Roslyn 2023_02_03

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

ROSLYN TO OFFER UNIVERSAL PRE-K

Santos takes time out from committees

Says he will focus on responding to federal, state and county probes

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

U.S. Rep. George Santos asked Tuesday to be temporarily recused from serving on House committees amid ongoing probes into his personal, professional and financial background.

“With the ongoing attention surrounding both my personal and campaign financial investigations, I have submitted a request to Speaker McCarthy that I be temporarily recused from my committee assignments until I am cleared,” Santos said in a statement Tuesday. “This was a decision that I take very seriously. The business of the 118th Congress must continue without media fanfare. It is important that I primarily focus on serving the constituents of New York’s Third Congressional District and providing federal level representation without distraction.”

Republican House leaders announced two weeks ago that Santos would serve on Congress’ Small Business Committee as well as the Science, Space and Technology Committee despite growing calls for him to resign. A Siena and Newsday poll of 653 registered 3rd District voters conducted from Jan. 23-26 showed that 78%

want Santos to resign.

A total of 75% of respondents also said Santos cannot be an effective representative. Town of North Hempstead Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte told Newsday that she has not been able to get in touch with Santos’ office and has turned to U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, who previously endorsed Santos for Congress and has subsequently barred the congressman from any town event she is present at, told Newsday she hopes the officials already in place outside of Santos can be enough for the town to function as best as possible until he is removed from office.

DeSena and Chris Boyle, spokesperson for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, told Newsday they have also not heard from Santos. The Nassau County Republican Committee and local GOP officials called on Santos to resign in early January.

Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph Cairo said that newly-elected 4th District U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito offered to

Continued on Page 38

SANDS PROPOSAL A WORK IN PROGRESS

Grist Mill’s frame to be rebuilt with $500K grant

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

A $500,000 state grant secured by former U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi will be used to restore the Roslyn Grist Mill’s Dutch timber frame, an inte-

gral part of the structure that has undergone renovations over the past few years.

Howard Kroplick, co-president of the Roslyn Landmark Society, said the building will be lowered to

street level so that the timber can be reinstalled to its precious style. Steel beams currently in the building will be removed before the building is put on a new foundation, he said.

Continued on Page 39

PHOTO COURTESY RUSSELL LIPPAI

Republican North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena gives her 2023 State of the Town address at Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington. See story on page 2.

State of town good: And rocky: DeSena

Touts accomplishments, admits conflict with Dems

BY BRANDON DUFFY

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena laid out a 2023 agenda that included infrastructure improvements and updates on previously made promises, including a 311 call center team devoted to specifc town Building Department requests and bringing in a professional planner to update the town’s master plan.

“My goals for my administration have not changed since my inauguration,” DeSena, a Republican, said Friday afternoon from Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington, during a luncheon held in conjunction with the League of Women Voters of Port Washington-Manhasset. “I believe that we should streamline town government wherever possible, work through the governmental logjam and increase accountability to our taxpayers, operate in a fscally responsible manner, and lead our town in an open, honest, and transparent way.”

Many state, town and village offcials and school district superintendents were present for DeSena’s second State of the Town address, the 37th of its kind.

In 2021, DeSena was the frst Republican nominee to win the town supervisor election in more than 30 years, succeeding Judi Bosworth, a Democrat who did not seek re-election. The term is for two years.

The town’s 311 call center, created in 2005 and used to answer resident inquiries, will feature a dedicated team solely responsible for taking calls on the town’s Building Department, DeSena said.

Democrat Councilmember Veronica Lurvey announced last week that the Building Department has seen expedited response times thanks to the installation of Citizenserve, an online system implemented in 2020 that provides Building Department services online, although DeSena credited improvements to the current audit being performed by Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Philips’ ofce. Citizenserve was implemented under Bosworth.

DeSena announced town board

Santos treasurer claim denied

Wisconsin official says title news to him

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

A supposed newly appointed treasurer for U.S. Rep. George Santos declined the position last week after the congressman’s team fled a modifed campaign disclosure report that changed the source of a $500,000 loan previously claimed as “personal funds.”

Thomas Datwyler, of Wisconsin, reportedly turned down the campaign treasurer position on Monday despite Santos fling papers naming him to the position a day later, according to multiple reports. Datwyler’s attorney told multiple outlets his client turned down the job.

Financial disclosure reports Santos fled following the November election showed an outstanding balance of $630,000 on loans from his personal funds. He had originally listed a $705,000 loan to his campaign. Last week, Santos said, the modifcation of the $500,000 loan was a result of his staf’s doing.

