is training its staff on best practices for this population.

“I first spoke with Dr. Carney almost five years ago about creating the Geriatric Center of Excellence at Glen Cove Hospital, said U.S. Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-3rd district). “I want to thank Michael Dowling and the entire Northwell team for making it a reality.

Glen Cove is the perfect spot for this world-class center of excellence.”

Glen Cove Hospital is in the process of building a caregiver center with the help of $400,000 from the Glen Cove Hospital advisory councilrun annual appeal. Huntington Hospital is also working on creating a caregiving center; the hospital received a naming gift from the Reichert Family Foundation. These follow Northwell caregiver centers already established at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco and Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead.

These centers connect loved ones to resources and support to help them best care for their family member.

“At Glen Cove Hospital, we have developed improvements in care for our older adults starting from the moment they enter our hospital and we are building vital connections to the community to provide a continuum of care post-discharge,” said Kerri Scanlon, RN, Glen Cove Hospital’s executive director. “Our revolutionary Parkinson’s rehabilitation disease program is another facet that helps people grow older with dignity and a focus on preserving their independence and quality of life.”

For more information about Northwell’s services for older adults, go to https://www.northwell.edu/geriatrics-pallative-care. To learn more about Glen Cove Hospital’s Geriatric Center of Excellence, call Susan Kwiatek, NP, vice president of aging and supportive care at 516-674-7408.

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Town grants funds towards United Way The Town of Hempstead has launched a new initiative with the United Way of Long Island in an eďŹ&#x20AC;ort to further protect senior citizens from COVID-19.

The $354,492 grant approved

by Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin and the Hempstead Town Board will fund the installation of nearly 560 portable medical-grade HEPA air filtration units in at-risk seniorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homes as well as some doctor oďŹ&#x192;ces.

The installation of air filters is intended to improve the air quality of enclosed spaces, particularly for seniors who are at higher risk when exposed to the coronavirus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to once again thank Sen. Schumer for his part in securing this funding that continues to support and protect hundreds of thousands of residents of the Town of Hempstead,â&#x20AC;? stated Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our senior population is the most vulnerable to this virus, which is why it is imperative that we do what we can to shield them to the greatest extent possible from the risk of infection.â&#x20AC;?

The grant announcement was made

by Supervisor Clavin and his Town Board colleagues â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, Councilman Bruce Blakeman, Councilman Anthony Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Esposito, Councilman Dennis Dunne, Sr., Councilman Tom Muscarella, Councilman Chris Carini, Town Clerk Kate Murray and Receiver Jeanine Driscoll.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80 percent of Hempsteadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s COVID-19 deaths have been from people 62 years or older.

The activities funded by the grant to United Way will assist more than 550 seniors with chronic health risks like Asthma or COPD. By keeping the air as pure as possible, these residents will have a much lower risk of contracting the airborne coronavirus. Additionally, the funding will also go to help support staďŹ&#x20AC; distribute and install these units as well as provide seniors with PPE supplies such as masks, sanitizers, digital thermometers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a challenging time and United Way is extremely pleased to have the opportunity to help keep seniors safe at home through our partnership with the Town of Hempstead and we believe this program oďŹ&#x20AC;ers great hope in providing needed resources to help seniors live a healthy and full life,â&#x20AC;? said Theresa Regnante, president and CEO of United Way of Long Island. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The installation of these portable medicalgrade HEPA air filtration systems are

going to make a dramatic diďŹ&#x20AC;erence, especially for those with chronic health conditions who are at home and sheltering-in-place due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.â&#x20AC;?

United Way of Long Island has already assisted more than 9,000 Long Islanders during the pandemic and securing these grant funds will ensure they continue their helping mission. The funding received by the United Way was made possible by a $133 million grant the Town of Hempstead received as part of the federal CARES Act, which the Town is using to provide economic relief grants for local businesses to cover COVID-related expenses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Coronavirus is not simply just going to go away, so we need to do what we can to protect all of our residents, especially the most vulnerable,â&#x20AC;?

Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thank you to the United Way of Long Island for their eďŹ&#x20AC;orts to safeguard senior citizens.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our senior citizens are on the top of the list as most at risk to suďŹ&#x20AC;er the severe eďŹ&#x20AC;ects of this potentially deadly virus,â&#x20AC;? Councilman Bruce Blakeman added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to team with the United Way of Long Island to help protect residents during this pandemic.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Along with Supervisor Don Clavin and my colleagues on the Hempstead Town Board, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to announce another important initiative that will play a role in the recovery from COVID-19, while also helping our vulnerable populations navigate the uncertainties of the ongoing pandemic and protect our residents from a second wave,â&#x20AC;? Councilman Anthony Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Esposito said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Working with the United Way of Long Island on this program can be helpful in preventing senior citizens from being infected by the Coronavirus.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is imperative that we do what we can to shield our most at-risk populations to the greatest extent possible from being infected by COVID-19,â&#x20AC;?

Councilman Dennis Dunne, Sr., said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will continue to pursue and implement initiatives to safeguard our residents as we navigate the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud to join with my Town Board colleagues to announce a program that will provide air filtration systems for senior citizens in our township,â&#x20AC;? Councilman Tom Muscarella said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By doing so, we are doing our part to help those who are the most at risk to contracting the severe eďŹ&#x20AC;ects of the Coronavirus and furthering our eďŹ&#x20AC;orts to aid residents during the pandemic.â&#x20AC;?

Blank Slate Media welcomes your submissions.

Please e-mail them to news@theislandnow.com

The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

45

COMMUNITY NEWS

Members from NHP-GCP students Lions Club deliver celebrate Diwali

The week before Thanksgiving found Lion’s Club members Nick Mosesso and Rich Pallisco delivering food donations from the club to Holy Spirit Church

in New Hyde Park. Mosesso was the Village’s Nassau County POP Officer.

Pallisco is a trustee for the Village of New Hyde Park.

Throughout the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Union Free School District, students and staff participated in various remote and classroom activities to help commemorate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights that began Nov. 14.

Fourth graders in Jeanine Laurino’s class at Manor Oaks School decorated “rangoli” designs (a traditional Indian art form using colored sand, powder or flowers to decorate a floor) on paper in preparation for the holiday. They read “Crayola Diwali Colors” as a class to learn about cultural traditions associated with Diwali before decorating the rangoli. Students also shared how they celebrate the holiday each year.

At New Hyde Park Road School, third graders in Vanessa Motto’s remote class celebrated Diwali virtually. Mrs. Motto en-

couraged her students to share their culture and traditions by showing their classmates around their homes with their devices. The students showed “diyas” (an oil lamp usually made from clay, with a cotton wick), decorations, how they dress for the holiday and more.

They discussed how they typically celebrate the holiday each year, but talked about how this year will be different due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At school, fourth-graders in co-teachers Lauren Bliss’ and Marianne Warner’s class learned about the holiday from their classmates who celebrate and read the book, “Diwali The Magical Diyas: A Diwali Story.”

Hillside Grade School fourth-graders in Janine Sheehan’s class learned about Diwali through a special virtual guest, Mrs. Raj, who is a parent of stu-

dents Ved Raj and Nikhil Raj. Mrs. Raj read “Let’s Celebrate Diwali” and “The Diwali Gift,” and then demonstrated how to light a diya.

Second graders in Patricia Andre’s class at Garden City Park School viewed a festive video about the holiday and learned about its traditions and customs. They then brainstormed a list of what they learned to create a word web chart. Additionally, the students created colorful lanterns in class. In Lauren Widmer’s first grade class, the students made their own diyas and rangolis.

Celebrating and learning about Diwali in class, whether remote or in-person, directly supports the board of education’s goal to ensure a focus on inclusive and culturally proficient practices that improve learning and school cultures.

Manor Oaks School fourthgrader Pranav Nattu celebrated Diwali in Jeanine Laurino’s class.

New Hyde Park Road School third-grader in Vanessa Motto’s class virtually shared her decorations at home with her classmates.

Hillside Grade School fourthgraders listened to a Diwali presentation by a parent of fellow students.

Students accepted into math program New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Union Free School District recently announced that one current student and three former students were accepted into a highly competitive mathematics program at the Institute of Creative Problem Solving for Gifted and Talented Students at SUNY Old Westbury.

The students are Alan Aphraim, a sixth-grader at Hillside Grade School; Atharva Bhagare, a former Hillside Grade School student; Sherwin Fernandes, a former New Hyde Park Road School student, and Alexander Krawczyk, a former Garden City Park School student. Bhagare, Fernandes and Krawczyk are now seventh graders at New Hyde Park Memorial High School.

