NEW HYDE PARK 2024_04_05

BLAKEMAN SEEKS ARMED DEPUTY SHERIFFS

Major crime continues to fall in Nassau

County police department website shows a 10.43% decrease in January

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Nassau County crime is apparently down in the first month of the year with double-digit drops in total major crimes throughout the county and in the 3rd and 6th Precincts.

The Nassau County Police’s crime statistics reporting database, known as Strat-Com, provided updated crime data on the department’s website that shows crime rates from Jan. 1 through Jan. 29 of the year. It also compares the crime statistics to the same period in 2023.

While the dataset states the statistics are for these periods, there are date discrepancies in the provided statistical graphs.

Efforts to reach the Nassau County Police for clarification were unavailing.

In January, total major crimes were down 10.43% county-wide. All other crimes in the county diminished by 13.77% during this period compared to the year prior, constituting a 12.9% drop in all crimes.

Overall, 481 major crimes and 1,328 other crimes were reported throughout the county in January, adding up to a total of 1,809 crimes. In January of 2023, a total of 2,077 crimes were reported in the county.

Seven of the eight county precincts reported drops in major crime rates in

January.

This county-wide drop in crime coincides with an overall 6.46% decrease in major crimes over the first 11 months of 2023, showing a continued trend of crime rates dropping since the 41% spike in 2022.

Before this decline, major crimes increased by 38% from 2019-2022.

In New York City, crime also decreased in January by an overall 2.9%. Most major crime categories reported reductions, including a 25% drop in murders, a 24.4% in reported rapes and a 19.8% decrease in burglaries.

January crime data for Suffolk County was not immediately available.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman attributed the 2023 drop in Nassau County’s crimes to his administration’s financial investments in the county police department and intelligence-led policing strategies in a mailer.

Blakeman ran his 2021 election campaign on a platform that included calls for addressing the rise in crime in the county, with many other local Republican campaigns using the issue as a campaign talking point.

Blakeman’s calls specifically targeted the state’s bail reform laws, which he previously had blamed for the 75% surge in major crime Nassau County

Continued on Page 42

POLICE REFUSE DA REQUEST FOR DOCS

MANOR OAKS BIOME PROJECT

Plans to rebuild after fire advances in Floral Park

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

A developer has been granted initial approval to build an apartment complex at 41-61 Covert Ave. in Floral Park, the site of a 2020 fire

that caused damage to more than 10 businesses, according to the Town of Hempstead Industrial Development Agency.

The proposed 35,808 square foot building would cost $11.6 mil-

lion and feature 12 apartment units, including 10 one-bedroom units and two two-bedroom units.

The developer has been granted an inducement resolution, according

Continued on Page 43

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW HYDE PARK-GARDEN CITY PARK UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Manor Oaks students present their biome dioramas.

Police deny DA’s ask for disciplinary records

At least one case dismissed due to cops’ refusal

BY CAMERYN OAKES

The Nassau County Police Department has been pushing back on requests to provide disciplinary records to District Attorney Anne Donnelly’s office, impacting numerous case proceedings and resulting in at least one case being dismissed.

“Law enforcement agencies who wield considerable power of the state over individuals have a responsibility to be transparent and accountable,” said Susan Gottehrer, director of the Nassau County New York Civil Liberties Union. “And yet the actions of the Nassau County Police Department continue to illustrate their belief that they answer to no one.”

Newsday reported that the Police Department has refused to hand over records of substantiated and unsubstantiated complaints against officers in “more than a handful” of criminal cases being prosecuted.

This therefore leads the DA’s office to subpoena the records, which are further challenged by the law enforcement unions seeking to defy the court orders.

This has led to at least one criminal case being dismissed, Newsday reported, playing out in the third-degree assault case against Nassau resident Toufik Hamizane.

It has also undermined the authority of the legal and law enforcement systems and slowed down criminal prosecutions, Newsday reported.

Gottehrer said this is another example of police defying the repeal of 50A, a New York State law that protected police misconduct records from being public. Now those records can be requested through Freedom of Information requests.

“When the Police Department doesn’t think that they need to be accountable or transparent with the public, it undermines trust,” Gottehrer said, adding that it can be dangerous for the government, which includes police agencies, to operate as such.

Efforts to solicit comment from the Nassau County Police Department were unavailing, but Commissioner Patrick Ryder told Newsday they main-

Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.

tain a working relationship with the DA’s office.

What is driving this dispute is a 2020 NYS criminal law called discovery reform.

Discovery reform outlines a strict timeline of when evidence must be disclosed and expands the types of evidence that the defense can use – including law enforcement documents. In misdemeanor cases, discovery items must be turned over within 90 days. This is extended to six months for felonies.

Under this law, law enforcement agencies are defined as an extension of the prosecution, in this case the district attorney’s office, and files possessed by law enforcement are considered in possession of the prosecution.

This plays in tandem with the Brady decision, which determines prosecutors must turn over any evidence

that could be used by the defense, and the Giglio decision which makes records that pertain to discrediting police witnesses automatically discoverable –or provided to the defense regardless of being asked for or not.

But what if law enforcement agencies don’t share those records with prosecutors, as evident in court proceedings throughout Nassau County?

Delays in the prosecution providing law enforcement documents to the defense are not considered valid and it is the responsibility of the prosecutors to ensure a regular “flow of information.”

If this is not maintained and law enforcement documents are not provided to the prosecutors and defense, then a remedy or sanction can be ordered by the court – including for a case to be dismissed entirely.

Target set to open in NHP this month

Long-awaited store delayed by pandemic

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

A long-awaited Target is set to open in New Hyde Park next month more than four years after building plans for the store were submitted to the town of North Hempstead.

“I hope that it does bring jobs and another retail source for our community. It’s good to see companies investing in brick and mortar,” state Sen. Jack Martins told Blank Slate Media. Martins oversees the 7th District, which includes New Hyde Park, Roslyn, Great Neck, Port Washington, Sea Cliff, Glen Cove and so on.

The Target will be located in the Lake Success Shopping Center at 1400 Union Tpke. A Starbucks and CVS pharmacy will be located inside the Target, according to signs on the outside of the building and online postings.

A grand opening is scheduled for April 14.

The Target will occupy the largest retail space in the shopping center, a three-level building that is approximately 115,000 square feet. The building has been vacant since 2018,

after the closing of a Sears department store.

The incoming Target was announced in 2019 and its opening has been delayed by the pandemic and a slow-going permit process, according to a partner at the shopping center and the firm representing the shopping center’s landlord.

“We live in an Amazon world where it has become so easy for people to order things and have it delivered directly to their house that it makes us appreciate how important it is that we do have brick-and-mortar retail stores in our communities,” Martins said.

“And I hope it’s a sign of things to come,” he said. “That there will be others that will take that lead and invest in our communities and open doors and some of these empty storefronts that we see will begin to fill up.”

The Lake Success Shopping Center has struggled in recent years due to the loss of major retailers like Modell’s Sporting Goods, Sears, Pier 1 Imports and Bed Bath & Beyond. The shopping center’s vacancy rate is 7.38%, as reported by Newsday.

A long-awaited Target store is set to open in New Hyde Park in April.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY ANNE DONNELLY

COURTESY OF MIKE KALASNIK/CREATIVE COMMONS

North Shore fights air traffic noise

Lakeville Estates Civic, East Hills press state Sen. Martins for further action to help

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

Municipalities across the North Shore are banding together to decry high air traffic noise, fighting for the Federal Aviation Administration to reroute plane arrivals at JFK and LaGuardia airports away from local towns and instead over water.

Overhead airplane noise is nothing new in Nassau County. It has been an ongoing battle for local government leaders, a battle that has lasted around 15 years, according to state Sen. Jack Martins, who oversees the 7th District, including New Hyde Park, Roslyn and East Williston.

Martins is well-aware of residents’ frustration. Most recently, Bill Cutrone, president of the New Hyde Park-based Lakeville Estates civic, sent a letter to Martins March 25 imploring him to address the issue of plane noise.

In the past, the FAA had agreed to help mitigate air traffic noise by mandating planes be at an altitude of 3,000 feet around 15 miles out from JFK before they begin their descent, Cutrone said.

“Experiencing several years of the FAA’s formula, it is clear FAA’s formula is flawed and actually does very little to alleviate the worst noise problems,” Cutrone wrote. “The 3,000 ft, 15 mile out is terribly insufficient and must be revised.”

He suggested the FAA rework the order of takeoffs and landings so landings approach the runway from the south side over the ocean instead of from the north side.

Cutrone pointed out that the FAA formula for allowable plane noise does not take into account jet size. He claimed that plane size makes “a big

difference” in noise and demanded that any new plane noise formula take into account jet size.

The air noise decibel readings above New Hyde Park, Garden City Park, Herricks, Mineola and Floral Park are unacceptable levels for personal health and safety, Cutrone claimed.

“FAA must do better because

plane noise is impacting communities, schools, businesses, long term, day and night,” Cutrone wrote.

When asked whether he would reach out to the FAA and demand changes, Martins said it is not just the FAA who should shoulder the blame.

“We do have to continue to put pressure on the FAA, but I do think that the Port Authority has some jurisdiction here as well with regard to their responsibility to ensure that their routing of airplanes in airports does not affect the health and safety of communities like ours,” Martins told Blank Slate Media.

Martins was unable to give a timeline for when residents could expect changes from the FAA. He acknowledged it is “slow going, certainly, dealing with the FAA as a federal agent.”

Martins attended a meeting hosted by East Hills Mayor Michael Koblenz March 21 to discuss the issue of air traffic noise. Koblenz has long advocated for changes to be made to FAA regulations to mitigate noise over the village.

Most attendees at the meeting were local officials, though some residents were present.

“I think the consensus between the various mayors, supervisor, and other stakeholders and civic leaders that were at the meeting would attest to [changes being needed],” Martins

said, “that the FAA has to be pushed, forced, into taking action.”

But it is not so easy to force a federal agency into action. A study was commissioned to gauge the exact noise levels from planes over local towns and its findings were supposed to be made available on Sunday, according to Martins. The state senator said he had not yet received that report as of Monday evening.

“The FAA is supposed to be enforcing the rules. They’re flying too low before landing. And they’re flying the wrong route,” East Williston Mayor Bonnie Parente said. “But they’re getting away with it because nobody’s challenging them.”

In East Williston, newly sworn-in Trustee Rushi Vaidya will act as the liaison for air traffic noise issues.

Parente acknowledged that while air traffic noise is a problem in East Williston, noise levels in town are not nearly as bad as they are in East Hills.

One option Koblenz discussed during the air traffic noise meeting March 21 was a possible lawsuit, Parente said. Other municipalities, including a town in Arizona, have sued the FAA over noise levels and won their cases; however, the rules are still not being enforced in that Arizona town, Parente said.

Continued on Page 41

Another village in Illinois filed a

PHOTO BY NOAH MANSKAR

Bill Cutrone, president of the Lakeville Estates Civic Association.

Board OKs Orchid Street lot subdivision

Floral Park residents decry replacing one home with two, citing concerns over aesthetics

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

Floral Park Board trustees voted Tuesday to approve plans for a highly protested lot subdivision at 32 Orchid St. and held a public hearing for a taxi company that applied to operate in town

The architectural review board first held a meeting on Feb. 21 to discuss the subdivision of 32 Orchid St. in which builders would demolish an existing house and replace it with two new houses.

Residents opposed the plans, citing an aesthetic clash with other neighborhood homes and questioning the legality of the size of the homes.

“The concerns that you express are all very consistent and, I believe, very authentic and very real,” Trustee Lynn Pombonyo said.

But board members say they do not have jurisdiction over what was built on the lot. Rather, trustees voted to approve the subdivision of the lot itself. The house plans fall to the architectural review board.

“My answer to ‘Why would I vote for this?’ is because I am told that it is a legal requirement that we vote for it and I, as a trustee, will not vote for something that is against the law, even though I agree with so many of you and I appreciate your feelings about your block and green space and character of your homes and character of your properties,” Pombonyo said.

The proposed lot subdivision seeks to split the lot at 32 Orchid St. into two 40-by-100-foot lots. Pombonyo said there are already many 40-by-100-foot lots in Floral Park.

40-by-100 lot is perfectly legal and I’ve seen them in other parts of the neighborhood, but it’s not Orchid Street,” a resident named Kathy said. “And I think many people know Orchid Street is a very desirable street for people to buy homes on … and so I feel kind of betrayed by the trustees.”

Kathy said that if the lot subdivision is legal, then the trustees should work to change those guidelines for future applicants.

But Pombonyo said trustees do not have the authority to change lot subdivision guidelines. She said property buyers have rights, including subdividing a property lot within town guidelines.

Four residents spoke out against the subdivision at the meeting, and one resident sent in a letter to the meeting to be read on their behalf. Most residents cited aesthetic issues with the lot subdivision and the preliminary house building plans.

“I live right across the street from the property that we mentioned and I’m not looking forward to what I have to look at,” Kathy said. “We pay a lot of taxes to live in Nassau County and I don’t want to live in a home or street that looks like Ridgewood.”

Kathy said the subdivision is a “money grab” and conveys a “sense of greed” on the part of the trustees.

Residents’ aesthetic complaints included a lack of greenery in the proposed house-building plans. A member of the architectural review board said there will be ample greenery on the property according to the house plans.

public schools and contribute to weak water pressure, which one resident claimed is already an issue on Orchid Street.

New houses on the block would not affect water pressure, said John Ryan, village attorney and chairman of the Western Nassau County Water Authority.

“I am unaware of any complaints regarding low water pressure in the Orchid Street area, and if there were, those complaints should be made to the water authority and the system can be adjusted accordingly. We do have that ability,” Ryan said.

Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald announced that Rep. Anthony D’Esposito secured $4.05 million for Floral Park to be used for a drainage project in the west end of the village. The drainage project will be going to bid shortly, Fitzgerald said.

The board held a public hearing for a taxi company application. Blu Taxi is hoping to replace the town’s previous taxi service.

The Blu Taxi dispatcher will operate out of 99 Tulip Ave. The company currently has five cars. The cars are former police cars circa 2010 with white with blue lettering.

The Blu Taxi owner said the company, which is five years old and operates within the New Hyde Park and Mineola area, has an account with a car wash service and taxi cars are cleaned twice a week. Smoking of all kinds is prohibited for drivers and passengers.

Customers can call or text to request a taxi. Requests can be made in advance or on the spot.

“I’ve heard from many different people that a

At earlier meetings, residents questioned the legality of the subdivision and whether a variance was needed. Board members and the village attorney said the subdivision is legal.

Residents also worried that subdivision, and the proposed two houses to be built on the lots, would worsen population density, overcrowd

The next Floral Park board of trustees meeting is April 10 at 8 p.m. at 1 Floral Blvd., Floral Park. The April 10 meeting is a budget meeting.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN M. FITZGERALD

Mayor Kevin M. Fitzgerald.

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Blakeman seeks armed residents to aid county

Effort to recruit residents with gun licenses to help during emergencies draws heated opposition

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s administration in partnership with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department posted an ad seeking armed residents to apply to be emergency special deputy sheriffs, who would be deployed during county emergencies.

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s administration is looking to expand its law enforcement by bringing in provisional emergency special deputy sheriffs – or armed Nassau county property or business owners –to aid in protecting the county during emergencies.

The role of the special deputy sheriffs is “for the protection of human life and property during an emergency,” according to a Nassau County ad. The county did not specify what would constitute an emergency.

“The safety and security of all residents in Nassau County is our paramount concern,” the ad states.

Specifically being sought out for the positions are former law enforcement and military veterans.

The addition of this special deputy sheriff position has come under scrutiny since it was announced.

This includes Nassau County Legislative Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, who cautioned about the danger of such individuals.

“Nassau County isn’t the Wild West,” DeRiggi-Whitton said in a statement to Blank Slate Media. “We already have one of the largest and best trained police forces in the nation. The last thing we need during an emergency is a bunch of untrained residents running around with guns, playing junior

detective at the behest of the county executive.”

The posting comes after a 6.5% drop in major crimes over the first 11 months of 2023, as well as a 12.9% drop in all crime in January 2024.

According to Newsday, many legislators and union representatives were unaware of the posting and new sheriff department positions until the publication had asked. The implementation of the special deputy sheriffs was not sought out through legislative or union approval, Newsday reported.

Efforts to reach Blakeman’s office and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department were unavailing.

The county is looking for individuals who are skilled in using firearms, able to work under stress and can maintain records and prepare reports.

Emergency special deputy sheriff applicants are required to be from 21 to 72 years old, a United States citizen, a Nassau County resident, property or business owner, have a pistol license, consent to a full background check, including mental health history, supply a fit for duty letter from a doctor, consent to random drug testing and not have any drug or alcohol issues in the prior five years.

Applicants must also possess an associate’s degree or a minimum of 30 college credits, complete basic training, have never been convicted of a felony and have no misdemeanors in the past five years.

The special deputy sheriffs would only have police power during a declared state of emergency by the county executive, according to the ad.

The special deputy sheriffs would be paid a $150 stipend for each day they are active during an emergency, with individuals required to be available at any hour and any day of the year.