“Let’s make it very clear, I don’t amend anything, I don’t touch any of my FEC stuf, right?” Santos told reporters last week. “So don’t be disingenuous and report that I did

because you know that every campaign hires fduciaries.”

Money that Santos listed as a loan in his campaign flings and its source have been questioned in complaints fled with the Federal Election Commission. Santos’ campaign lawyer, Joe Murray, told Newsday that “due to the FEC complaints it would be inappropriate to comment on an open investigation.”

Eforts to reach a representative from Santos’ congressional ofce for comment were unavailing.

Santos faces a pair of new complaints fled by a watchdog group and two of his Democratic colleagues from New York.

The Campaign Legal Center, a nonproft organization that aims to advance democracy through the law, questioned the newly elected congressman’s infux of wealth after he reported a salary of $55,000 in 2020, which rose to $750,000 in 2022 and $1 million to $5 million in dividends.

The organization also called the congressman’s $705,000 loan to his campaign into question, claiming he falsifed reports on nearly 40 exContinued on Page 39

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Sue Tabakin 516-307-1045 x206 stabakin@theisland360.com

meetings started broadcasting on North Hempstead TV and that the town will soon be sending out a request to update the town’s master plan.

“Updating the town’s master plan is an especially important process as our state continues to look for ways to impose its will on our local control of zoning,” DeSena said. “Just a few weeks ago, Gov. Hochul outlined her newest housing plan, which would efectively allow the state to override the town’s ability to control local zoning decisions.”

During her State of the State address Jan. 10, Hochul unveiled her plan to build 800,000 new homes

ADVERTISING: Steven Blank 516-307-1045 x201 sblank@theisland360.com

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Deborah Flynn 516-307-1045 x218 dflynn@theisland360.com

over the next decade to address the state’s housing shortage. Included in the New York Housing Compact are local participation requirements and incentives to achieve housing growth along with requiring municipalities with MTA stations to rezone for higher-density residential development.

DeSena said she agrees afordable housing is a necessary priority for all forms of government but called the proposal “one-size-fts-all” and that it would jeopardize the quality of life in existing neighborhoods. The supervisor added that the town sent a letter to Hochul saying the proposal would be a poor way of accomplishing the Continued on Page 38

Manhasset

Roslyn Times: Brandon Duffy 516-307-1045 x215

Williston Times: Brandon Duffy 516-307-1045 x215

Port Washington Times: Robert Pelaez 516-307-1045 x203

PHOTO COURTESY RUSSELL LIPPAI

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena applauds during her 2023 State of the Town address at Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTOS

U.S. Rep. George Santos.

New pier, dock for Stepping Stones

North Hempstead capital plan to provide $535K to help repair historic lighthouse in

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The Stepping Stones Lighthouse will be receiving a new fixed pier and floating dock as part of a $535,000 expenditure included in North Hempstead’s recently approved 2023 capital plan.

The five-year plan, unanimously approved by the seven-member Town Board during the Jan. 24 meeting, calls for $126.9 million in spending that will be funded with a combination of borrowing, grants and existing cash.

According to the plan, $97.5 million will be paid for through bonds, and the rest will come from government grants, available cash from prior borrowings and funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.

The town acquired ownership of the lighthouse, which sits about 1,600 yards off the shore of Kings Point, from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2008 as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. It agreed to submit yearly reports to the National Park Service on “any capital improvements to preserve and restore the structure within its historical accuracy.”

Preserving the lighthouse, which

was built in 1877 and updated in 1944, has been an area of concern for local officials and community organizations in the area.

North Hempstead Supervisor

Jennifer DeSena said she held “productive meetings” with members of the Great Neck Historical Society in

September to talk about ways to better preserve the lighthouse.

Former state Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso helped secure $200,000 from state funding for the town, which also received $165,000 from the National Maritime Heritage Grant, according to officials.

Former state Sen. Jack Matins aided in securing $100,000 for the Great Neck Park District and the Great Neck Historical Society has raised more than $120,000 for restorations.

Additional highlights in the capital plan include allocating over

G.N.

$267,000 for additional improvements to the Sept. 11 Memorial at Manhasset Valley Park, such as a remembrance wall and presentation area.

$22.1 million over the next five years will be allocated for the town’s annual road resurfacing program, with $4 million and $300,000 allocated each for residential and industrial roads, respectively.

$4.3 million will go toward improvements and buying equipment at Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington, including resurfacing the cart paths and course maintenance.