Each year, more than 500 students are nominated on Long Island for 84 available spots in the mathematics program. The four students, who were recommended and applied for the program last spring, began classes in September. They will spend 60 hours in remote classes and on related outside projects. They will learn about mathematics topics such as algebra, geometry and number theory, as well as others not included in the standard courses of study, such as problem-solving applied to probability, theory of finite differences and mass point geometry. Additionally, selected applications of mathematics taken from science and engineering are presented and discussed.

For the latest news, visit us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at

www.theislandnow.com

New Hyde Park Road School fourth-graders in co-teachers Lauren Bliss’ and Marianne Warner’s class read the book, “Diwali The Magical Diyas: A Diwali Story.”

Garden City Park School first-graders in Lauren Widmer’s class made their own diyas and rangolis in celebration of Diwali.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NEW HYDE PARKGARDEN CITY PARK UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

46 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 4, 2020

COMMUNITY NEWS

Virtual Thanksgiving for Northwell gala honors Project Independence N.Y. healthcare heroes North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Council Members Viviana Russell and Lee Seeman, along with the Town’s Project Independence team were proud to host a virtual Thanksgiving celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 18. The gathering was held for members of the PI advisory committees.

The theme of the event was “Thoughts of Gratitude,” and the virtual meeting brought together members from across the Town to share Thanksgiving stories, traditions, and memories.

Project Independence was created in 2009 as an aging-in-place program for the Town’s nearly 60,000 residents over 60.

Town officials join the Project Independence Advisory Committee for a virtual Thanksgiving celebration.

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More than $2.4 million was raised at Northwell Health’s annual Constellation Gala, held virtually on Nov. 10. The event celebrates philanthropic support as the driving force of innovations throughout Northwell Health — particularly at its 90 Manhattan care locations — that are transforming health care throughout the country.

Hosted by award-winning comedian, writer, producer, actor and television host Seth Meyers, this year’s Constellation Gala was held in honor of Northwell’s healthcare heroes who have treated more than95,000 COVID-19 patients — more than any healthcare entity in the U.S. The program featured special performances from award-winning actress, singer and songwriter Cynthia Erivo, Travis Wall and headliner Harry Connick Jr. Attendees included New York City leaders from various industries and philanthropists and volunteer leaders who support Northwell’s Manhattan care sites.

“The true character of Northwell was on full display during the height of the crisis back in March, April, May,” said Michael Dowling,president and CEOof Northwell Health. “But any success we’ve had, however,isa tributeto the extraordinary compassion, dedicationandcourage of the staff, nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, environmentalservices staff, social workers, security guardsand everybodyin betweenworking in unity to be sure we provided the best care possible. Any success wasdue toworking and operatingas asystem, andto the long-term commitmentwe’ve madeto builda culture ofteamwork, continuous learning, improvement, innovation and creativity.”

“I’ve seen a lot in life but never the level of teamwork that was displayed at Northwell over the last nine months. We are all better because of it — thank you,”

said Paul Guenther, chair of Northwell’s Western Region Executive Council, directly addressing the healthcare heroes in attendance. “We are fortunate to have loyal friends on our side who believe in you and all the frontline caregivers in our health system. They help make our care, research and innovation possible.”

Outpacing the Impossible campaign has raisedmore than$720million The event supported Northwell’s $1 billionOutpacing the Impossiblecampaign, an ambitious, seven-year comprehensive fundraising effort to fuel innovations to advance health care and support Northwell’s mission. Proceeds from the Constellation Gala will provide greater access to high-quality care by helping to advance innovative services and programs atLenox Hill Hospital,Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital (MEETH) andLenox Health Greenwich Village.

Serving Manhattan for more than 160 years, Lenox Hill Hospital offers worldclass inpatient and surgical care at one of the largest and most sophisticated hospitals in New York City, as well as seamless, convenient access to care atMEETH,Lenox Health Greenwich Villageand nearby outpatient practices.

Leading sponsors ofthe Constellation Galaincluded Margaret M.Crotty& RoryRiggs;Roy J. Zuckerberg & Tara E. Kelleher; Phyllis & William L. Mack; Ellen & Daniel M. Crown; American Securities Foundation/Michael G. Fisch; Donald& Barbara Zucker; Iris & Michael Smith;Diane & PaulGuenther;PeterJ. Worth/Alliant Insurance Services; Victoria & Lloyd M. Goldman; Judith & William O. Hiltz; Alison & James L.Neisloss; and Francesca Stanfill Nye & Richard Nye. To learn more about the Outpacing the Impossible campaign, visit https:// give.northwell.edu/campaign.