Suffolk County employs a similar position of special deputy sheriffs, but they are appointed by the sheriff directly and serve more as community ambassadors, Newsday reported. These positions are unpaid and not required to possess firearm licenses or training as it is not part of their duties.

A Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson told Newsday that these special deputy sheriffs are not utilized for emergencies, unlike the Nassau County positions.

Nassau County has about 60 deputy sheriffs employed under the sheriff’s department, predominantly working at the East Meadow county jail, according to Newsday.

While deputy sheriffs have the same authority as police officers, they do not respond to 911 calls. Rather, they execute warrants, serve court orders and conduct evictions.

The application deadline for these positions was on March 31, and it is not known how many individuals applied. It is also not known how many positions the county is seeking to fill and how applicants would be screened and subsequently trained.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE

G.N. Library OKs 3.5% tax increase

Reduced raise from original proposal of 4.42%, board of trustees adopts $10.4 million budget

BY CAMERYN OAKES

The Great Neck Library Board of Trustees unanimously approved its nearly $10.4 million budget for 2024-2025 Monday night, which was updated to lower the tax increase to 3.5%.

The library’s budget for the next fiscal year is set at $10,394,362, a 3.8% increase from its current budget of $10,013,629.

“The library is an extraordinarily valuable resource in our community and this modest increase reflects both our commitment to ensuring a wide and robust range of programs and services at the library while being protective of taxpayers’ wallets,” Board President Rory Lancman said.

While the original budget proposal featured a 4.42% tax increase, which fell below the allowable tax increase, the final budget dropped the tax increase to 3.5% in the wake of residents pushing back against the hike.

The cutback in the library’s tax increase was made possible by pulling $80,000 from its landscaping funds to go toward the budget’s expenses.

About $1.7 million remains in the landscaping fund.

The Great Neck Library’s Main Branch location.

Business manager Steven Kashkin said at a March budget hearing that a portion of the proposed tax increase is in response to the library’s expected 42.31% drop of PILOT revenues, or payments in lieu of taxes, due to three large businesses previously engaged in PILOT joining the tax roll.

PILOT revenues account for 0.7%, or $75,000, of the 2024-2025 budgeted revenues.

Like many other municipalities, the Great Neck Library is also having to consider rising costs, specifically in employee benefits, for their 20242025 budgets.

Kashkin said the biggest expense growth for the library is employee benefits.

New York State retirement expenses for full-time employees are also anticipated to increase by 28.23%, or $106,428, and 25.62% for part-time employees, or $13,981, in the adopted budget.

Employee benefits for current employees constitute an 11.04% increase in the next fiscal year, and a 10.88% increase for retired employees, according to the library’s proposed budget.

Salary expenses will also rise in 2024-2025.

The total salaries for full-time employees are budgeted to increase by 4.19%, or $152,250, under the budget. Kashkin attributed this growth to adjustments in salaries for department heads, a 2% increase for union employees and a full year’s salary for a library clerk.

Total employee benefits and taxes for the library are budgeted to increase in the next fiscal year by 12.15%, or $249,349.

Health insurance costs for both employees and retirees will also increase by about 10% for each.

The total salaries for part-time employees are budgeted to decrease by 5.05%, or $52,725, which Kashkin said is due to the replacement of higher-paid staff who left with lower-paid, newly hired employees, and a push off of the hiring of three pages employees until later in the fiscal year.

The Great Neck Library Board of Trustees will convene again on April 16 for its next regularly scheduled board meeting.

PHOTO COURTESY DO THE ISLAND 360 ARCHIVES

Town employee claims hiring unfair

Objects to new deputy commish for information, tech after no posting made for job opening

BY CAMERYN OAKES

An employee spoke out Tuesday against the Town of North Hempstead’s internal hiring of a deputy commissioner for the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, saying it was done through unfair hiring practices.

Ryan Smith was hired as the department’s deputy commissioner with a starting annual salary of $78,000. His start date for the position is April 27.

Anthony Cimorelli, a systems engineer in the town’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, objected to the hiring of the department’s deputy commissioner at a town board meeting Tuesday.

He called the hiring unfair and an example of nepotism, alleging the position had not been posted and Smith was hired based on favoritism by the department’s commissioner.

The department has employees who have been working there for decades, Cimorelli said, and the hiring of Smith disregards their potential to fulfill the position, or at the very least nixes their opportunity to apply for it.

According to a Sept. 1, 2022 town board agenda, Smith was appointed to the position of clerk II for the department starting on Sept. 3, 2022.

“It’s bewildering why someone

While the hiring was approved, Town Councilmember Mariann Dalimonte told Cimorelli that she would have liked to speak with him before the meeting so that she could have investigated the issue further before having to vote on the matter. She voted to approve the hiring.

The board also appointed Deputy Supervisor Joseph Scalero as the town’s voting member for the Roslyn Fire Department. This was an emergency item added to the agenda.

Dalimonte questioned why Town Councilmember Ed Scott, who represents the largest portion of Roslyn, was not chosen to fill the position. She said councilmembers have historically served in such roles.

with such limited tenure and expertise would be favored over our seasoned veterans,” Cimorelli said. “ This decision is not only undermining the principles and fairness of meritocracy but also demoralizes the hardworking individuals who form the backbone of our department.”

Town Councilmember Robert Troiano questioned why the job position was not publicly posted, to which Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said it was not a requirement for this position.

Finance & Human Resources Commissioner Robert Weitzner affirmed DeSena’s response, adding that postings are not typically made for job openings that can be filled internally. He said these decisions are typically made after consulting the department head.

DeSena said she chose someone from her office as it is common for staff to fill positions, such as the Port Washington Fire Department where Dalimonte appointed a staff member to serve in her place to avoid conflicts of interest. A supervisor staff member previously was the Roslyn Fire voting member.

All personnel hiring, appointments, terminations, resignations and salary changes, including the hiring of Smith as the Department of Information Technology Telecommunication’s deputy commissioner, were approved.

In other news, a slew of other resolutions were passed by the board including a T-Mobile contract for lower-cost phone services and to approve a bid for improvements to the HVAC system at the town animal shelter.

Continued on Page 42

PHOTO BY KARINA KOVAC

North Hempstead Town Hall in Manhasset.

Jacobs endorses Keiserman in Senate bid

Backs Port resident in District 7 Democratic primary to pick challenger to Jack Martins

BY CAMERYN OAKES

New York State and Nassau County Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs has endorsed state Senate District 7 candidate Kim Keiserman, adding to the slew of endorsements the Port Washington resident has garnered in her election bid.

“Kim is a proven leader in our communities, and the unifying force we need to flip SD 7 in November,” Jacobs said in a press release. “She will be an invaluable asset to her constituents and will undoubtedly deliver tangible results for her district.”

Keiserman, a Democrat, said she was thankful for the endorsement from the party leader, taking the endorsement as a vote of confidence in her candidacy.

“Nassau Democrats have proven that when we come together, we have what it takes to win,” Keiserman said in a press release. “I am committed to fighting for the needs of District 7 residents and will provide the active representation they deserve in the State Senate. Our solutions-oriented campaign, driven by hope over fear, and unity over division, will pave the way to victory in November.”

Keiserman faces Brad Schwartz in the race to replace state Sen. Jack Martins – a Republican.

Schwartz, who ran in the 2018 race but dropped out before the primary against former state Sen. Anna Kaplan, is a former television editor and producer with a PhD in public policy.

The district, which includes much of the North Shore and the Town of Oyster Bay as far east as

sau County Legislature in November when he was defeated by his Republican opponent Samantha Goetz.

Keiserman has also garnered endorsements from other local Democrats including state Assemblymember Gina Sillitti, former state Sen. Anna Kaplan, Democratic National Committeeman Robert Zimmerman and Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton.

Keiserman, who is an education consultant, serves as a commissioner for the North Hempstead Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and is the chairwoman of the Baxter Estates Planning Board.

She also is co-president of the Baxter’s Pond Foundation and president of the Port Washington Democratic Club.

She said she plans to advocate for increased public school funding, sensible gun policies and combatting climate change to “create a future that reflects shared aspirations and ensures a fair, inclusive, and prosperous Long Island for all,” her campaign said.

The filing deadline for the state Senate election is April 4.

The primary election for party nominees is June 25. The general election will then be held on Nov. 5.

Woodbury, is currently represented by Martins, who flipped the district red in 2022.

Jacobs’ endorsement comes two weeks after former Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan suspended his campaign. Lafazan endorsed Keiserman when he announced his withdrawal from the race.

“I am going to do everything in my power to help Kim win this race and I look forward to hitting the campaign trail with her as we work to flip this seat in November,” Lafazan said. Lafazan was ousted from his seat in the Nas-

“Kim will provide true representation in Albany for SD 7 and will always fight tirelessly for issues of the highest priority — increased affordability, public education, community safety, reproductive freedom, and environmental conservation,” Jacobs said. “She has my full support.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF KIM KEISERMAN’S CAMPAIGN

New York State and Nassau County Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs endorsed Kim Keiserman in her bid for State Senate District 7.

Artist Alan Richards creates new stories from old photos

BY CAMERYN OAKES

If you combined the subject matter of Edward Hopper, the surrealism of René Magritte and the color palette of David Hockney, what would you get? Contemporary, digital artist Alan Richards’ inimitable photomontages.

“There’s no pen, there’s no ink, there’s no nothing like that,” Richards said.

Richards, 79, is a contemporary digital artist, entirely self-taught, based in Roslyn. His pieces are on display at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center in East Hills.

This is the third time Richards has displayed his art at the JCC, having been invited back after his previous two shows. He said he enjoys displaying his works there as it is a good audience for his art.

He describes his art as photomontages, digitally manipulating vintage photos to create his own reimagined telling of the scene. It’s like “developing new stories from what was,” Richards said, while still staying true to the photo’s history.

Typical photos Richards uses depict homefront scenes during World War II, an interest of his he said due to the era’s style and the selflessness of the population.

The Sid Jacobson JCC is dispalying the exhibit “History Re-Imagined,” fetauring pieces from Roslyn-based artist Alan Richards.

“These images to me were very, very interesting and they would be lost to history,” Richards said. “I just felt like that generation was different from what we are now, so I look to my father, my grandfather and my past uncles and so on.”

“Lost in Thought” by Alan Richards.

Richards begins his artistic process by sifting through thousands of photos until the right one catches his eye, scouring through public domains.

What he’s looking for is not easy to de-

scribe, Richards said, but he finds himself typically seeking out photos of interesting people with apparent displays of self-confidence.

“When I see it, I know it,” Richards said. “I don’t look for beautiful, I don’t look for fat, tall, skinny. I’m just looking for normal people who feel good about themselves and are real people, not beautiful. I don’t need beautiful.”

From there, a second image – or a reimage – is crafted around the photo as Richards applies his craft to the photo.

To start, he asks himself: “What can I do with this particular person or image? How can I develop it into something different but yet not so different that it’s from a different era?”

Richards’ piece captures the day-to-day aspects of life as in “Counter Intelligence,” which features a man and a woman enjoying beverages at a diner counter.

The art piece is created from a June 1943 photo of a larger diner scene, with Richards’ art singling out just two of the diners at the counter and bringing color and stylization to the black-and-white image.

Some of his work delves into surrealism like “Window Shopping,” which depicts a mother and daughter observing a window display of clothes while cats paw at the next window over filled with water and swimming fish.

Continued on Page 43

Messina fights tourney rules against women

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

Maggie Messina, 57, and her taekwondo students will make history this weekend at Ocean State Grand Nationals, where a team fighting category will be open to women for the first time after she demanded more equity.

The team fighting category is regularly open only to men.

“Up to seven men walked away with cash [at last year’s national tournament], and they didn’t have one for the women,” the owner of Taecole Tae Kwon Do in Albertson and founder of Female Fighters Matter Too said. “So, I went up to the promoter and I said, ‘No. We can’t do this. Women have to have this next year.’”

What might sound like a rare moment of courage in a male-dominated field is a regular occurrence for Messina, a plucky 8th-degree black

belt who came from poverty, began practicing taekwondo when she was 18 and reached such excellence that she received a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

Messina worked tirelessly, often commuting into Manhattan at 6 a.m., then back to Albertson at 2 p.m., then back to Manhattan for a 9 p.m. client in order to survive when she first opened her studio.

From aging out of the foster system and living without a home at just 17 to running one of the few taekwondo studios left after the COVID-19 pandemic, Messina has dedicated her entire life to taekwondo – just to still be referred to as sir.

“There are still [taekwondo] schools where women are being addressed as sir. Absolutely. In America,” Messina said. “I decided that I’m not going to be called sir anymore, and … some people actually

Continued on Page 43

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAN RICHARDS

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Responding to crime in Nassau County

Areport obtained by Blank Slate Media last week showing a nearly 6.5% drop in major crimes in Nassau County in the first 11 months of 2023 is good news and not-sogood news.

The good news is that compared to the first 11 months of 2022, there was an 18% decrease in stolen vehicles, a 16% decrease in residential burglaries, a 7% decrease in grand larcenies, a 30% decrease in rapes and no change in murders, which totaled six.

The only blemishes were an 8% increase in a category called robbery other, a 14% increase in commercial robberies and a 5% increase in felony assault.

The not-so-good news is that as of this week no year-end numbers have been made available by the Nassau County Police Department for all 12 months of 2023 and no information was made available by precinct.

The Police Department posted yearto-year comparisons for the first five months of 2023 in June on its Strat—Com website, only to take it down a few months later.

This continued the department’s longstanding history of only sporadically releasing crime statistics to the public, including county legislators.

Blank Slate Media has been forced in the past to submit Freedom of Information Law requests for crime statistics that can take weeks or months for the newspaper to receive.

In contrast, the New York City Police Department releases crime statistics monthly, often with an explanation of how it plans to address problem areas.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman did report in a recent newsletter that major crimes were down over 6% for the entire year, but only cited residential burglaries, stolen vehicles and grand larceny. No precinct breakdowns were included.

Blakeman credited “intelligence-led policing strategies and financial investments in police” for the decrease in crime.

This is less impressive than it sounds since the 6% decrease in major crimes in Nassau in 2023 follows a 41% increase in 2022 led by a spike in property crimes.

This compared to a 15% increase in major crimes in Suffolk County and a 22%

jump in 2022 in New York City tempered by a year-end drop

New York City showed a very slight decline in 2023 despite significant drops in the number of shootings, murders, robberies, burglaries, sexual assaults and grand larcenies.

The Nassau County police appear to have taken a major step forward by posting year-to-year crime statistics for January 2024 through Jan. 29 on the StratCom police website, which does include breakdowns by precinct.

The results are encouraging, showing a 10.5% decrease in major crimes countywide led by stolen vehicles and grand larceny, both down 18%.

But we’ll see how long it takes them to post the rest of January and the full months of February and March and what the results are before celebrating.

It remains a mystery why county legislators of both parties have said nothing publicly about the lack of information provided on crime. This topic has dominated Nassau County politics in recent years and is important to voters.

Blakeman, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly and Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips swept to victory in 2021 in a campaign that blamed cashless bail laws approved by Democrats in the state Legislature for a sharp rise in crime in New York.

Blakeman was joined by then-Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin in focusing on bail reform during Zeldin’s 2022 campaign for governor.

Nassau County Republican Legislator Mazi Pilip recently focused her congressional campaign on immigration, claiming that migrants were responsible for “blood in the streets” and other crimes — even as the crime rate dropped

And just last week, Blakeman literally held an umbrella for former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nomineefor president, at the wake of slain NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller in Massapequa.

“We have to stop it, we have to stop it,” Trump said with Blakeman and Nassau County Police Commissioner Pat Ryder looking on. “We have to get back to law and order.”

This was the height of hypocrisy on

the part of Trump, who had orchestrated an attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that resulted in more than 140 Capitol and District of Columbia police being injured and five deaths in an effort to overturn the presidential election.

For three hours, Trump watched on television without taking action while police were being beaten, pepper sprayed and tased. He expressed sympathy for the rioters and concluded by saying: “We love you, you’re very special.”

The father and brother of Brian Sicknick, one of the police officers who died following the Jan. 6 riots, blasted Trump’s appearance at the wake as a highly inappropriate political stunt.

The family members were correct. Trump was also dishonest in implying crime was going up. After a sharp rise in crime nationally following COVID, the nation’s crime rate has come down dramatically with 2023 showing fewer crimes than 2019, which was the best year of the Trump administration.

But raising fears about crime is a common tactic for Trump and Nassau Republicans so expect it to continue through this election season.

This tactic may explain why Nassau County did not release crime statistics for the second half of 2023. It’s hard to talk about blood in the streets with six homicides — the same as the year before.

During his campaign for county executive in 2021, Blakeman repeatedly questioned U.S. News and World Report for twice calling Nassau County the safest county in the United States.

Blakeman again criticized bail reform

in his recent taxpayer-funded newsletter on crime in Nassau County titled “BLAKEMAN ADDS MORE COPS TO NASSAU STREETS.”

Blakeman said cashless bail laws “continue to threaten our safety” and called for them to be entirely repealed.