Multiple residents told the town board the golf course’s quality and care were not meeting expectations associated with its high fees over the summer.

The capital plan was put together in collaboration between all seven members of the town board and department heads.

“I want to thank each of them for their hard work identifying projects important to their districts, and Townwide, as we seek to not just maintain, but improve our parks and our Town infrastructure,” DeSena said in a statement.

PHOTO BY JANELLE CLAUSEN

Stepping Stones Lighthouse, as seen from Steppingstone Park.

Roslyn to get universal pre-K next year

State grant to fund 5-hour district program to be held at Growing Tree Nursery School

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Roslyn Public Schools will have a fully funded Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program for the 2023-2024 school year after being provided a grant from the state Education Department.

Universal Pre-Kindergarten, or UPK, gives families with preschoolaged children the opportunity to enroll their kids in a publicly funded care and education program.

The fve-hour program will operate Monday to Friday at The Growing Tree Nursery School at 140 East Broadway.

The program itself will come at no cost to Roslyn taxpayers, the district or the families and students enrolled.

Entry into the program includes a lottery conducted by the nursery as New York State requires random selection. The fnal number of available spots will be determined by the nursery, according to a release from the district.

Prospective families must both live in the district and have a child who turns 4 years old on or before Dec. 1 of this year.

Online applications can be found on the district’s website.

stolen from East Hills driveway

BY BRANDON DUFFY

PHOTO

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No decision on fate of Nassau Coliseum

Las Vegas Sands’ proposal includes 800-room hotel, live entertainment venue, other amenities

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Las Vegas Sands officials said the company’s plan to transform the Nassau Hub includes a casino, hotel, a live performance venue, restaurants and a spa, though other details, such as the fate of the longstanding Nassau Coliseum, have yet to be decided on.

Sands Vice Presidents Ron Reese and David Paterson, the former New York City governor, provided Blank Slate Media with some more details on the plan to redesign the Nassau Hub into an entertainment center Thursday. Reese said the hotel will be at least 800 rooms and the live performance venue will have a 5,000-7,500 seat capacity.

Reese said there will be roughly 400,000 square feet of “corporate meeting facilities” and that other amenities will include fitness areas, a pool, celebrity chef and casual restaurants and other recreation facilities.

Despite the company’s name, Reese said, Nassau residents should not anticipate structures that belong in Las Vegas coming to Long Island.

“I want to be clear that I don’t want to call it a Las Vegas-style resort because I don’t think that’s appropriate,” Reese said. “It will be Las Vegas style in terms of amenities, but the size and design is going to fit in with the local look and architecture.”

Paterson said the company has a selfimposed April 1 deadline to have the application completed and be ready to go before

the state. Reese said the company launched the plans to develop the Hub into this entertainment center a few weeks ago and did not make any commitment on what the fate of the Nassau Coliseum would be.

“In terms of the Coliseum, no determination has been made,” Reese said. “We just

launched two weeks ago and so now our designers, architects and development team will really begin sort of a master plan that looks at what the best location to put parking garages in and what do you do with the Coliseum.”

Officials from the casino and resort company said they entered into agreements to

purchase the long-term lease of the area home to the Coliseum and, if approved, would be in control of up to 80 acres of property known as the Nassau Hub.

Nassau County officials announced in 2020 that a deal was struck with Nassau Live Center LLC and Nick Mastroianni to take immediate control of the Coliseum as its new tenant.

Reese said that the company anticipates a minimum of 5,000 people working at the site, though no residential buildings are part of the Sands’ plan. Reese said the next steps for the Sands is for the Nassau County Legislature to approve the lease transfer of the Coliseum and the Hub.

The state’s gaming commission, he said, would then have to establish a five-member local board to approve the Sands bid. The board would be made up of appointees from the town supervisor, the county executive, the governor’s office and the local senate and assembly member representing the area.

Hofstra University President Susan Poser expressed concerns about the proposed entertainment destination and casino. Poser, the president of the university directly adjacent to the Coliseum, wrote in a guest essay in Newsday that a casino would exacerbate traffic, contribute to addiction and mental health tendencies in college-age students and would not guarantee an increase in revenue to the area.

Continued on Page 42

Lewis Emmy, Grammy, Tony, & SAG Award nominee

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS

Proposed plans call for the Nassau Coliseum to be transformed into an entertainment venue and casino.

DeSena says Lurvey is ‘playing politics’

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Republican North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena accused Democrat Councilmember Veronica Lurveyof playing politics in an email chain regarding her recorded response Friday to the supervisor’s State of the Town address.