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Seth Meyers hosts Northwell’s virtual Constellation Gala from the rooftop of Lenox Hill Hospital.

The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

OPE SUN - N TH 11:30 URS -9 FRI & PM 11:30 SAT -10PM

980 Franklin Ave, Garden City • (516) 294-6565

HOLIDAY PACKAGES

Available November 20, 2020 - January 3, 2021 for lunch and dinner • Take out only

PACKAGE #1 $80 Plus Tax

PACKAGE #2 $115 Plus Tax

• (2) 18” regular pizzas • 1/2 tray chicken parmigiana • Complimentary Bottle of Cabernet or Pinot Grigio

• (2) 18” regular pizzas • 1/2 tray Caesar salad • 1/2 tray chicken parmigiana • Complimentary Bottle of Cabernet or Pinot Grigio

PACKAGE #3 $145 Plus Tax

• (1) 18” regular pizzas • 1/2 tray Caesar salad • 1/2 tray chicken parmigiana • 1/2 tray penne ala vodka • Complimentary Bottle of Cabernet or Pinot Grigio

*Additional items may be purchased at regular menu price. *Toppings available for additional cost; may not be combined with any other coupon, discount, offer or Groupon; prices do not include tax or gratuity; available for take out only; no substitutions.*

CATERING MENU

APPETIZER SELECTIONS

ANTIPASTO

$80

Homemade mozzarella, oven roasted sweet red peppers, genoa salami, sicilian olives

ASSORTED BAKED PINWHEELS $70

Variety of spinach, pepperoni, buffalo chicken and sausage and bacon rolls, served with a side of sauce

GRIMALDIS ORIGINAL RECIPE BUFFALO WINGS

$80

Buffalo wings tossed with our homemade buffalo sauce. Served with celery and carrots and choice of blue cheese or ranch

BRUSCHETTA

Seasoned chopped tomatoes, topped with a parmesan dusting served on crustini bread

TOMATO MOZZARELLA

Large slices of tomato and fresh mozzarella with a basil pesto drizzle over a bed of greens

$70

$80

18” DESSERT PLATTER

Combination of Jr. Cheese Cake, Cannoli, Chocolate Decadence & Rice Pudding $80 Grimaldi’s Cannoli Platters (15 cannolis) $75

18” SALAD SELECTIONS

House Caesar Chopped Spinach Portobello Mediterranean Add Fresh Mozzarella $15 Add Grilled Chicken $20 Add Salami $15

$80 $70 $80 $80 $80 $80

For Every $50 Grimaldi’s Gift Certificate Purchased, Receive a $20 Complimentary Gift Certificate.

Available ONLY Monday, December 14 through Thursday, December 24 Cash Only!

ENTREÉ SELECTIONS

Chicken Parmigiana Chicken Marsala Eggplant Parmigiana Eggplant Rollatini Penne Ala Vodka Penne Bolognese

Half $55 $60 $55 $55 $50 $55

Full $95 $100 $95 $90 $80 $90

GRIMALDI’S PARTIES ARE BACK!!

50 Guests or Under

The safety and protection of our customers and employees is Grimaldi’s top priority. Masks are required to and from tables please.

TAKEOUT & DELIVERY

SUNDAY - THURSDAY 11:30-9 FRIDAY & SATURDAY 11:30-10

Grimaldi’s Gift Certificate Sale!

Gift certificates are $50 denominations only in order to receive a complimentary $20. Maximum purchase amout $250. Cannot be redeemed for gratuity. Only one redeemed per table, per visit.

Change will be in a gift certificate form. $50 gift certificates Do Not Expire. $20 complimentary gift certificates are valid from 1/2/21 to 12/30/21

We Are Open For Inside Dining at 50% Capacity You must wear a mask to and from the tables.

Thank you for your cooperation

Now Accepting Reservations For Parties of 6 or More A $25 fee will be applied if canceling within 3 hours of reservation.

OUTSIDE DINING IS OPEN FOR LUNCH & DINNER Outdoor Seating In Front & Back

Delivery through: www.grimaldisgardencity.com

47

48 The Herald Courier, Friday, December 4, 2020

HC

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110 WALT WHITMAN ROAD, HUNTINGTON STATION, NY 11746. 631.549.7401 © 2020 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EXPERT. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.