“Recent reports indicate that 12,000 people were arrested in 2023 and released from jail without bail due to “dangerous Cashless Bail Laws approved by Albany lawmakers,” he said. “A significant percentage of those released were re-arrested for committing additional crimes.”

Bail laws enacted in 2020 eliminated cash bail for misdemeanors and nonviolent crimes in the state, which had resulted in tens of thousands of people, overwhelmingly black and brown, being imprisoned for weeks, months and years because they were poor.

The imprisonment resulted in lost jobs and broken families for people innocent in the eyes of the law. It is impossible to ignore the racial component of this.

But the bail reforms were poorly written, giving judges too little discretion and exempting too many crimes from bail.

They have since been amended twice to correct the deficiencies.

Could the laws be further improved? Probably. But so could how judges and prosecutors handle the sentencing of those found guilty of committing a crime – particularly those with a history of having committed crimes previously.

A study by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services and various media found that reform has played no more than a small part in the rise in crime in New York.

If the Republicans have any proof otherwise, we are still waiting to hear it.

The same can be said for Blakeman’s claim that 12,000 people were arrested in 2023 and released from jail without bail due to “dangerous Cashless Bail Laws approved by Albany lawmakers.”

If they were, that was the point of the legislation – to prevent thousands of people charged with misdemeanors and non-violent crimes from being imprisoned while others with greater financial resources get set free.

The question is whether those releases increased crime.

Blakeman does not give the actual percentage of those released who were rearrested, the source of his claim or the percentage of people who made bail who were rearrested for committing additional crime.

He has also been silent about people like the last Republican Nassau County executive before him.

Ed Mangano remained free three years after he was convicted of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, federal program bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

That’s three years after he was convicted – not merely charged — of serious federal crimes committed when he was county executive.

The safety of Nassau County residents requires an honest accounting of crime presented in a timely fashion. Not rhetoric intended to scare and divide us.

Easter at The Carlyle, a wonderful time

Rather than do the same old thing this Easter I decided it was time to properly celebrate spring by doing something special. Long gone are the days of being satisfied by getting an Easter basket filled with chocolate bunnies and jelly beans. The older I get the more I require more complex pleasures. So this year I decided perhaps an overnight stay in New York City might be fun.

I didn’t want to see another ballet and I wasn’t consumed by an urge to see a Broadway show, but suddenly I had an image of Bobby Short singing Cole Porter on piano. I had always wanted to see him perform live and had procrastinated on this impulse for years and years. I knew he played at the Café Carlyle and wondered if he was alive and well and still there. I looked up the Café Carlyle on the internet and discovered that although Bobby Short had passed on many years ago, the Café Carlyle was going strong with torch song singers, and even the likes of Wood Allen playing his clarinet on Monday nights.

I then began to explore the Carlyle Hotel website and though I had known nothing about this hotel, I could see that it had a massive history and panache and was the hangout for uber cool celebrities like George Clooney, past presidents like John Kennedy and his wife Jackie and royalty from around the world like Princess Diana. I knew that there was little chance I would run into any celebrities, but the place looked enticing enough for me to book a suite, pack my bags and head in to Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side the Saturday afternoon before Easter Sunday.

When I arrived in my suite, I noticed one of those nice looking coffee table books titled “The Carlyle,” which provides a history of this high-style hotel along with many photos of the dignitaries and celebrities who have called this place their home away from home while staying in New York. I have been spoiled and privileged my whole life and I’ve spent time in the world’s best hotels, including The Beverly Hills Hotel, The Cipriani in Venice, The Hotel Quisisana in Capri and Ritz in Key Biscayne. Therefore I know what superb service is all about.

At the Ritz in Key Biscayne on the first day there we left the hotel in the early afternoon and returned later that night. As we re-entered the gates of the hotel the doorman said “Welcome back to the Ritz, Dr. Ferraro.” Somehow within half a day the staff had not only recognized me but had memorized my name.

So I am fully jaded and no longer easily impressed. I was to meet some friends on the first night at the Café Carlyle for dinner and the show with John Pizzarelli, the longtime opening act for Frank Sinatra. As I meandered towards the café I passed by lots of those wonderful Ludwig Bemelmans sketches. Bemelmans was the author and illustrator of the Madeline children’s books and his murals in the Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle are still there for one and all to view. The fact that the hotel uses Bemelmans murals and sketches is perfect for both Bemelmans and The Carlyle to represent the glamor and joy of hotel living.

What I observed consistently throughout my stay was the relaxed ease, charm and grace of the staff. The captains

there for decades. I was once told by the hotel manager at the Beverly Hills Hotel the same thing, which was that their staff had longevity and most had been there for decades, a sure sign that the hotel had been managed properly and was a good place to work.

Needless to say, I was very pleased that I had decided to come to the Carlyle for an overnight stay. It is in walking distance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and to Central Park. The service was kind and warm, welcoming and sophisticated. The food was scrumptious, the surroundings were classy and the history of the place was unbeatable.

check out. I waited patiently for the elevator door to open and as it opened I noticed that there were three other people already in there. One guy was in the back left corner, another big guy in front of him and then a lady on the right side.

were all handsome, not condescending and responsive. As an example of how much fun they were, my brunch companion on Easter Sunday remarked that the captain of the main restaurant looked like Sean Penn. I wagered $10 that no one but her had ever noticed that. So when the captain next came to our table, she asked: “So, Mirim, has anyone ever said that you look like Sean Penn, to which he answered, “Yes, I get that all the time.” So much for my betting luck.

Then the charming general manager, Illianna Nieto, engaged me in a conversation about my camera. I told her I might be doing a piece on the hotel for one of my newspaper columns and she immediately said she would love to read about it. This remark was said with such sincerity that I decided right then that I would do this week’s column on the hotel.

Over and over again I was impressed with the service, gentility and finesse of the staff many of whom had worked

True, I had not seen any celebrities but what the heck, you can’t really have it all can you? So with some sadness I went back to my room on the tenth floor, packed my bags and made my way to the elevator to go down to the lobby and

I walked in, the door closed behind me and then I did a double take at the guy in the far left side. There was Robert Downey Jr., the actor who just won the Oscar for his role in “Oppenheimer.” I stared at him and blurted out “Robert Downey Jr.?” He said, “Well, hello there. Nice camera you have there. Take any good pictures today?” I didn’t know what to say to that and then all of a sudden, the doors opened up and out he went with his trainer/body guard.

So I guess it’s true that The Carlyle has history, glamor and class and it’s also the home away from home for celebrities as well.

Stop New York State’s pension giveaway

Buried deep in the state Legislature’s budget is a frightening proposal that if signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul would increase the pensions cost for state and municipal employers to the tune of $4 billion.

To understand the impact of the Legislature’s sleight of hand ploy, a walk down memory lane will be helpful.

At the turn of the century, combined annual taxpayer contributions to the state’s defined benefit pension system was $1 billion. By 2010, that figure grew to a staggering $10 billion. (In recent years the cost has been about $16 billion annually.)

To address the ticking pension “time bomb,” Gov. David Paterson persuaded the Legislature to support a modest modified pension plan known as “Tier 5” that covers employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2010.

While the Tier 5 benefit would cost less, there was a major flaw: New York City employees were not included in the plan.

So, in 2021 Cuomo proposed “Tier 6” to further contain defined benefit pension costs. That bold reform was projected to save state and municipal governments $113 billion over 30 years.

Tier 6 benefit changes included:

• An increase in the minimum full benefit retirement age from 62 to 63.

• Higher employee contribution rates, ranging from 3% to 6%, for those earning $75,000 or more.

• An adjustment in the final average salary calculation to cover five instead of three consecutive highest paid years, effectively reducing the base in most cases.

• A $15,000 cap, indexed to inflation, on pensionable overtime, which was unlimited for pre-2010 hires.

In addition, unlike Tier 5, it included New York City police and firemen hired after April 2012.

On the 10th anniversary of the Paterson–Cuomo reforms, the Empire Center for Public Policy released a report in December 2021 titled “Tiering Up: The Unfunded Business of Public Pension

After taking office in 2011, Gov. Andrew Cuomo realized that the Paterson initiative was not enough to shore up the pension system.

Reform in New York,” prepared by E.J. McMahon.

In his report, McMahon wrote “The Tier 5 and Tier 6 changes combined are saving New York state and local governments outside New York City more than $1 billion this year, reducing total employer contributions by about 15% compared to what would have been billed to cover workers under previous plans.”

This is all well and good; nevertheless New York’s public pension system plans are very generous. Benefits are in the range of 50% to 75% of final average salaries. On Long Island, for example, several retired school district superintendents are receiving north of $200,000 a year. And don’t forget recipients are exempt from paying New York State and municipal income taxes on their annual benefit.

That’s not all. “State and local employees in New York,” McMahon pointed out, “also belong to the federal Social Security system supported by combined employer and employee payroll taxes whose benefits can raise their annual post-retirement incomes to more than 100% of pre-retirement earnings.”

Not a bad deal.

But the public employee unions are never satisfied. Hence, in an election year, they are using their clout to pressure legislators to sweeten the pension pot for members who have been employed since 2012.

On March 26, the New York Post reported “state lawmakers are set to make

it easier for teachers, cops and other state workers to pad their pensions— and leave taxpayers footing the nearly $4 billion bill….”

Under Tier 6, a retiree’s final benefit is based on average salary over the last five years on the job.

Under the new legislation, the final average salary will be based on the last three years of service.

Empire Center analyst Ken Girardin has written that the new rule “would retroactively increase the pensions for a small group of people who have retired in the past two years and raise the future pensions for roughly half of New York’s public-sector workforce.”

This is an outrageous tax burden to place on civilian taxpayers, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet and do not have a guaranteed defined benefit pension plan.

Contact your state legislators and tell them this expensive and unfair sop to the unions must be rejected.

The New York Conservative Party, of which I am a member, should deny its nomination to any Republican who supports the pension giveaway.

PHOTO BY TOM FERRARO

A mural on the walls of the magical Cafe Carlyle

Plastic in newborns reminds us of our crisis

It’s spring, and I know it because the din of the incredibly noisy leaf blowers around the neighborhood sometimes makes it hard to think. Leaves and other winter detritus are being liberated from their winter hideaways and gathered into piles –and this is where the trouble starts – stuffed into thick black plastic bags and put out on the curb awaiting the next visit of a garbage truck.

Leaves are one of nature’s miracles. They are harbingers of spring, provide shade in the summer, put on a spectacular fall show, and protect the roots of our shrubs and flower beds all winter. The following spring they’re ready for their final duty — providing us with rich compost. All we have to do is gather them together and let them slowly decay. Nature will provide the microbiology and do all the work; we just have to stand back and admire.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should know that scientists have now found tiny pieces of plastic pretty much everywhere on Earth, from the deep Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean to the top of Mount Everest. And now the list of places we’re finding plastic includes you. Your blood, your lungs, your brain…nano plastic finds a home actually anywhere in your body. In fact, they’re even finding bits of plastic in human placentas, so babies are now being born with pieces of old plastic bags inside.

Not all of that plastic may be coming from black plastic bags holding leaves, but at least some of it is. A lot more of it is coming from plastic bottles. This morning I watched as my neighbor unloaded several giant cases of plastic water bottles from her SUV, all wrapped in more layers of plastic wrap. And I wondered, will tiny pieces of those plastic bottles eventually

But, alas, that is not the fate of tons of leaves being collected during spring cleanups. Instead, as if thumbing our noses at Mother Nature, we will pack those leaves into plastic bags and send them off to the local landfill or incinerator. There they will either be burned, releasing toxic fumes into the air, or lie dormant for years until the elements finally succeed in breaking the plastic down into tiny bits.

DOUG WOOD Earth Matters

end up in some newborn baby halfway around the world? Sorry, kid, we just couldn’t stop buying our water in plastic bottles!

The happy ads for the plastic industry feature a trio of ethnically diverse young people, all smiling broadly as they claim, with a straight face, that their plastic bottles are made to be remade. I’m sorry, but that’s a lie! There is no technical, economically feasible way of making a used plastic

VIEW POINT

bottle into another plastic bottle. Suffice it to say that once plastic has been manufactured using a recipe of fossil fuels and toxic chemicals, there is no way to un-make the plastic and tease out its individual components. The chemicals are baked-in and will stay with the plastic forever.

The kicker, of course, is that the giant petrochemical companies are expanding, not reducing their output of plastic, as the worldwide demand for fossil fuel-based energy ebbs. Plastic is the growth industry for Exxon/ Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, BP, and all the other petrochemical companies that are driving the stock market to new heights.

New giant petrochemical plants are being constructed, mostly in Texas and Louisiana – places where the local black and brown communities have resigned themselves to much higher cancer rates and much shorter life spans than the rest of us. The new plants will get giant tax breaks from state governments, because apparently it’s a good use of taxpayer dollars to support industries that are harming the people in fence line communities.

Black plastic bags and cases of plastic water bottles are symbols of our inability to fix an obvious problem. They’re both completely unnecessary and obviously causing havoc with our environment and now our own health. Lots of towns mandate the use of paper bags for leaves and grass clippings, so that the entire bag can be composted. Why don’t we do that here?

And lots of people filter their own water at home and take their reusable containers with them when they go out instead of buying (and throwing away) more plastic water bottles. Sports teams would be much better off giving kids paper cups of water from a big cooler rather than helping them contribute to the plastic crisis.

And a true crisis it is. Like the frog sitting in the slowly boiling water who doesn’t realize he’s being cooked, we’re sentencing ourselves and all future generations to a lifetime of health problems, just because we weren’t really thinking about it when we put our leaves in that plastic bag or hauled a case of plastic water bottles home from a big box store.

Beware of politicians describing ‘Bad Jews’

In the not-so-old-days, Jews were attacked as being un-American because it was assumed they would support Israel and Zionism over America.

The week before Easter, Trump turned that antisemitic trope on its head and called out “bad Jews,” saying that Jews who vote for Democrats hate their religion and Israel because some Democrats — among them President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (the most powerful elected Jew in history) — have questioned Prime Minister Netanyahu’s leadership of Israel and the way Israel is prosecuting its war with Hamas.

This from the man who said Hitler did some good things, pronounced the Charlottesville Neo-Nazis who chanted “Jews will not replace us” “good people,” invited notorious antisemites like Nick Fuentes to dinner, and after Oct. 7praised Hamas as “smart.”

More than half of Israelis – who came out by the thousands this weekend to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (See: Benjamin Netanyahu Is Israel’s Worst Prime Minister Ever, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2024/03/benjaminnetanyahu-worst-prime-minister-israelhistory/677887/)

Indeed, Netanyahu and Trump are two peas in a pod, both desperate to retain power at any cost to save themselves from prison, both willing to upend democracy so they can exert autocratic power.

Jews, including Schumer and Congressman Adam Schiff, bristled at anyone questioning their faith or morality

for criticizing Netanyahu, correctly noting that Trump is the antithesis of Jewish values – “tikkun olam” – the call to repair and improve the world. It is American Jews’ inclination to support civil, social, economic, political and environmental justice that so offends the wannabe kleptocrat.

Trump, who so cruelly separated migrants at the border, jailed children and made them orphans, has said migrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” and claimed some migrants were “not people” — violating Exodus 22:21: “You must not oppress a stranger in any way; remember, you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.” And he has called liberals and Democrats (actually any political opponent) “vermin” who should be “rooted out” (and worse).

Ahead of Easter – a traditional time when pograms and antisemitic violence were unleashed on Jewish communities – Trump is hawking his official “God Bless America Bible.” It is the King James version embellished with the Constitution, Bill of Rights. Declaration of Independence, and Pledge of Allegiance (which added “God” in 1956 to counter the Soviet Union’s communism).

“Religion and Christianity are the biggest things missing from this country,” Trump declares in the commercial hawking the $59.99 merchandise. “And I truly believe that we need to bring them back and have to bring them back fast. I think it’s one of the biggest problems we have. That’s why our country is going haywire. We’ve lost religion in our country.” He adds, “It’s my favorite book. I’m proud to endorse and encourage you

Attorney Alvin Bragg, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and “crooked Joe.”

In contrast, in his Easter message, President Biden, a devout Catholic and moral human being, said: “Jill and I send our warmest wishes to Christians around the world celebrating Easter Sunday. Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ’s Resurrection. As we gather with loved ones, we remember Jesus’ sacrifice. We pray for one another and cherish the blessing of the dawn of new possibilities. And with wars and conflict taking a toll on innocent lives around the world, we renew our commitment to work for peace, security, and dignity for all people.”

Ever the opportunist and con artist, Trump’s aim is to keep evangelicals, orthodox, fundamentalists, and Christian Nationalists (Neo-Nazis) in his fold, and ignore the fact he is a serial adulterer, sex abuser, fraudster and idolator who preaches hate, bigotry and violence and has broken all Ten Commandments. It is the height of audacity and blasphemy that he has taken to calling himself chosen by God (“I am your savior”) and to put himself on the cross of political persecution, just like Jesus.

to get this Bible. We must make America pray again.”

Sen. Raphael Warnock, the Georgia Democrat who is an actual working pastor, countered: “The Bible does not need Donald Trump’s endorsement, and Jesus in the very last week of his life chased the money changers out of the temple, those who would take sacred things and use them as cheap relics to be sold in the marketplace.”