In an email sent to LIXI Studios founder Alan Ginsberg, who runs North Hempstead TV, Lurvey said she plans on recording a response, similar to last year.

“I plan to flm a State of the Town response as I did last year. It will be airing on NHTV after all airings of the State of the Town,” Lurvey said. “The supervisor is aware and did not raise objections to the flming, so I look forward to seeing you on Friday.”

Also copied on the email sent by Lurvey last Wednesday was DeSena, Democrat Councilmembers Mariann Dalimonte, Robert Troiano, Peter Zuckerman, Deputy Supervisor Joe Scalero, town spokesperson Gordon Tepper, chief research assistant to the town board Jeanine Dillon, Blank Slate Media and other members of the press.

DeSena responded that she was surprised by the email, while also copying in Republican Councilmembers David Adhami and Dennis Walsh,

The supervisor said she struggled to understand why Adhami and Walsh were not initially included in her email.These were sent via regu-

lar emails from their town emails. Lurvey CC’d members of the Town Board (excluding Democrats). DeSena responded and also CC’d the two Republicans.

“Second, it is entirely inappropriate and a clear bit of political theater to copy the press on an internal email chain,” DeSena said. “While I’m in favor of transparency, I’m disappointed this is the route you chose to have this conversation instead of reaching out to me directly.”

Continued on Page 42

A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT FOR LONG ISLAND

Sands, the world leader in developing integrated resorts, is proposing a multi-billion-dollar investment at the current site of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This groundbreaking, world-class hospitality and entertainment project will be transformational for the Long Island economy, creating thousands of quality union jobs and generating millions of dollars in tax revenue.

A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY FOR LONG ISLAND BUSINESSES

Sands is committed to developing long-term partnerships with local businesses. For Long Island-based manufacturers, distributors, wholesale suppliers and other companies servicing the hospitality and entertainment industries, the Sands project will be an unprecedented opportunity to grow your business and be part of what will surely become an iconic centerpiece of the Long Island landscape.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISOR

Republican North Hempstead Supervisor gave her State of the Town address on Friday, followed by a response from Democrat Councilmember Veronica Lurvey.

Legislature OKs $159M PBA contract Agreement

subject to NIFA approval would run retroactively

from Jan. 1, 2018 until July 1, 2026

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

The Nassau County Legislature unanimously approved a $159 million contract with the county’s Police Benevolent Association on Monday.

The eight-and-a-half year agreement, which still has to be approved by the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, would run retroactively from Jan. 1, 2018 until July 1, 2026 and increase the top base pay for ofcers from $122,000 to $141,000.

The agreement would also increase the top base pay for ofcers from $122,000 to $141,000 and increase the starting pay for new ofcers from $35,000 to $37,333.

The NIFA board is set to vote on the contract during a Feb. 6 meeting, according to Newsday.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman described the negotiations between the two parties as “exhaustive,” but expressed his pleasure with the agreement.

“I believe this agreement keeps our police department at the highest levels of salary in the nation but at the same time has provisions that enhance the safety of our communities and guards the taxpayer’s money,” Blakeman said in a statement.”

The county failed to come to an agreement with the 1,800-member

union during the tenure of Democratic County Executive Laura Curran. Contract proposals of the same length were submitted and provided ofcers with a 25 percent raise over eight-and-a-half years.

Annual stipends of $3,000 for ofcers wearing body cameras were agreed on by the county and the

union, which ofcials said costs taxpayers $8 million each year.

The county selected Ronkonkoma-based Island Tech Services to provide the camera technology and handle training and technical support for the ofcers.

Body cameras were one of several measures included in a 424-page

PHOTO BY NOAH MANSKAR

plan to reform Nassau County’s policing that Curran released in February 2021.

The plan, which the county Legislature approved 16-3 in March 2020, was submitted in accordance with an executive order that then Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed in June 2020 requiring police agencies to

devise plans to “reinvent and modernize police strategies” after Minneapolis cops killed George Floyd.

Nassau County spends $1,148 per capita on police and fre protection while the national median is $359, according to U.S. News & World Report fnding that named Nassau County the safest community in America in 2020 and 2021. Public safety professionals account for 1.26% of the county’s population, compared with the national median of 0.70%.

Democrats attempted to add an amendment in the county’s budget to hire more than 100 new police ofcers. Blakeman’s $3.88 billion budget included the hiring of 36 additional ofcers.