On Good Friday, Trump reposted a video depicting President Biden, bound and gagged on the back of a pickup truck – yet another exhortation to political violence against his opponents, including political foes, judges, prosecutors, witnesses even jurors and their family members.

Trump spent Easter Sunday posting 77 messages on his “Truth” Social site, attacking federal special counsel Jack Smith, “deranged” Manhattan District

Meanwhile, MAGAs attacked Biden for issuing a proclamation for Transgender Day of Visibility, which has been marked on March 31 every year for 15 years, and only coincidentally took place on Easter Sunday. But it is part and parcel of perverting the message of Christianity against inclusion and respect for “all God’s children” (the celebrated image of Jesus cleansing a leper), which has become a fundamental tenet of their anti-woke political scheme.

“As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates stated. “Sadly, it’s unsurprising politicians are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful, and dishonest rhetoric. President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit.”

“Claiming godlike authority or an endorsement from God for a political candidate means that person cannot be questioned or opposed without also opposing God,” said Russell Moore, the former president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public-policy arm. “That’s a violation of the commandment to not take the Lord’s name in vain.” (https:// www.nytimes.com/2024/04/01/us/ politics/trump-2024-religion.html)

It’s made me see how antithetical to American values orthodox religion and fundamentalism of any stripe is. America is based on individualism, critical thinking, the ability to challenge authority. Organized religion requires blind obedience, idolatry to whoever self-appointed authority figure claims to have a direct line to God.

It is no wonder that the percentage of Americans who identify as Christian has fallen from 91 percent in 1948 to 68 percent in 2022, according to a Gallup poll cited in The New York Times. Meanwhile, 71% of adults support same-sex marriage while a mere 13% say abortion should be illegal.

KAREN RUBIN View Point

Kudos from David Kufeld to Village of Great Neck

Former pro basketball player and Village of Great Neck resident Dave Kufeld extends his warm appreciation to VGN Mayor Dr. Pedram Bral, Deputy Mayor Barton Sobel and the Board of Trustees for designating next Sunday, April 7, as “David Kufeld Day” in recognition of his forthcoming induction to the Jewish Sports Heritage Association’s Hall of Fame.

According to Kufeld, “My inclusion in the JSHA Hall of Fame is thanks to so many individuals and institutions who have helped me along the way, and I am grateful to JSHA Director Dr. Alan Freedman for his leadership and foresight.”

Kufeld added, “As a player I was proud to continue the often-overlooked tradition of Great Neck basketball, extending back to the late Phil Hankinson of Great Neck North who played for the NBA’s Boston Celtics. For all the young players who diligently play at VGN’s Memorial Field courts, I say keep plugging away since you never

know how far the game will take you.”

Information about the Hall of Fame induction ceremony can be found at www.jewishsportsheritage.org.

David Kufeld Great Neck

L is for loyalty to Village of G.N. and Louie Massaro

Show me a town or village in Anywhere USA, and I’ll show you a revered group of wise men who quietly, or not so quietly, are in charge. They decide things. They make budgets. They hire qualified individuals to carry out their vision. Perhaps some are great thinkers.

But sometimes, in a rare instance, the wisest man of all — the man who is humble and disdains the public spotlight – the man who claims neither a Ph.D., M.A. or even a B.A. — is the most essential. This man, unlike the rest, possesses hands-on infrastructure knowledge.

He fixes things. He runs things. Essential things like snow plow equipment, sanitation equipment and sanding equipment. His duties also encompass village streetlights and stop signs, sewer drain equipment, cesspool installation, tree planting, tree removal and tree stump equipment.

Heard he had heart attack two years ago? No problem. Louie was back at work and in action in a matter of weeks.

Flooded streets impacting commercial business on Middle Neck Road? No problem. Louie is familiar with every drain pipe, every nook and cranny, and

he’ll easily advise you how to fix it.

This man is Louis Massaro. For the past 40 years, this loyal individual has been serving the Village of Great Neck, most recently as superintendent of Department of Public Works. But Louie, as his friends and colleagues refer to him, wasn’t simply serving between normal business hours of 9 to 5. It was not uncommon for him to be at his desk at 11 p.m. tending to administrative paper work. Louie was making certain that contracts with vendors were all in order. Making certain his house, the Department of Public Works, was all in order. It was a matter of pride.

Good Friday, March 29, was Louie’s final day working for the Village of Great Neck. Perhaps the other wise men in this great village will decide to retain Louie as a consultant. In light of the fact, that the Village of Great Neck is currently undergoing its most ambitious growth and infrastructure challenges, it stands to reason the most experienced individual, possessing 40 years of village knowledge, be retained.

MTA’s Mineola soccer field project blew the deadline

There was more to “Pereira slams Newsday article on Third Track” in your recent issue.

The later story, “MTA paid $1.7M for Mineola soccer field, other projects to win Third Track support, records show,” appeared in the Sunday, March 24, edition of Newsday.

Contrary to what was contained in Newsday, the project was not really completed on time and within budget as announced by Gov. Hochul, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber and Acting LIRR President Catherine Renaldi in October 2022. We never learned what happened to the so called $100 million in savings that reduced the cost from $2.6 billion to $2.5 billion. How were these dollars reprogrammed to other projects within the MTA’s $51 billion 2020 — 2024

Five Year Capital Program.

There was still outstanding work remaining. At the Westbury Station, this includes renovation of the station building, both pedestrian overpasses, some elevators, and the south parking lot. There was also remaining work at other stations and landscaping that would not be completed until Spring 2023. In addition, there was also the need to complete 100% of all contract punch list items (to insure the contractors built the asset to meet design and engineering contract specifications), receipt of all asset maintenance manuals, payments for outstanding bills, and release of contract retainage to contractors. Only then was the project really complete In 2005, the project was following the federal

National Environmental Protection Act with the intention of applying to the Federal Transit Administration for construction funding. In response to both community and political opposition from local elected officials, the project was canceled by that generation’s MTA & LIRR Management team.

In 2016 the Third Track Environmental Impact Statement to support the project was in compliance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQUA). Without compliance with NEPA, the MTA forfeited the opportunity to access FTA or Federal Highway Administration funding.

I woke early in winter’s bare mountains and left my tent. The deer were hidden in the remote woods but I knew they were there watching me.

I had almost entered a large clearing as the fog rolled in, when they slowly came out into the open to paw through a thin layer of snow and feed on sweet grass—silently, peaceful.

A cautious few at a time, entering and exiting in groups through their own folding curtains of lulling mist, smooth as silk.

I saw about 80 in a few hours, something to behold as I watched hidden behind a wall of trees at forest edge. I clearly remember their scent.

Morning filled with cold lazy rain dripping from the leafless trees, twig by twig, flashing tiny bell-notes of refreshing pleasure.

By afternoon the clouds cleared. Blue sky. Bright sun!

I, too, vanished, and was renewed. Desire ran away with them without misgiving.

Until they return again, hidden behind summer’s wall of green, to grow old there, no longer a stranger.

Stephen Cipot Garden City Park

Larry Penner Great Neck

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously served as a former director for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office of Operations and Program Management.

Funding for the project primarily came from a $3 billion MTA 2015-2019 Five Year Capital Program Amendment. This action increased the MTA agency budget from $29 billion to $32 billion. They are paid for by adding $1.6 billion in long-term MTA debt buried on the operating side of the budget. None acknowledged that $100 million in savings doesn’t account for millions in annual debt service payments over the years to come to cover the cost of borrowing money for financing this project in the first place.

Red Deer

Author’s note: ‘80s, Grant County, West Virginia. The first overthrust folds of the Appalachian Mountains held naturally fractured deep Devonian dry gas reservoirs.

As geologist for the Kerr McGee Corporation, I was responsible for the pre-exploration geology, well logging, drilling and flow testing, approving well completions or sealing “dry holes.” KM and partners also hoped to duplicate Texaco’s northern Pennsylvania deep wildcat that hit a 16 billion cubic foot reservoir in Ordovician sands—so heavily fractured one well could drain it all.

Geophysicists said the seismic showed a “bright spot” that looked like the prolific reservoirs of the deep Gulf of Mexico.

KM had also drilled a deep dry wildcat on Brown’s Mountain anticline (WVA) that encountered the same section three times, one was completely overturned. I remembered this because college texts often said the Appalachians didn’t have major overthrusts like that—how wrong could they be? In truth, oil, gas & mining companies didn’t like to share data unless it was purely transactional.

I really wish I had kept that well log. The company had also partnered with Amoco to drill two very prolific Mississippian age asteroid impacts located at depth in the northern mid-continent that were not at the time in college texts.

Anyway, Brown’s Mtn had multiple gas traces, but it was before the advent of uber fracing that might have produced the gas.

I countenanced drill sites made a mess of the environment, clearing trees, the toxic fluid pits that remained, production fluids dumped on the ground, massive gas flares, miles of gas pipelines from well to well extending to transmission lines to utilities and to us. We were glad to be doing America’s pride of place business. (There are millions of miles of old gas pipelines

in the US alone.)

Still, I considered myself something of a Henry David Thoreau, my early mentor. Geology got me outside a lot, working, hiking and camping in some of the most beautiful parts of our great country. I briefly considered the forestry service, but at the time it was mostly about harvesting and culling trees.

This story of the remote clearing with the deer was halfway up a mountain that had a new drill site near the top—an abandoned field cleared during the depression, there was an old farmhouse near the edge.

Families had moved up into the mountains to escape the drought-stricken valleys to take advantage of cooler temps and water-laden mists to sustain meager crops.

The farms are long gone but a few fields remain, relished and mowed by deer. I also ran across hunter’s blinds; that West Virginia and Pennsylvania could field a few divisions of hunters we tended to avoid drilling in deer season.

Interestingly, Google Earth presently shows that some of the same West Virginia mountain tops have large wind turbines because they can be very windy.

Drilling one well I faced a hurricane-force blizzard with a windchill of minus 60F and got stuck a while. Google Earth also reveals that a nearby large coal-fired power plant closed, local sources say it was old, inefficient, and burning coal was no longer economical. I recall its massive piles of coal and humongous coal ash waste pits. Even for WVA, there’s progress, at last.

I soon made a switch to the USEPA’s Region 2 office where I became a Superfund project manager. Satisfaction and pride of place were to investigate and “remediate” the refuse left by modern industry that’s based on consumption. Which is a story for another time.

Judy Shore Rosenthal Great Neck

YOUR GUIDE TO THE ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING

My Father’s Place opens in Roslyn as rock venue for adults

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

My Father’s Place, the iconic Roslyn-based club that helped launch the careers of music legends like Madonna, The Ramones and Blondie in the 1970s and 80s, has transformed into a “rock club for grown-ups” at The Roslyn Hotel.

Michael “Eppy” Epstein has turned the Long Island landmark into a refined supper club in the basement of The Roslyn Hotel.

“It’s important to let people know that there is a place – forget about the history. There’s a place they can come to now to hear great new music in an intimate setting in what we call a supper club, which is a place that their grandparents and great-grandparents used to go to,” Eppy said. “It’s a different experience than going into Brooklyn, going to listen to music and standing up in a basement.”

Eppy and his associate, Dan Kellachan, operate My Father’s Place through a close partnership with Sumeer Kakar, the hotel owner.

Kakar streamlined the dining options for the supper club, replicating the exact menu offered at the hotel’s restaurant next to the supper club where customers can grab a drink and food before the show.

This way, audience members don’t need to worry about booking a reservation at a restaurant and rushing to grab the best seats when doors open, since the supper club offers first-come, firstserve seating.

“The menu changed dramatically as the audience aged,” Kakar said. “We’re much more of an eclectic menu now as opposed to a bar food crowd.”

From small plates like shrimp cocktail, buffalo wings and mussels to sushi, soup, pasta, burger and chicken and steak options, the food at My Father’s Place is not an after-thought.

Eppy and Dan said the chef at the hotel is “wonderful,” and they have not received one complaint from customers about the food since they opened the venue.

The club is already booked for 37 shows through June of this year and Kellachan hopes to reach 120 shows by the end of the year.

Some upcoming shows include Steve Forbert, who will be returning to My Father’s Place on May 11, and Long Island blues guitarist Kerry Kearney, who will be playing with a group of blues guitarists in a tribute to Robert Johnson on May 2.

A full list of shows can be found on the My Father’s Place website.

The venue reopened at The Roslyn Hotel in September and Eppy is thrilled to have My Father’s Place back in Roslyn.

Although he is still focused on featuring new, young artists, his years-long ban on cover artists has loosened.

“What seems to be in huge demand is cover bands,” Kellachan said. “Neither of us [Kellachan or Eppy] was brought up on doing cover bands but the truth of the matter is that even some of the biggest bands in the world right now are literally cover bands with one original member, like Journey.”

Another shift is the move toward community performances. What was once a rock and roll club that had young girls screaming at Eppy in pursuit of Joey Ramone is now seeking out school parties and bat mitzvahs.

The venue has an upcoming Broadway villains-themed performance by the Royal Crown Players of Roslyn High School, as well as a “Bring Your Daughter to a Princess Day” brunch event.

But one aspect of My Father’s Place that has always stayed the same is how Eppy and Kellachan treat the performers.

“When the talent comes in, we are attentive to them and [we] treat every artist who comes in

here to play as if they are a nationally known [or] international act,” Kellachan said.

This VIP treatment includes a greenroom for performers to wait before their set and a hot meal from the hotel restaurant.

Eppy has always had an affinity for up-andcoming artists, from hosting Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen to Billy Crystal and Eddie Murphy at the original My Father’s Place. He recalled one interaction with a new artist from years ago.

One winter, a young female artist arrived at My Father’s Place in a limo to promote her new record. She was set to perform that night, despite the frigid cold that had swept in through Roslyn. Electric wires froze and the power went out across town.

And as luck would have it, her band’s bus broke down in the ice storm, leaving her and the band stranded in Roslyn.

But the show had to go on. She performed with the musicians who had already made it to

the club that night. While she had only been scheduled for one performance, hundreds of fans were waiting outside in the freezing cold, hopeful for an encore performance.

Eppy asked the artist to sing another song as the crowd chanted her name, but she said that the band didn’t know any other songs. So Eppy wrote the lyrics to “Heatwave” by Martha and the Vandellas on a piece of paper for the singer and reminded the guitarist of the rhythm.

Years later, that artist, Linda Ronstadt, would release “Heat Wave” as a single, reaching number 5 on the Billboard charts.

Her record producer later called Eppy, promising him a gold single in the mail – which never arrived.

But the shift in venue and performers makes sense, since Eppy really grew up alongside My Father’s Place. He was only 22 when the original venue opened in 1971.

“It’s the club that wouldn’t die,” said Eppy.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN KELLACHAN

My Father’s Place venue in The Roslyn Hotel basement.

Don’t miss your opportunity to submit your nominations for the Top Business Leaders 2024.

Blank Slate Media is recognizing the most influential and accomplished individuals in business, finance, education, law, not-for-profit, and media who continue to find ways to lead and inspire.

To nominate, or to find out details on how to be a corporate sponsor visit www.theisland360.com/nassau-countys-top-business-leaders

Tribute to Tony Bennett at Elmont Library theater

Steppin’ Out With My Baby: A Tribute to Tony Bennett stars Steve Leeds who started singing at the age of

10 and was performing on ABCs “The Children’s Hour” as well as NBC’s variety show “Star Time.” Eventually Steve

joined the Larry Elgart Orchestra and toured all over the U.S. and Canada and performed regularly at the famous Riverboat in the Empire State Building.

A regular at New York venues, Steve has performed at The Rainbow Room, the Waldorf and The Plaza showcasing such songs as “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “Rags to Riches,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” For Once in My Life” and “The Best is Yet to Come!”

The performance will take place on Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Elmont Memorial Library Theater at 700 Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont.

Tickets are $40.00 ($35.00 seniors) plus $5.00 ticket processing fees.

‘The Supermajority…’ in the Supreme Court

Please join us Sunday, April 14 at 3:00 PM, when Michael Waldman, former speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and author of “The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided America,” will be guest speaker, dialoguing with our moderator, NY1 News anchor, host of Inside City Hall, and CNN political analyst Errol Louis.

Following their conversation, there will be a meet and greet / book signing. Light refreshments will be served. All members of the community are invited. Admission is free.

Waldman is president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to revitalize the nation’s systems of democracy and justice.

He was director of speechwriting for Clinton from 1995 to 1999 and is the author of “The Second Amendment: A Biography” and “The Fight to Vote.”

In his current bestseller, “The Supermajority ”, Michael Waldman explores the tumultu-

ous 2021-2022 Supreme Court term.

Over three days in June 2022, the conservative supermajority overturned the constitutional right to abortion, possibly opening the door to reconsider other major privacy rights, as Justice Clarence Thomas urged.

The court sharply limited the authority of the EPA, reducing the prospects for combatting climate change. It radically loosened curbs on guns amid an epidemic of mass shootings. Waldman asks: “What can we do when the Supreme Court challenges the country?”

Waldman was a member of the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court. A graduate of Columbia College and NYU School of Law, he comments widely in the media on law and policy.

This program is funded by Elaine & George Malin.

Temple Emanuel of Great Neck is located at 150 Hicks Lane in Great Neck. RSVP — Call 516.482.5701.

Michael Waldman will discuss his book, “The Supermajority” with Errol Louis, followed by a book signing.

POLISH NIGHT CELEBRATION!

Saturday, April 27th 7PM -11PM

One of our most popular events is Polish Night.

We’ll be serving traditional Polish fare from start to finish.

Your chairman Ray Smolenski, PDDGER

$50pp, Payment by April 20

Reservation a must Contact the Lodge 516.352.6620

ELKS LODGE

901 Lakeville Road, New Hyde Park, NY 11040 516-352-6620 | www.nhpnselks.com

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook: aioeventstudio Whether

For booking or more information, Call: 516-620-6160 or email: info@aioeventstudio.com

Fri 4/05

Family Night Hike

@ 7:30pm

Apr 5th - Apr 6th

COME ON A GUIDED EXPLORATION OF THE WOODS IN THE DARK

AS WE SEE WHAT NOCTURNAL NEIGH‐

BORS WE CAN FIND!

BRING A FLASHLIGHT!

1450 Tanglewood Rd, 1450 Tanglewood Road, Rockville Centre. helpdesk@cstl.org, 516764-0045

Alexa Tarantino Quartet

@ 7:30pm / $42

An intimate perfor‐mance by the awardwinning saxophonist and her Quartet of origi‐nal compositions and modern takes on clas‐sic standards and fa‐vorites. Tilles Center, LIU Post College, 720 Northern Boulevard, Greenvale

April Fools Comedy Jam @ 8pm / $36-$231 Barclays Center, Brooklyn

Let's Sing Taylor - A Live Band Experience

Celebrating Taylor Swift @ 8pm / $25-$49.50

The Paramount, Huntington

Sat 4/06

Legal & Financial Planning Conference @ 9am / Free

You're invited to join us for a free-in person conference for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's or another demen‐tia, care partners and family members. Hilton Long Island/ Huntington, 598 Broadhollow Road, Melville. longislandchap ter@alz.org, 800-272-3900

Wilderness Survival Series @ 10am / $40-$46

Join us for the Saturday Wilderness Survival Skills, a new program for 2024! Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point. info@sandspoint preserve.org, 516-5717901

Celebrate April's National Poetry Month @ 3pm

Free poetry reading by Willa Carroll at the historic home of William Cullen Bryant, the "Fa‐ther of American Poetry," with an open mic segment and re‐ception The Friends of Cedarmere, 225 Bryant Avenue, Roslyn. robertbsargent@ aol.com, 516-695-8460

Storybook Stroll: "Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms" by Julia Rawlinson @ 10:30am / $15

Open your ears to a modern tale as we stroll the Gardens and, later, create a unique take home craft. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury. mramirez@oldwestbury gardens.org, 516-3330048

The Peking Acrobats @ 2pm / $30

The acrobats perform daring maneuvers! Tilles Center, LIU Post College, 720 Northern Boulevard, Greenvale

Diamond Groove NY: Diamond Groove Rocks Dox @ 7pm Dox, 10 Broadway, Island Park

Jim Breuer @ 7pm / $29.50-$79.50

The Paramount, Huntington

Karen Jonas @ 7pm Still Partners, 225 Sea Cliff Ave, Sea Cliff

Nate Charlie Music @ 7pm EGP, 2823 Long Beach Rd, Oceanside

Jaime Lozano y La Familia: Songs by an Immigrant @ 8pm / $50

Heralded by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda as “the next big thing,” Mexican composer-di‐rector Jaime Lozano’s newest work, Songs by an Immigrant, is a show about diversity and in‐tegration. Tilles Center, LIU Post College, 720 Northern Boulevard, Greenvale

Port Washington - FAST Flag - K - 2nd - 11:30am - 12:20am - 7 Classes @ 11:30am / $240

Apr 7th - Jun 9th

PAL Field Port Washington, 325 Main St, Port Washington. 516801-3533

Back by Popular Demand — Create Your �wn Sun�ower Tote! @ 1pm

Join us for a fun afternoon painting your very own sun‐�ower tote bag! Gold Coast Arts Center, 113 Middle Neck Road, Great Neck. info@goldcoas tarts.org, 516-829-2570

CMS: String Magic @ 3pm / $73.50

Spanning from 1797 Vienna to 1933 Paris, this all-string pro‐gram takes audiences on a journey through the astounding breadth of chamber music repertoire. Tilles Center, LIU Post College, 720 Northern Boulevard, Greenvale

Wednesday Apr 10th

Trailblazing Women of Country: From Patsy to Loretta to Dolly @ 7:30pm / $45

Tilles Center, LIU Post College, 720 Northern Boule‐vard, Greenvale

Female vocalists and musicians pay homage to Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, who revolutionized country music and blazed a trail for future generations of female artists.

Mon 4/08

Alzheimer's Community Forum @ 12pm / Free

Join our upcoming community forum in North Babylon North Babylon Senior Citizens, 438 Spangle Drive, North Babylon. longislandchapter@alz.org, 800-272-3900

Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair, Westbury

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Tue 4/09

Gold Coast Cinema Series: Rally Caps with director Q&A! @ 7pm / $16

A heartfelt coming-of-age story for the entire family starring Judd Hirsch. Manhasset Cine‐mas, 430 Plandome Road, Manhasset. info@goldcoas tarts.org, 516-829-2570

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New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers @ 7pm / $65-$458

UBS Arena, Belmont ParkLong Island

Cuthbert Live: Solo Billy Joel Theme Night @ 7pm Beginnings, 1986 Park St, At‐lantic Beach

Donna the Buffalo @ 7pm Boulton Center For The Per‐forming Arts, 37 W Main St, Bay Shore

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Wed 4/10

North Shore Audubon Society

Presents Talk on Bird Photography @ 7:30pm

The Photography Club of L.I. is hosting a pre‐sentation on Bird Pho‐tography by the North Shore Audubon Society on Wed. April 10 at 7:30 PM in the Lapham Room at the Port Washington Public Li‐brary. Port Washington Public Library, 1 Library Drive, Port Washington. susantiff18@gmail.com, 516-484-8554

Sun 4/07 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles @ 8pm / $22-$99.50

Thu 4/11 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Martina McBride @ 8pm / $39.50-$99.50 Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair, Westbury

Kelli Baker LIVE (solo acoustic) at Crabtree's in Huntington, NY @ 8pm Crabtree's NY & Main, 330 New York Ave, Huntington

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Fri 4/12

Fleetwood Macked The Ultimate Tribute to Fleetwood Mac: The Warehouse welcomes back Fleetwood Macked and Echoes of the Eagles! @ 6:30pm The Warehouse, 203 Broadway, Amityville

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Take the first step and call us to schedule a consultation. (516) 307-1045 ext 201

Business&RealEstate

Meeting with your legislators worthwhile

Many Realtors went up to Albany on March 27-28. This was our yearly pilgrimage and ritual to discuss and have a dialogue concerning proposals for new laws and regulations and their effect on real estate. It was also the chance to explore current laws and ways to enhance and upgrade them for the current business environment in New York State.

Their effect can be dramatic and costly for consumers and purchasers. Laws that are enacted sometimes harm Realtors involved in the real estate industry in New York State.

One of the major topics was the power that co-op boards have over purchasers, especially having to fill out an immense amount of paperwork providing a large amount of personal information. This is not a requirement when buying a condominium, townhouse, or HOA.

As many as 1,500 pages are sometimes required and created by the purchaser. There is a lot of time involved in compiling and putting together some board packages that must be organized, tabbed by sections, and set in hard-cover presentation folders. However, some management companies today are using online applications that are making the process much more seamless and have truly simplified the process.

Paying the mandatory application fees isn’t a guarantee that you will pass the co-op board review and there are

no refunds. I did convey in last week’s column that it is understood that managements earn a portion of their income from their board application fees. In addition, since the COVID-19 pandemic, a NYS law was enacted that said buyers were only required to pay a maximum of $20 per credit check inquiry. Previously I experienced fees ranging from $50-$125 per applicant! Some gouging was happening and that new law saved buyers a lot of money. This showed me that the new regulations, enacted by our NYS Legislature, were working for the purchasers.

The boards in Nassau County, are not required to let a buyer know why he or she failed to pass a board review. We explained that this is unjust and unfair, especially without a partial refund.

I brought up the idea of having a buyer of residential homes who was approved for a grant of $39,000 to be able to do a full inspection, as is normally done when purchasing a home. However, when receiving a grant, it is currently mandatory to have a complete inspection. If it is a foreclosure, then 99.9% of the time the houses are winterized all year long.

PHILIP A. RAICES

Real Estate Watch

than earning money and not assisting in truly benefiting the communities being served.

As of March 20, we now have a NYS law that requires the homeowner to fill out the 48-question Seller Property Condition Disclosure form if they aren’t in contract by that date. Also, the $500 fee previously required to be paid to the buyer by the seller, if the questionnaire wasn’t filled out, has now been eliminated. However, I am pushing for the requirement to be waived if someone is impaired with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or a mental disability.

burdensome for those in real estate as well as purchasers and sellers, too.

So going to Lobby Day yearly is a crucial date for all Realtors to consider showing up and attending. We have more power in numbers. So if you are a Realtor or are licensed, watch for our next Lobby Day, most likely in February 2025, and participate in having your voice heard by your Legislators.

I proposed that the buyer put up $500 to turn on all the utilities, and then be able to have their home inspector do a proper, thorough, and complete inspection. Then the individual or company that turned all the utilities back on can now winterize the home again. So in the event the buyer changes their mind, at least the home is now protected once again, from potentially frigid weather and having to contend with broken pipes.

This would enable more buyers of foreclosures, being end users to purchase and then over the years build roots, friends, and connections in the community where as investors do nothing but buy, fix, and flip or buy and hold and rent. They are not necessarily building roots or friendships. Building a community is more important in the short and long run

I was able to have several varied discussions with state Sen. Jack M.Martins (7th District); Jennifer Slagen, legislative director for Assembly member Gina L.Sillitti (16th District); Assembly member Amy R. Paulin (88th District, Westchester); Michael J. Kelly, director of Government Affairs for New York State Association of Realtors; and Marlo Paeventi, chief lobbyist for Long Island Board of Realtors, who presided with others, over one of our meetings.

RPAC (Realtors Political Action Committee) is our local LIBOR committee that raises funds yearly enabling our local LIBOR to lobby and fight against specific rules and regulations, brought to the Legislative floor in consideration of creating a new law or updating others. Some of the laws could make it more difficult and

P.S. Have you entered my contest yet? Whoever provides the correct answer as to how many interest rate reductions or possible increases will occur this year plus the total percentage reduced or increased will be the winner. Your reward will be a dinner with my wife and me and a special surprise bonus! The contest was going to end on 3/15/24, but we have extended our contest until 4/15/24 at 11:59 PM as the absolute final date to provide the additional time for all to enter as the final drawing will be on 12/28/24.

Hoping you, your Family, Friends, and Business associates have a Healthier, Safer, Happier, and more Lucrative 2024!

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. For a 15-minute consultation, value analysis of your home, or to answer any of your questions or concerns he can be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email:Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate.Comor viahttps://WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com

TECH

The “Internet of Things” and Smart Clothing

You’ve probably heard of the Internet of things, but thought, “what does it mean to me?” To answer that exciting question, let’s first understand the term itself:

the future is now

The Internet of things (IoT) is the interconnection, via the internet, of computing devices into everyday objects giving them the ability to send and receive data.

We already monitor our home security via smart camera devices and troubleshoot appliance repairs by connecting directly to technical support. But there are even cooler IoT applications in the works!

“Soon, the Internet of Things will meet Gucci in the form of smart clothing. For example, swimwear can include UV sensors to prevent overexposure to harmful radiation. Smart footwear may improve your running technique or monitor the mobility of patients with Parkinson’s disease. Manufacturers might embed haptic feedback into textiles to correct your posture or improve your yoga pose. And don’t forget the accessories, such as the Ray-Ban Stories smart sunglasses (that provide a window to social media when the user is otherwise offline).” - William Diggin, Accenture

Let Sandwire Technology Group show your small business that the future is NOW.

SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS

Robert J. Mitchell CPA, EA

Theresa Hornberger CPA

Marvin Goodman CPA, (ret)

(516) 248- 9323 (718)

▼ EMPLOYMENT, SITUATION WANTED, MARKETPLACE

To Place Your Ad Call

Phone: 516.307.1045 x 218

e-mail: dflynn@theisland360.com

In Person: 22 Planting Field Road Roslyn Heights, NY 11577

We’re Open: Mon–Thurs: 9am-5:30pm Fri: 9am-6pm

Deadlines

Monday 2:00pm: Classified Advertising

Tuesday

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.

Publisher's notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Publisher’s notice: All employment advertising herin is subject to section 296 of the human rights law which makes it illegal to advertise any preference based on religion, sex, familial status, arrest record, national origin, color, age, or disability. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertisement for employment which is in violation of the law. Employment opportunities advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANTED

A HOME HEALTH CARE AIDE Irish trained woman with 10 years experience and excellent checkable references available. Honest and reliable. Licensed driver with own transportation. Please call 347-307-5193

ELDER CARE Experienced woman seeks position to care for the elderly live in or live out. Certified HHA. CPR experience. Excellent references. Please call 516-800-6442

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Troop 201 pancake breakfast fundraiser

The scouts of Troop 201 in Herricks held their annual pancake breakfast fundraiser on Sunday, March 24th at the Albertson firehouse. Many pancakes were made to raise money for their many high adventure trips they take.

Talk on assisting adults. teens with autism

April is Autism Awareness Month, and the Great Neck Library STEM Lab (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Lab) and the Adult Programming Department, are hosting a program titled “Digital Discovery Zone: Tech Exploration for Neurodivergent Adults and Teens.”

We will learn about simple coding, AR gadgets, accessibility apps and programs, learning resources through the

library, and more!

This program is on Wednesday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Great Neck Library Main Library Community Room. It is open to teens and adults with their parents and caregivers. Registration is welcome, but not required.

For more information, please contact the Great Neck Library at (516) 466-8055 or email adultprogramming@greatnecklibrary.org.

Resume writing and LinkedIn profile seminar

The Great Neck Library is hosting a Seminar sponsored by Nassau County Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip and the County’s Office of Minority Affairs and Human Rights Commission.

Upcoming events at the Hill side Public Library

PROGRAMS and EVENTS

BOOK SALE – 1st Fl. Modular Room

Thursday, April 4, 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 5, 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 7, 12 noon – 3:30 p.m.

Come help us find homes for some gently used books! All books, CDs, and audiobooks are $1 each, $5 for as many as you can fit into a bag! DVDs are $2 each.

Walk-In Hearing Screenings – All Purpose Room

Friday, April 5, 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Adelphi University’s community outreach program consists of free hearing screenings for adults and children of all ages. Students and faculty from Adelphi University will perform the hearing screenings for those who suspect they have a hearing loss. Screening results are given immediately and appropriate recommendations are made by a licensed audiologist. No appointment necessary

Movie! Wonka – Rating: PG. All Purpose Room

Friday, April 5 at 1 p.m. “Armed with nothing but a hatful of dreams, young chocolatier Willy Wonka manages to change the world, one delectable bite at a time.”

Meditation Discussion and Practice – Virtual

Tuesday, April 9, 12 noon – 1 p.m. Inner Peace Through Meditation:How can we find inner peace within ourselves through meditation? Join Dave Buck as he explores the aspect of going within rather than without! He will discuss the blocking out of stressful triggers, finding peace by living in the current moment. There will even be a short meditation sitting. Stresses and strains are a common feature of everyday living and, Meditation can help us relax and rise above the stress of life.

Fiction Loves History Book Club – 1st Fl. Modular Room

cussed is: Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson. A deliciously funny, sharply observed debut of family, love, and class, this zeitgeisty novel follows three women in one wealthy Brooklyn clan.

Dietary Fats: Eat Right for a Healthy Heart – Virtual

Thursday, April 11, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Community Health Educator Nurse Maura Calio presents:Dietary Fats: Eat Right for a Healthy Heart! Fat gets a bad rap even though it is a nutrient we need in our diets. The big concern is making sure we don’t have too much fat. Learn all about dietary fats and how getting too much or too little affects our health.

Medicare 101 – All Purpose Room

Thursday, April 11, 6 – 7:30 p.m. Come and learn the A, B, C, & D’s of Medicare! There are gaps in Medicare coverage that can be filled with a Medicare Supplement. Come learn about the different options available to see which plan makes the most “cents” for you and your budget.

How to Protect Yourself Against Financial Fraud –All Purpose Room

Friday, April 12, 1 – 2 p.m. The presentation covers current prolific fraud schemes (phishing, imposter scams, romance scams, etc.) and provides valuable preventative measures to help detect and prevent potential fraud. Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) will supervise the presentation and be available to assist and answer any questions.

Paint Night: Find a Rainbow – Virtual

Friday, April 12 at 7 p.m. Take a hot air balloon ride and look for rainbows to brighten your day! For a list of supplies needed, please go to the library’s website.

CHILDREN and YOUNG ADULT EVENTS

YA Art Club – All Purpose Room – All Purpose Room

This seminar will offer important tips on building and improving your resume and how to create or upgrade your LinkedIn profile for maximum effectiveness.

The seminar will be held at the Great Neck Library, Parkville Branch, at 10 Campbell St., in New Hyde Park, on Tuesday on April 9 at 7:00 p.m. Reservations are required. Please RSVP to mpilip@nassaucountyny.gov by April 2.

North Shore fights high air traffic noise

Continued from Page 3

lawsuit against the FAA to compel the agency to review alternatives that would deliver relief from overnight airplane noise in October 2023, according to the Village of Elk Grove website. But the village dismissed the lawsuit in December.

It is unclear whether local municipalities will move forward with the lawsuit. The suit would require a number of local villages to participate, since it would cost around

$1 million, Parente said.

But from New Hyde Park to East Hills to East Williston and beyond, local mayors and government leaders agree that overhead air traffic noise is an issue worth tackling.

“I don’t know what’s going to come of this, but I think we owe it to our neighbors in East Hills and to ourselves because [air traffic noise] does affect us at times to pay attention to it,” Parente said.

For the latest news, visit us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at www.theisland360.com

Tuesday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m. The book being discussed is: America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. “The fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph — a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.”

St. Francis Hospital Mobile Health Outreach BusLibrary Parking Lot

Wednesday, April 10, 10 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. FREE InPerson Health Screenings! The screenings include a brief cardiac history, blood pressure, simple blood test for Cholesterol, and Diabetes screenings with appropriate patient education and referrals as needed for clients above the age of 18.

Contact: St. Francis Community Health, Education & Outreach 516-629-2013

No appointments necessary — First come, First served. Fresh Fiction Book Club — 1st Fl. Modular Room

Wednesday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. The book being dis-

Friday, April 5 at 5 p.m.

Grades 5 – 12. Whether you’re new to art or already an enthusiast, join us in decorating the YA Room by creating a unique art project! All projects will be displayed and returned the following class/month.

Move N Groove with Jane! – Children’s Room

Saturday, April 6 at 10:30 a.m. Weekend Event!

Move N Groove with Ms. Jane! – All Purpose Room

Tuesday, April 9 at 4:30 p.m. Grades: 2-3. Get ready for some fun action and groovin’! Be up and moving in this class while having fun and teaming up in activities. Remember to bring a water bottle.

Time for Kids: Pete the Cat! – All Purpose Room

Friday, April 12 at 10:30 a.m. Ages: 12 months- 5 years (with parent/caregiver). Come join a Time for Kids, Inc. as we celebrate in this family fun preschool program. Activities include music, movement, fine & gross motor development and storytelling! There will also be a Pete the Cat Craft!

Major crime continues to drop in Nassau

Continued from Page 1

saw in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the previous year during an interview with Blank Slate Media.

Those same calls for public safety initiatives in response to rising crimes carried into the 2023 election campaigns, with both Republican and Democratic candidates citing a need to address the safety concerns of residents.

A mailer sent by Blakeman’s office touted the county’s reductions in crime “even with Cashless Bail Laws and the National Border Crisis [sic]” which have been consistently referenced as driving factors for greater crime.

Multiple publications have reported that data does not support claims of a migrant crime wave, including the New York Times and the New York Daily News.

In Nassau County, no murders, rapes, criminal sexual acts or sexual abuses were reported in January. None of these crimes were reported in January of 2023 either, amounting to neither an increase nor a decrease in these four major crime categories.

Stolen vehicles and grand larcenies were reported with the highest decreases county-wide. Only 49 vehicles were reported stolen, about an 18.33% decrease, and 283 grand larcenies, or 17.97% fewer.

While residential burglaries

throughout the county fell by 2.17%, with 45 reported in January, non-residential burglaries rose by 2.78% with 37 cases reported. Both of these categories amounted to a single case in difference from year to year.

Other crime categories also reported increases county-wide.

For all of Nassau County, 17 commercial robberies were reported in the first month, a 70% increase from the year prior, and 18 other robberies were reported, an 80% increase.

Felony assaults also increased in January by 6.67%. In January of 2024, 32 assaults were reported whereas 30 were reported during the same period the year prior.

The 3rd Precinct includes Albertson, Bellerose Terrace, Bellerose Village, Carle Place, East Garden City, East Meadow, East Williston, Floral Park Center, Garden City Park, Herricks, Mineola, New Cassel, New Hyde Park, North New Hyde Park, Roslyn Heights, Salisbury, Searingtown, Stewart Manor, Uniondale, Westbury and Williston Park.

This precinct reported a total drop of 11.41% in January of this year. In total, 132 major crimes were reported, with 149 reported in January of 2023.

Three non-commercial robberies were reported, which amounted to a 200% increase from the year prior when just one was reported in the

month. Commercial robberies also increased – by 50% – with six reported in January and four in January of 2023.

Felony Assault in the third precinct fell by 16.67%, with 10 cases reported in January of this year and 12 reported during the same period the year prior.

Residential burglaries fell by 53.85%, with only six reported. While that crime fell, non-residential burglaries increased by 70% with 17 total cases reported.

Only six vehicles were stolen, amounting to a 60% decrease, and 84 grand larcenies were reported, a 10.64% decrease.

The 6th Precinct covers East Hills, Flower Hill Great Neck Plaza, Harbor Hills, Manorhaven, Munsey Park, North Hills, Plandome, Plandome Manor, Plandome Heights, Roslyn, Roslyn Estates, Roslyn Harbor, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock, Sea Cliff, Thomaston, Glen Head, Glenwood Landing, Great Neck, Greenvale, Manhasset, Roslyn Heights and University Gardens.

Total major crimes in the sixth precinct fell by 22.64%. In total, 41 cases were reported this year, whereas 53 were reported in January of 2023.

In the 6th Precinct, five vehicles were stolen, a 44.44% decrease, 18 grand larcenies were reported, a 37.93% decrease, and one non-resi-

dential burglary occurred, a 66.67% decrease.

Some major crimes did increase in the sixth precinct but have been historically low. This includes one commercial robbery in January of 2024 when none were reported the year prior during the same period, and two non-commercial robberies with only one reported the January prior.

Residential burglaries increased by 30% in January of this year, with

13 reported in 2024 and 10 in 2023.

The only precinct reporting a rise in major crimes was the 5thh, which encompasses Elmont, Franklin Square, West Hempstead, Valley Stream, North Valley Stream, Lakeview, South Floral Park and Garden City South.

The 5th Precinct reported an 18.67% increase in major crimes during January compared to the year prior.

Police deny DA’s request for disciplinary records

Continued from Page 2

The dispute is playing out in the case against Amandeep Singh, a 35-year-old Roslyn man who was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road at 95 mph with a blood alcohol count of 0.15 four hours after his arrest with cocaine in his system.

His truck struck an Alpha Romeo occupied by four teenagers, all Roslyn High School boys varsity tennis players, resulting in the death of young tennis stars Drew Hassenbein, 14, and Ethan Falkowitz, 14.

Singh was charged with multiple

offenses, including aggravated vehicular homicide, assault, driving while intoxicated, driving while impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and a drug, reckless driving and a felony count of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, authorities said.

He denied a plea to the top count of aggravated vehicular homicide within his 15-count indictment, which carries a sentence of 8-1/3 years to 25 years in prison.

On March 22, presiding Judge Helene Gugerty denied the police’s

attempt to rescind the subpoena for their records on the case. She ordered the files to be supplied the following Monday.

Singh’s defense said these records may help their case.

PBA attorney Brian Mitchell said during a March 14 hearing for a grand larceny and drunken driving case that the police do not have confidence in the district attorney’s ability to protect these records from defense attorneys and their clients, Newsday reported.

But the district attorney’s office said this impacts the prosecution of cases.

“The NCPD’s refusal to provide all underlying disciplinary records essentially gambles with valid prosecutions,” Assistant District Attorney Brianna Ryan wrote, as reported by Newsday.

Police unions have argued that releasing these documents could violate the officers’ privacy, jeopardizing their ability to enforce the law and their lives, Newsday reported. But, there is no evidence that these scenarios have played out.

In 2020, 372 allegations were reported against Nassau County law enforcement with just 12 determined to be founded. Five reports regarded unprofessional conduct, three for improper tactics, one for neglect of duty and three for other undefined allegations.

Data from 2020 is the latest available information for complaints filed against the Nassau County Police Department.

But with the repeal of a law that kept police disciplinary records private, or 50A, the police’s argument to protect these records is weakened.

Town employee decries ‘unfair’ hiring practices

Continued from Page 10

Multiple residents spoke critically of the improvements to the animal shelter, which would cost about $1 million, arguing that funds should also go towards a new cat shelter. The town’s animal shelter only houses dogs.

“Why can’t you find one penny to renovate the existing shelter to accept cats,” resident Nina Gordon said.

Gordon also expressed opposition to County Executive Blakeman seeking armed property and business owners to be deployed as special deputy sheriffs office during emergencies.

“I don’t want any licensed firearm owner deputized,” Gordon said. “I think this is a dangerous thing. I think this puts communities of

color and minority groups at risk.”

While DeSena said the issue does not concern the town, Gordon said the town supervisor’s close relationship with Blakeman offered her an opportunity to address the issue with him.

Gordon and Councilmember Dennis Walsh then began to argue with raised voices which escalated after the councilman told Gordon “Nobody wants to hear from you.”

Sabine Margolis piggybacked off Gordon’s concerns, saying her German citizenry taught her to be aware of the onset of fascism. She said these emergency special deputy sheriffs are examples of the beginnings of fascism.

“We need to not have a militia in our coun-

ty, and I ask you all to take action,” Margolis said.

While the town approved multiple resolutions, the board opted to continue its resolution without a future date to designate parking spaces in Port Washington for electric vehicle charging stations.

DeSena offered the resolutions to be pushed forward to conduct further research on setting fees for the charging stations.

The parking spots in Port Washington are the first charging stations to be implemented before more are implemented throughout the town in the future.

The supervisor said this resolution would set the fee schedule for future electric vehicle charging stations.

An RFP from the company Blink was already accepted by the town to implement the charging stations. The board talked about considering a new RFP or picking a different vendor for the project as well.

Troiano argued against continuing the resolution without a date so the matter does not get neglected.

Troiano voted against the motion and Liu abstained from voting, saying she did not know the background of the project due to her newness to the board.

The Town of North Hempstead will convene again on Tuesday morning to hold its upcoming public hearings.

PHOTO BY JANELLE CLAUSEN

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. Nassau County reported an overall 12.9% drop in crimes during the first month of the year.

Plans advance for Floral Park complex

Continued from Page 1

to the Town of Hempstead IDA. The complex is subject to a public hearing set for April 30 at 10 a.m. before a final authorization by the IDA.

Constantine and Michael Hatzidakis, represented by attorney John Gordon, are behind the project, which would be located a half-mile away from the Floral Park train station.

The apartment complex proposal comes nearly four years after a fire in Floral Park caused “substantial fire and smoke damage” to more than 10 businesses on Sep. 27, 2020, according to officials from the Nassau County Police Department.

Floral Park police responded to reports of a building fire at the Park Place Bar and Grill at 41 Covert Ave. that day, officials said.

It took firefighters more than four hours to control the fire, said Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro, who was then an assistant fire marshal. Six businesses sustained major damage or were destroyed

while four other businesses and a private residence faced smoke damage, Uttaro added.

Three firefighters were transported to a nearby hospital that day, receiving treatment for exhaustion and elevated heart rates, Uttaro said.

Stores affected by the fire included Park Place, Villager’s Perk, Shin’s Tae Kwon Do, Luna Eyelash, Capo Ristorante, Covert Nail & Spa, Covert Barber Shop, Original V.I. Pizza, Covert Optical and K. Hunter Boutique.

A GoFundMe created by Floral Park community leaders and the village chamber of commerce raised more than $37,000 for businesses damaged by the fire.

Business owners turned to Facebook to share their condolences with neighboring stores damaged by the fire.

“Like all of our Covert Ave family, we were shocked and saddened by yesterday’s devastating fire,” K. Hunter Boutique, whose store did not sustain major damages, said in a post. “Our hearts go out to our neighbors who have lost everything.”

Alan Richards creates new stories from old photos

Continued from Page 12

Richards created this piece by taking a photo of a mother and daughter shopping and a photo of an old storefront, piecing together the two and adding his imaginative retelling of the scene.

His depiction of regular people in his art is inspired by artists who also take a similar approach in choosing their subject matter, like Hopper, an American painter most known for

his piece “Nighthawks” – another artwork depicting a diner scene.

“Reading Beauty” by Alan Richards.

Inspirations for his art style are derived from other artists, though, like English pop artist Hockney and Belgian surrealist artist Magritte.

“It’s a little bit of a combination of all of them,” Richards said.

While Richards was raised in a household

where both his mom and dad worked as artists, it was not the path that he initially chose for himself.

He said growing up surrounded by artists, he was always interested in the fieldbut also knew its struggles.

“So art never really came up on my horizon until much later,” Richards said.

Richards was inspired 30 years ago to begin crafting his artistic talents, starting with

pencil drawings, but it wasn’t until about 15 years later that he stepped into his art profession.

While his work is on display at the JCC now, Richards said his aspiration is to bring his artwork to an even larger audience and display his pieces in an expanded multimedia format.

Richards’ art will be on display at the JCC through the end of April, with original art pieces or prints available for purchase.

Messina fights tourney rules barring women

Continued from Page 12

called me on it and said, ‘Why did you do that? It’s not supposed to be that way.’”

When potential clients email Messina, a good handful of them assume the studio master’s gender and start their emails with “Sir,” Messina said.

While gender discrimination in athletics is nothing new, it may be shocking to hear that such practices exist at taekwondo tournaments, like not having categories for women, or that Messina has faced multiple male martial artists who enter her studio and question her ability to run a business.

But as Messina explained, changing taekwondo practices would mean pushing back against decades and decades of tradition.

“It’s still predominately a male world,” Messina said. “You know taekwondo is from Korea, and so you’re talking about a whole culture. Changing a whole culture.”

It is easy to imagine why Messina founded Female Fighters Matter Too, a movement focused on creating opportunities for female athletes after years of enduring gender inequalities at taekwondo tournaments in the 1980s.

“The training is eight to 10, 11 hours a day, and you bring yourself to a physical place where you throw up, you replenish and continue. And that’s what it takes to be a champion,” Messina said. “We don’t do it any different than the male does it. We don’t pay any less money. It costs the same. We bleed the same. We do everything the same.”

And yet at some tournaments, women participants cannot compete on the stage. At some tournaments, there is no women’s division. Messina recalled being told at one tournament without a women’s di-

vision that she should just enter the juniors’ division and compete against the children. “It was such a kick in the face,” Messina said.

And at many of the tournaments Messina attends, the cash prize for female competitors is much less than male competitors, despite all participants paying the same entry fee.

At one world kickboxing commission in particular, Messina realized the women’s prizes were just a fraction of the men’s.

“I was like, somebody’s gotta do something,” Messina said. “And I was waiting for the change. It didn’t happen, so I did it myself.”

While Female Fighters Matter Too accepts donations, Messina is still funding the difference between male and female cash prizes out of her own pocket.

Messina is a fighter in every sense of the word, pushing to keep her business alive after signing the lease on her first Albertson studio the day after 9/11, then facing the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic years later.

And when it comes to survival, Taecole studio is an outlier in the industry, as Messina said 60% of martial arts schools in New York have closed since the pandemic.

It seems taekwondo instilled the same benefits upon Messina that she says she teaches her students.

Taekwondo givesd students “a self-belief that they can do anything as long as they work hard,” Messina said. “We just have to find our way and find our ‘how’ and make it happen and not take failure as an option.”

Her studio accepts new students year-round and her new memoir, “Tattered Laces,” will be available on Amazon this Mother’s Day, May 12.

PHOTO BY ROBERT PELAEZ

A Floral Park fire destroyed multiple businesses on Sept. 27, 2020.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAGGIE MESSINA

Maggie Messina, owner of Taecole Tae Kwon Do studio in Albertson and founder of Female Fighters Matter Too.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTION AND PUBLIC HEARING on the 2024 - 2025 School Budget in the HERRICKS UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, New York

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual election of qualified voters of the Herricks Union Free School District, Town of North Hempstead, County of Nassau, New York will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 in the Gymnasium of the Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, New York between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. for the purpose of voting, on voting machines, on the following matters:

A. to vote on the annual school budget as set forth in Proposition No.1 below:

PROPOSITION NO 1

RESOLVED that the 2024-2025 annual school budget for the Herricks Union Free School District and the appropriation of the necessary funds therefore and the levy of taxes necessary to meet the expenditures in said budget be authorized.

B. to elect two board members for a three-year term commencing July 1, 2024 to fill the vacancy occasioned by the expiration of the term of Nancy Feinstein and Brian R. Hassan.

C. to vote on such other propositions as may properly come before the voters at this annual school election.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Board of Education will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at the Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, New York for the purpose of discussing the expenditure of funds for school district purposes and the budgeting thereof for the school year beginning July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025 (the 2024-2025 annual school budget).  At said hearing all persons in interest will be given an opportunity to be heard.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a copy of said 2024-2025 Annual School Budget for the Herricks Union Free School District containing a statement of the amount of money needed to meet the estimated expenses for school purposes for the 2024-2025 school year, exclusive of public monies, together with the text of any propositions, questions and resolutions which will be presented to the voters, will be made available upon request and may be obtained by any district resident at the following offices of the school houses, at the Herricks Community Center, on the District’s internet website (www.Herricks.org), the Williston Park Library and at the Shelter Rock Library during the fourteen days immediately preceding the day of the budget vote and election, except Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, between the hours of  9:00 a.m. and 3:00  p.m.

Center Street School, Center Street, Williston Park, NY

Denton Avenue School, Denton Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY

Searingtown School, west end of Beverly Drive, Albertson, NY

Herricks Middle School, Hilldale Drive, Albertson, NY

Herricks High School, Shelter Rock Road, New Hyde Park, NY

Herricks Community Center, Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, NY

Shelter Rock Academy, Shelter Rock Road, New Hyde Park, NY

Williston Park Library, Willis Avenue, Williston Park, NY Shelter Rock Library, Searingtown Road, Albertson, NY

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN pursuant to Real Property Tax Law Section 495, an exemption report detailing exemptions from real property taxation shall be available and appended to any tentative, preliminary or final budget.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that each candidate for the office of a member of the Board of Education shall be nominated by petition and a separate petition for each such candidate shall be directed to and filed in the Office of the Clerk of said School District located in the Herricks Community Center between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., and no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, April 22, 2024.  Each such nominating petition shall be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of said school district, and shall state the residence of each signer, and shall state the name and residence of the candidate, and shall describe the specific vacancy on said Board of Education for which the candidate is nominated, which description shall include at least the length of the term of office and name of the last incumbent.  No person shall be nominated by petition for more than one specific office.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that Herricks School District has personal registration of voters and that the Board of Registration for the School District shall meet in the Herricks Community Center, Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, New York, on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. for the purpose of preparing a register of the qualified voters of the School District who are entitled to vote.  In addition, registration can be accomplished on any school day from 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the District Clerk’s Office through May 16, 2024.  The register so prepared will be filed in the Office of the Clerk of said School District in said Herricks Community Center and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of said School District between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on each of the five days prior to and the day set for such vote, including Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. by appointment only, except Sunday.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a person shall be entitled to vote at the annual election who is:  1) a citizen of the United States, 2) eighteen years of age or older, 3) a resident of the School District for a period of thirty days next preceding the election he or she offers to vote at and 4) registered to vote for said election.  A person shall be registered to vote if he or she shall have permanently registered with the Nassau County Board of Elections or with the School District's Board of Registration.  Only persons, who are so registered, may vote.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that said Board of Registration will meet during the hours of voting and at said annual election on May 21, 2024, at the Herricks Community Center for the purpose of preparing a register for school meetings and elections held subsequent to said annual election.  Any person shall be entitled to have his or her name placed on register provided at such meeting of the Board of Registration he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of such Board of Registration to be entitled to vote at school meetings and elections for which the register is being prepared.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that all propositions and questions, which qualified voters of the school district desire placed upon the voting machines at said election, shall be made by petitions subscribed  by not less than one hundred  (100) qualified voters of the district and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the School District between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 22, 2024 thirty (30) days prior to said election, except as to propositions and questions required by law to be stated in the published or posted notice of the annual election which shall be filed not later than sixty (60) days prior to said election.  When the last day for filing a petition falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the petition may be filed on the Monday following the last day for filing. Upon the filing of such a petition the Board of Education shall determine by resolution whether or not to place such questions or propositions on the voting machines.  In the event that the Board of Education shall determine that it is not proper, feasible or practicable to place such proposition or propositions, question or questions, upon a voting machine, then such proposition or propositions, question or questions, as the Board of Education may resolve to place before the voters at said election shall be

19, Lot 192; Zoned: Residence-C Variance from § 70-51 to legalize a one-story rear addition too close to a side property line.

Plans are available for public viewing at https://northhempsteadny.gov/ bza.  Persons interested in viewing the full file may do so by any time before the scheduled hearing by contacting the BZA department via e-mail at BZAdept@northhempsteadny. gov.  Additionally, the public may view the live stream of this meeting at https://northhempsteadny.gov/ townboardlive. Any member of the public is able to attend and participate in a BZA hearing by appearing on the scheduled date and time.  Comments are limited to 3 minutes per speaker. Written comments are accepted by email up to 60 minutes prior to the hearing. Timely comment submissions will be made part of the record. DAVID MAMMINA, R.A., Chairman; Board of Zoning Appeals

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a person shall be entitled to vote at the annual election who is:  1) a citizen of the United States, 2) eighteen years of age or older, 3) a resident of the School District for a period of thirty days next preceding the election he or she offers to vote at and 4) registered to vote for said election.  A person shall be registered to vote if he or she shall have permanently registered with the Nassau County Board of Elections or with the School District's Board of Registration.  Only persons, who are so registered, may vote.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that said Board of Registration will meet during the hours of voting and at said annual election on May 21, 2024, at the Herricks Community Center for the purpose of preparing a register for school meetings and elections held subsequent to said annual election.  Any person shall be entitled to have his or her name placed on register provided at such meeting of the Board of Registration he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of such Board of Registration to be entitled to vote at school meetings and elections for which the register is being prepared.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that all propositions and questions, which qualified voters of the school district desire placed upon the voting machines at said election, shall be made by petitions subscribed  by not less than one hundred  (100) qualified voters of the district and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the School District between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 22, 2024 thirty (30) days prior to said election, except as to propositions and questions required by law to be stated in the published or posted notice of the annual election which shall be filed not later than sixty (60) days prior to said election.  When the last day for filing a petition falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the petition may be filed on the Monday following the last day for filing. Upon the filing of such a petition the Board of Education shall determine by resolution whether or not to place such questions or propositions on the voting machines.  In the event that the Board of Education shall determine that it is not proper, feasible or practicable to place such proposition or propositions, question or questions, upon a voting machine, then such proposition or propositions, question or questions, as the Board of Education may resolve to place before the voters at said election shall be voted upon by the use of paper ballots.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the applications for early mail and absentee ballots for election of members of the Board of Education, the adoption of the annual budget and vote on any other propositions and questions as may be legally placed before the voters at the annual district election may be applied for at the Office of the Clerk of the District.   An application for early mail and absentee ballot must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than thirty (30) days before the Annual Election.  An application for early mail and absentee ballot must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the Annual Election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the Annual Budget Vote/Election if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter or his/her designated agent.  Upon receiving a timely application for an early mail and absentee ballot, the District Clerk will mail the ballot to the address designated on the application by no later than six (6) days before the Annual Election.  No early mail and absentee voters’ ballots shall be canvassed, unless it shall have been received in the Office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the vote.  A list of all persons to whom early mail and absentee ballots have been given shall be available for inspection in the Office of the Clerk of said School District and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of said School District during regular office hours between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the school district.  Military voters who are qualified voters of the school district may submit an application for a military ballot. Military voters may designate a preference to receive a military voter registration, military ballot application or military ballot by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail in their request for such registration, ballot application or ballot. Military voter registration and military ballot application forms must be received in the Office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 25, 2024. No military ballot will be canvassed unless it is returned by mail or in person and (1) received in the Office of the District Clerk before the close of the polls on election day and showing a cancellation mark of the United States postal service or a foreign country’s postal service, or showing a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States government; or (2) received by the Office of the District Clerk by no later than 5:00 p.m. on election day and signed and dated by the military voter and one witness thereto, with a date which is associated to be not later than the day before the election.

DATED: March 7, 2024

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION New Hyde Park, New York

Lisa Rutkoske, District Clerk

Herricks Union Free School District Town of North Hempstead

AVISO DE ELECCIÓN ANUAL DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR Y AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA sobre el  Presupuesto escolar 2024 – 2025 en el  Distrito Escolar De Herricks Ciudad de North Hempstead, condado de Nassau, Nueva York

POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA que la elección anual de votantes calificados de el Distrito escolar de  Herricks , Ciudad de North Hempstead, Condado de Nassau, Nueva York se llevará a cabo el martes, 21 de mayo de 2024 en el Gimnasio del Centro Comunitario Herricks, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, Nueva York entre las 7:00 a.m. y las 9:00 p.m. con el propósito de votar, al votar en  máquinas, en las siguientes asuntos:

A. votar sobre el presupuesto escolar anual como se establece en la Proposición No. 1 a continuación:

PROPUESTA N° 1

SE RESUELVE que el presupuesto escolar anual 2024-2025 para Herricks Union Free School District y la asignación de los fondos necesarios para ello y la recaudación de los Impuestos necesarios para  sufragar los gastos que en dicho presupuesto se autorice.

B. elegir a dos miembros de la Junta por un período de tres años a partir del 1 de julio de 2024 para cubrir la vacante ocasionada por la expiración del término de Nancy Feinstein y Brian R. Hassan.

C. votar sobre otras propuestas que puedan presentarse ante los votantes en esta elección escolar annual.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que la Junta de Educación llevará a cabo una audiencia pública a las 7:30 p.m. el jueves, 9 de mayo de 2024 en Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, New York con el propósito de discutir el gasto de fondos para propósitos del distrito escolar y el presupuesto del mismo para el año escolar que comienza el 1 de julio de 2024 y termina el 30 de junio de 2025 (presupuesto anual del  año escolar 2024-2025). En dicha audiencia, todas las personas interesadas tendrán la oportunidad de ser escuchadas.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que una copia de dicho Presupuesto Escolar Anual 2024-2025 para el Herricks Union Free School District que contenga una declaración de la cantidad de dinero necesaria para gastos estimados con fines escolares para el año escolar 2024-2025, sin incluir dinero público, junto con el texto de las proposiciones, cuestiones y resoluciones que se someterán a la votantes, estará disponible a pedido y puede ser obtenido por cualquier residente del distrito en las siguientes oficinas de las escuelas, en el Centro Comunitario de Herricks, en el sitio web del Distrito (www.Herricks.org), la Biblioteca de Williston Park y en la biblioteca de Shelter Rock durante los catorce días inmediatamente anteriores al día de la votación y elección del presupuesto, excepto los sábados domingos y festivos, en el horario 9:00 a.m. a 3:00 p.m.

Center Street School, Center Street, Williston Park, Nueva York

Denton Avenue School, Denton Avenue, New Hyde Park, Nueva York

Searingtown School, extremo oeste de Beverly Drive, Albertson, NY

Herricks Middle School, Hilldale Drive, Albertson, Nueva York

Herricks School, Shelter Rock Road, New Hyde Park, Nueva York

Centro Comunitario Herricks, Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, Nueva York

Shelter Rock Academy, Shelter Rock Road, New Hyde Park, Nueva York

Biblioteca Williston Park, Willis Avenue, Williston Park, Nueva York

Biblioteca Shelter Rock, Searingtown Road, Albertson, NY

SE DA AVISO ADEMÁS de conformidad con la Sección 495 de la Ley del Impuesto sobre la Propiedad Inmueble, un informe de exención  que detallan las exenciones de los impuestos sobre bienes inmuebles estarán disponibles y se adjuntarán a cualquier   presupuesto preliminar o final.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que cada candidato para el cargo de miembro de la Junta de Educación deberá ser nominado por petición y una petición separada para cada uno de dichos  candidatos deberá ser dirigida y presentada en la Oficina del Secretario de dicho Distrito Escolar ubicado  en Herricks  Centro Comunitario entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 3:00 p.m., y no más tarde de las 5:00 p.m. el lunes, 22 de abril de 2024. Cada petición de nominación deberá estar firmada por al menos veinticinco (25)  votantes  calificados de dicho distrito escolar, y deberá indicar la residencia de cada firmante, y deberá indicar el nombre y   residencia del candidato, y describirá la vacante específica en dicha Junta de Educación para que el candidato es nominado, cuya descripción incluirá por lo menos la duración del término de  cargo y nombre del último titular. Ninguna persona podrá ser nominada por petición para más de un puesto específico.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que el Distrito Escolar de Herricks tiene un registro personal de votantes y que la Junta de Inscripción del Distrito Escolar se reunirá en el Centro Comunitario de Herricks, Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, Nueva York, el martes 7 de mayo de 2024 entre las 4:00 p.m. y 8:00 p.m. con el propósito de preparar un registro de los votantes calificados del Distrito Escolar que tienen derecho a votar. Además, la inscripción se puede realizar cualquier día escolar de 8 a.m. a 3:00 p.m. en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito hasta el 16 de mayo de 2024. El registro así preparado  se archivará en   la Oficina del Secretario de dicho Distrito Escolar en dicho Centro Comunitario de  Herricks y estará abierto para  inspección por cualquier votante calificado de dicho Distrito Escolar entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 3:00 p.m. en cada uno de los cinco días antes del día fijado para dicha votación, incluido el sábado de 9:00 a.m. a 11:00 a.m.; solamente con cita previa, excepto los domingos.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que una persona tendrá derecho a votar en la elección anual que sea:1)ciudadano de los Estados Unidos, 2) dieciocho años de edad o más, 3) un residente del DistritoEscolar por un  período de treinta días inmediatamente anterior a la elección en la que él o ella ofrecevotar y 4) registrado para votar por  dicha elección. Una persona estará registrada para votar si él o ellase ha registrado permanentemente con  la Junta de Elecciones de Condado de Nassau o con la Junta deRegistro del Distrito Escolar. Solamente  las personas, que están registradas, pueden votar.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que dicha Junta de Registro se reunirá durante el horario de votación y en dicha elección anual el 21 de mayo de 2024, en el Centro Comunitario Herricks con el propósito de preparar un registro para las reuniones escolares y las elecciones que se celebren con posterioridad a dicha elección anual. Ninguna  persona tendrá derecho a que su nombre se incluya en el registro proporcionado en dicha reunión de la  Junta de Registro a menos que  él o ella es conocido o aprobado a satisfacción de dicha Junta de Registro para  tener derecho a votar en las juntas escolares y en las elecciones para las que se prepara el registro.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que todas las proposiciones y preguntas, de los votantes calificados de el el distrito escolar que se deseen poner de en las máquinas de votación en dicha elección, se hará mediante peticiones suscritas por no menos de cien (100) votantes calificados del distrito y presentado en la Oficina del Secretario de  el Distrito Escolar entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 3:00 p.m. y no más tarde de las 5:00 p.m. el lunes, 22 de abril de 2024 treinta (30) días antes de dicha elección, excepto en cuanto a proposiciones y preguntas  requerido por la ley que se indique en el aviso publicado o fijado de la elección anual que se presentará  a más tardar sesenta (60) días antes de dicha elección. Cuando el último día para radicar una petición cae en un  sábado o domingo, la petición podrá presentarse el lunes siguiente al último día de presentación. Sobre la  presentación de dicha petición, la Junta de Educación determinará mediante resolución si se coloca o no  tales preguntas o proposiciones en las máquinas de votación. En el caso de que la Junta de Educación deba  determinar que no es apropiado, factible o practico colocar tal proposición o proposiciones, pregunta o preguntas, en una máquina de votación, entonces tal proposición o proposiciones, pregunta o preguntas, como la  La Junta de Educación puede resolver colocar ante los votantes en dicha elección será votada por el uso de boletas de papel.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que las solicitudes de papeletas de voto por correo anticipada y en ausencia para la elección de miembros del  Junta de Educación, la adopción del presupuesto anual y la votación sobre cualquier otra proposición y pregunta  como se puede colocar legalmente ante los votantes en la elección anual del distrito se puede solicitar en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito. El Distrito debe recibir una solicitud para una boleta de voto por correo anticipada y en ausencia en la oficina del Secretario no antes de treinta (30) días antes de la Elección Anual. Una solicitud para una boleta de voto por correo anticipaday en ausencia debe ser recibido por el Secretario del Distrito por lo menos siete (7) días antes de la Elección Anual si la boleta es  para ser enviada por correo al votante, o el día antes de la Votación/Elección del Presupuesto Anual si la boleta debe ser entregada personalmente al votante o a su agente designado. Al recibir una solicitud oportuna para un boleta de voto por correo

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que todas las proposiciones y preguntas, de los votantes calificados de el el distrito escolar que se deseen poner de en las máquinas de votación en dicha elección, se hará mediante peticiones suscritas por no menos de cien (100) votantes calificados del distrito y presentado en la Oficina del Secretario de  el

8:00 a.m. y las 3:00 p.m. y no más tarde de las 5:00 p.m. el lunes, 22 de abril de 2024 treinta (30) días antes de dicha elección, excepto en cuanto a proposiciones y preguntas  requerido por la ley que se indique en el aviso publicado o fijado de la elección anual que se presentará  a más tardar sesenta (60) días antes de dicha elección. Cuando el último día para radicar una petición cae en un  sábado o domingo, la petición podrá presentarse el lunes siguiente al último día de presentación. Sobre la  presentación de dicha petición, la Junta de Educación determinará mediante resolución si se coloca o no  tales preguntas o proposiciones en las máquinas de votación. En el caso de que la Junta de Educación deba  determinar que no es apropiado, factible o practico colocar tal proposición o proposiciones, pregunta o preguntas, en una máquina de votación, entonces tal proposición o proposiciones, pregunta o preguntas, como la  La Junta de Educación puede resolver colocar ante los votantes en dicha elección será votada por el uso de boletas de papel.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que las solicitudes de papeletas de voto por correo anticipada y en ausencia para la elección de miembros del  Junta de Educación, la adopción del presupuesto anual y la votación sobre cualquier otra proposición y pregunta  como se puede colocar legalmente ante los votantes en la elección anual del distrito se puede solicitar en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito. El Distrito debe recibir una solicitud para una boleta de voto por correo anticipada y en ausencia en la oficina del Secretario no antes de treinta (30) días antes de la Elección Anual. Una solicitud para una boleta de voto por correo anticipaday en ausencia debe ser recibido por el Secretario del Distrito por lo menos siete (7) días antes de la Elección Anual si la boleta es  para ser enviada por correo al votante, o el día antes de la Votación/Elección del Presupuesto Anual si la boleta debe ser entregada personalmente al votante o a su agente designado. Al recibir una solicitud oportuna para un boleta de voto por correo anticipada y en ausencia enviada por correo, el secretario del distrito enviará la boleta por correo a la dirección designada en la solicitud a más tardar seis (6) días antes de la Elección Anual. Ninguna boleta de votantes por correo anticipada y ausentes  debe  ser escrutado, a menos que se haya recibido en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. el día de la votación. Se facilitará una lista de todas las personas a las que se hayan entregado papeletas de voto por correo anticipada y en ausencia  disponible para inspección en la Oficina del Secretario de dicho Distrito Escolar y estará abierto para inspección  por cualquier votante calificado de dicho Distrito Escolar durante el horario regular de oficina entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 3:00 p.m.

SE DA AVISO ADEMÁS de que los votantes militares que no están actualmente registrados pueden  solicitar registrarse como votante calificado del distrito escolar. Votantes militares que son votantes calificados de la escuela distrito pueden presentar una solicitud para una boleta militar. Los votantes militares  pueden designar una preferencia para  recibir un registro de votante militar, una solicitud de boleta  militar o una boleta militar por correo, facsímil  transmisión o correo electrónico en su solicitud de tal registro, solicitud de boleta o boleta. Los formularios de registro de votantes militares y los formularios de solicitud de boleta militar deben recibirse en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. el 25 de abril de 2024. Ninguna boleta sera escrutinada a menos que sea devuelto por correo o enpersona y (1) recibido en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito antes del cierre de las urnas el día de las elecciones y que muestre una marca de cancelación del servicio postal de los Estados Unidos o de un   servicio postal de un pais extranjero,o mostrando un endoso fechado de recibo por  otra agencia de los Estados Unidos Gobierno; o (2) recibido por la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. el día de las elecciones  y firmado y fechado por el votante militar y un testigo de ello, con una fechaque se asocia no ser más tarde que el día anterior a la elección.

FECHA: 7 de marzo de 2024

POR ORDEN DE LA JUNTA DE EDUCACIÓN

Nuevo Hyde Park, Nueva York

Lisa Rutkoske, Secretaria

Distrito Escolar De Herricks

Ciudad de North Hempstead

Roll of the Incorporated Village of Floral Park, NY has been completed and filed in the Office of the Village Clerk on the 1st day April, 2024 and that said assessment roll will remain on file with said Village Clerk and available for inspection at Village Hall, Public Works/Building Department and on the Village website at www.fpvillage.org.

Susan E. Walsh Village Clerk

Incorporated Village of Floral Park

Dated: April 5, 2024

SEWANHAKA CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

ELMONT, FLORAL PARK, FRANKLIN SQUARE AND NEW HYDE PARK

NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK “Budget”

RESOLVED, that the proposed budget of expenditures of Sewanhaka Central High School District of Elmont, Floral Park, Franklin Square and New Hyde Park, in the County of Nassau, New York for the year 2024-2025 for the purpose shown in the statement of estimated expenditures adopted by the Board of Education, be and the same hereby is approved and the amount thereof shall be raised by a levy of a tax upon the taxable property within said Sewanhaka Central High School District, after first deducting the monies available from state aid and other sources as provided by law; and upon any other matter which might be properly brought before the Annual Meeting of the Sewanhaka Central High School District.

Copies of the estimated expenditures of the Sewanhaka Central High School District during the year 2024-25 will be available upon request, to any taxpayer at least seven (7) days immediately preceding such meeting, except Saturday and Sunday, at either the John Lewis Childs School or at the Floral Park-Bellerose School between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The registration of a qualified voter of Floral Park-Bellerose Union Free School District shall be a sufficient registration for the purpose of the vote of such voter on the appropriation and propositions of the Sewanhaka Central High School District.

Applications for absentee ballots and early mail ballots will be obtainable during school business hours at the office of the District Clerk (Administrative Offices, 1 Poppy Place, Floral Park, New York), or by contacting the District Clerk by email, maltobelli@fpbsd.org or phone (516) 434-2736, beginning April 22, 2024. In accordance with Education Law §§ 2018-a and 2018-e, completed absentee and early mail ballot applications may not be received by the District Clerk earlier than 30 days prior to the election (i.e., April 22, 2024), and must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the election (i.e., May 14, 2024) if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election, if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter or to the agent named in the absentee or early mail ballot application. Absentee and early mail ballots must be received by the District Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m., prevailing time, on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

By order of the Board of Education, Floral Park-Bellerose Union Free School District.

Dated: April 3, 2024

Marybeth

Altobelli District Clerk

COMMUNITY NEWS

Northwell appoints chief of blood and marrow transplant

Dr. Samer Al-Homsi, an internationally known leader in hematology, has been appointed as system chief of blood and marrow transplant and cellular therapy at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute, which treats more New York residents for cancer than any other provider in the state.

He will also serve as director of faculty and academic affairs in medical oncology at the Cancer Institute.

In his new position, Al-Homsi’s clinical responsibilities include treating people with blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, and benign bone marrow failures disorders with a focus on blood and marrow transplant and cellular therapy. As system chief, he will oversee the growth of the cancer institute’s existing Blood and Marrow Transplant Program and guide the transfer of the inpatient units and facilities from North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset to Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center in New Hyde Park, the home of the R.J. Zuckerberg Cancer Hospital, the only cancer hospital on Long Island.

“Dr. Al-Homsi is a distinguished clinical investigator and leader whose expertise will rapidly expand our abil-

ity to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care within our Blood and Marrow Transplant Program and facilitate the development of novel cellular therapies to treat patients with both hematologic and solid tumor malignancies,” said Dr. Richard Barakat,physician-in-chief and executive director of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute. “His expertise and vision will be critical to the growth of the Northwell Cancer Institute and the integration of our Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program as a central element of the R.J. Zuckerberg Cancer Hospital. In addition, he will continue to lead cutting-edge research, working with the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research to make the therapies he provides both safer and more effective.”

Prior to joining Northwell, AlHomsi served as executive director of transplantation and cellular therapy at the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at New York University Langone Health for seven years, where he was professor of medicine at New York University, Grossman School of Medicine.

Throughout a career spanning nearly three decades, Al-Homsi’s cut-

ting-edge research has achieved notable progress in his field of expertise. His research is focused on innovations in the prevention of graft versus host disease following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

His research has been supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Millennium Pharmaceutical and Spectrum Health.

In his position, Al-Homsi will participate in clinical research at Northwell’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, with which Northwell has a strategic affiliation. He will also hold an academic title of professor of medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell.

Al-Homsi has served on the editorial boards of Frontiers of Immunolo-

gy, Clinical Hematology International, the Journal of Experimental Hematology, the Austin Journal of Clinical Immunology, Stem Cells International and the Journal of Disease Markers. He has been an active member of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, serving on its clinical standards subcommittee, clinical outcomes improvement committee and functioning as a lead inspector. He also is a founding member of the International Academy for Clinical Hematology and American Arab Assembly of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.

He is currently the president of AAACTT. Al-Homsi has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts, books, book chapters and abstracts.

Al-Homsi earned his MD degree at the University of Damascus in Syria and obtained post-doctoral training in hematology and clinical cancerology at the University of Tours and Paris VI in France.

He completed his internal medicine residency at Advocate Health and hematology and medical oncology fellowship at the University of Massachusetts.

Dr. A. Samer Al-Homsi

Albertson-Roslyn Hgts. Republican Club

Nassau County Legislator Samanta Goetz was Albertson-Roslyn Heights Republican Club guest speaker at its March 12.

Town to host energy savings webinar

North Hempstead Town Supervisor, Jennifer DeSena and the Town Board are inviting residents to a virtual, one-hour webinar titled “Home Energy Savings” on Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m.

The special, online event was designed to help residents learn about sustainable energy options from the comfort of their own homes.

The webinar kicks off with a local resident discussing their transition to renewables and highlighting their resulting energy and financial savings. Then, experts from PSEGLI, the New York Solar Energy Industries Association and Drive Electric Long Island will share details on:

• Free home energy audits

• Energy efficient appliances and lighting

• Renewable heating

• Solar programs

• Electric vehicles

• State and federal rebates, incentives, and tax credits

The webinar will conclude with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County’s new Long Island wide Community Energy Advisor program, which provides residents with free information and resources to help them make informed, clean energy decisions.

“The good news is there are lots of renewable energy options for North Hempstead residents, but that much information can also be overwhelming,” said Supervisor DeSena. “This free webinar is a simple, step-by-step approach that ensures you know exactly how to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions while keeping your costs down.”

The Home Energy Savings webinar is free and open to the public. Those interested in learning more can visit NorthHempsteadNY.gov/ClimateActionto register.

DeRiggi-Whitton, state, Port Library partner on workshop

Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D – Glen Cove) and New York State are partnering to host a New York State Emergency Preparedness Workshop at the Port Washington Public Library at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 16.

Presented by the State’s Citizens Preparedness Corps, the workshops equip residents with the tools and resources to prepare for any type of natural or man-made disaster, respond

accordingly, and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions.

Each family participating will receive a free Citizen Preparedness Corps Response Starter Kit filled with emergency prep essentials.

“As severe weather events become more frequent and more devastating, it’s so important for families to prepare for the unexpected,” DeRiggiWhitton said. “That is why I regularly partner with New York State to bring

this training in our community, and I am thank the Port Washington Public Library for hosting this important workshop.”

Pre-registration is required, and capacity is limited to 150 registrants. For additional information and to register, visit www.prepare.ny.gov. Once there, click on the link for the training calendar, and then scroll down to the link for the May 16 session in Port Washington.

Town, Northwell partner to offer free Narcan training

North Hempstead Town Supervisor, Jennifer DeSena and the Town Board are pleased to announce that the town is partnering with Northwell Health to hold a free opioid overdose prevention workshop for residents on Monday, April 8 at 3 p.m. at the “Yes We Can” Community Center, 141 Garden Street in Westbury.

“There’s no doubt that the opioid epidemic is one of the most pressing issues we face in this country today and Long Island is not immune to it. It seems as if every community has experienced these tragedies,” said DeSena. “That’s why North Hempstead has joined our long-time partners in care at Northwell to teach our residents how to use Narcan. The course is open to anyone, but if you do know someone with an opioid addiction, this might help you save their life.”

The program will teach partici-

pants how to prevent, recognize, and respond to an overdose.

All who complete the program will be provided a free Narcan (Naloxone) kit. Narcan is a prescription medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose in persons with breathing problems, severe sleepiness or when the person is not responsive.

It works by attaching itself to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of opioids, quickly restoring normal breathing to a person whose respiratory function has slowed due to the overdose.

To learn more, please call 311.

Youth police academy for high school students in Port

North Hempstead Town Council Member Mariann Dalimonte, Nassau County Police Department and the Port Washington Police Department are teaming up to offer high school students, grades 9 through 12, the opportunity to learn more about the operations of local law enforcement.

The youth police academy will be held on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (lunch is provided) at the police academy headquarters, 1 Law Enforcement Way in Garden City.

“Each and every day members of our local police departments work tirelessly to keep our communities safe,” said Dalimonte. “There is a tremendous amount of work involved in safeguarding the welfare of residents across our wonderful town, and I believe the youth police academy will give our young leaders terrific insight into the daily operations of law enforcement. I encourage any student who is interested to take advantage of this incredible opportunity to learn from Nassau County’s and Port Washington’s finest.”

The youth police academy will provide a vast amount of information that will give our young citi-

zens a thorough understanding of how our police departments function. The Youth Police Academy will include:

• Education about various policing units, including aviation, mounted and K-9 Physical training, defensive tactics, and an obstacle course

• Education about procedures, leadership, ethics, teamwork, and effective communication

• A police academy certificate will be presented to each student at the conclusion of the event.

Registration is required. To register, please visit https://forms.gle/vtTDUJeKPG4DMQxq5.

Pictured left to right military color guard Peter Gong, club leader Henry Golis, Nassau County Legislator Samantha Goetz, club treasurer Peggy Karazia and club secretary Lorraine Bello.

SPORTS

LATEST TO OLD SPORT

Herricks, Port join girls flag football craze on Long Island

BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

If you’ve never in your life heard someone smile while blood gushes from a wound in their leg, well, let me introduce you to Emely Medina.

The Herricks High School senior was happily recounting life as a new flag football player, and some of the bumps and bruises she’s gotten so far.

As she excitedly spoke, her enthusiasm oozing through the phone, she casually mentioned she was currently applying pressure to a nasty scrape on her leg, acquired from practice a few hours earlier.

“It’s just a little inconvenience, and it’s actually really awesome,” Medina cheerfully shared. “I mean, yeah, it hurts a little bit but it’s so amazing. I will never, ever regret picking up a football, even if I get injured a little.”

Medina is just one of hundreds of girls now playing flag football in Nassau County.

This spring Herricks and Port Washington’s Schreiber High School are the latest to add the ever-growing sport, bringing the total high school teams in the county to 21 (Roslyn added flag last year).

And judging by the comments from Medina’s teammates, and those on the new Port Washington team, flag football has been the greatest thing since Taylor Swift started making music.

“I played field hockey, lacrosse and gymnastics, but this is a whole different thing, and so much fun,” said Port Washington senior Ashley Yee, a wide receiver and quarterback. “To be a part of history, and know we’re the first girls in the school to ever get to do this, is incredibly exciting.”

Both Port Washington coach Ryan Proper and Herricks coach Ken Davis said they were surprised at the huge enthusiasm for flag among the school; Port Washington had 45 girls sign up and 30 stick around to play, while Herricks has a healthy 28 players, more than enough to field seven-person offense and defensive squads.

While very few of the players had ever played football, grasping the fundamentals has been pretty smooth.

“Football is harder than it looks, but I think we’ve mostly picked it up pretty quickly,” said Port Washington freshman Nillie Taniak. “The environment, being out here and all of us starting from the same point (in learning), has been super helpful.”

The physical contact of flag has

definitely been eye-opening; the Vikings players said they were “shocked” at how much hard-hitting there was in their opener, in a sport where tackling isn’t allowed.

“Yeah, the Plainedge game, that was way more physical than we expected,” said junior Alexa Benun. ” But we got used to it and will be much more ready next time.”

One player who has had zero issues with the physicality is Herricks senior linebacker Drishti Patel. That’s because for four years she’s been a member of the Highlanders varsity boys football team, as a linebacker and safety.

For Patel, the intensity and speed of her football training meant an awkward transition at first.

“Yeah on one of the first plays she ran up and tackled me really hard,” said Herricks quarterback Ava Lorenzana, laughing. “Coach had to remind her that she’s not allowed to do that here.”

“Yeah, that was my fault,” Patel said. “I honestly was pretty hesitant about playing flag, because I’m so used to tackle football. But I was so wrong because the girls are so much more fun to play with.”

Davis, the Herricks coach, said he’s been very impressed with how quickly his team has picked up football terminology, though he admitted it’s been a big adjustment for him as a coach.

“It’s an adventure for me as well, having only coached boys in tackle before,” He said. “You draw up a play and say ‘this should work,’ and then it doesn’t because the rules of this sport and the people you’re coaching are different. But so many of these kids have picked up the rules so well that they’re really instructing me at times, on what we can and can’t do.”

Neither team has picked up a victory yet as of March 30, but there’s still time. Port Washington’s next home game is Saturday, April 6 at noon against Bellmore, while Herricks is next home on Monday, April 8 at 5 p.m. against Syosset.

The enthusiasm the players have felt from the school communities has been overwhelming, players at both schools said.

“People in school, kids I don’t know, random teachers I’ve never had are coming to the games and telling me in school how excited they are about the team,” Herricks’ Lorenzana said. “It’s been wonderful to get so much support for something that’s never been at the school before. We love being a part of this history.”

PHOTO BY JIM PETRICCA

Herricks football player Ella Ledwith, 4, runs with the ball during a recent game. Herricks and Port Washington have both added girls flag football as a varsity sport this spring.