“Police ofcers are often confronted with danger and put themselves in harm’s way as they fulfll their oath to serve and protect the public in Nassau County and across the nation,” Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) said. “As demonstrated when we proposed funding 110 additional ofcers in this year’s budget to enhance foot patrols and create a dedicated hate crimes unit, the Minority Caucus remains steadfast in our commitment to supporting Nassau’s law enforcement professionals.”

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W.P. man raises racism in spying charge

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Baimadije Angwang, a Williston Park resident and NYPD ofcer who had charges of supplying Chinese ofcials with information on Tibetans living in the United States dropped by federal prosecutors in January, said in a recent interview with Newsday he was a target of prosecutors suspicious of anyone with connections to China.

“So my question is, is it racially motivated? Is it abusing power?” “Angwang said. “Those are the questions I think they should answer.”

Angwang, a 36-year-old Tibetan native who now lives in Nassau County, was charged in September 2020 with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China, committing wire fraud, making false statements and obstructing an ofcial proceeding, according to the criminal complaint fled by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District.

U.S. District Judge Eric R. Komitee dropped the charges against Angwang after federal prosecutors asked to dismiss the indictment against him.

Angwang had been out on $2 million bond since February 2021 after spending six months at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn which also included solitary confnement.

Angwang’s arrest occurred during the China Initiative, a program started in 2018 under thenPresident Donald Trump aimed at countering Beijing’s theft of American Intellectual Property, which President Joe Biden’s administration ended last year.

John Carman, Angwang’s lawyer, told the New York Post when his charges were dropped the prosecutors have avoided explaining why.

“The truth is that they are hiding behind CIPA [the Classifed Information Procedures Act] in an efort to give the impression that this was a legiti-

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Part of the charges that were brought against a member of the NYPD and Williston Park resident that were dropped in January by federal prosecutors.

mate prosecution, which it was not,” Carman told the Post. “Mr. Angwang is a great American who served his country in combat in Afghanistan and our government repaid him by treating him like he was the leader of the Taliban.”

Carman told Newsday the government acknowledged there was no evidence that Angwang gave sensitive information to a member of the Chinese embassy.

“It is 100% clear and uncontroverted that he never even mentioned to this supposed intelligence-asset handler that he had an afliation with the United States Marine Corps,” Carman said. “He never mentioned the fact that he was an active member of the Army Reserves, and these are the types of things that an intelligence asset who was trying to be of value to a foreign power would obviously put in play. There is no question that that did not happen.”

Tibet is an autonomous region in China, historically home to ethnic Tibetans and the spiritual home of Tibetan Buddhism. Since 1951, when China occupied Tibet, a Tibetan independence movement for political separation from China has been present throughout the region, according to the documents.

Thousands of ethnic Tibetans were believed to have been killed during periods of martial law and repression under Chinese occupation, according to court documents.

Angwang was assigned to the 111th Precinct in northeast Queens and served as a patrol ofcer and a member of the Bayside precinct’s crime prevention team. He was also a staf sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve stationed in Fort Dix, N.J. Angwang remains on paid leave from the NYPD.

Diocese offers $200M to settle abuse suits

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

The Diocese of Rockville Centre proposed a settlement ranging from $185-$200 million to settle claims of more than 600 alleged sexual abuse survivors, ofcials announced on Friday.

The diocese, which fled for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, proposed the settlement as part of its reorganizational process. Diocese offcials said the settlement fgures do not include its rights against third-party insurance companies, something the organization will continue to advocate for.

“The alternative litigation path advocated by the committee will take years, and wastefully drain resources that would otherwise be directed toward compensating survivors,” Sean P. Dolan, the diocese’s communications director, said in a statement. “The litigation path also jeopardizes the common good of Long Island, particularly for those families that depend on the diocese to deliver compassionate health care, housing, education, food security, substance abuse, mental health and grief counselling, immigration services, religious and spiritual care.”

Jim Stang, a founding partner of Pachulski Stang Ziehl and Jones, the law frm that represents the Committee of Survivors of the Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, told Patch that they proposed a settlement fgure of approximately $450 million.

The diocese fled for bankruptcy following lawsuits fled as a result of the Child Victims

Act. The act increases the amount of time during which perpetrators of child abuse may be held criminally accountable and allows victims of these crimes to commence a civil lawsuit at any time before they reach 55 years of age.

Diocese leader Bishop John O. Barres said in 2020 that most operations and ministries of the diocese would continue “without interruption” and that the parishes and schools of the diocese were not included in the bankruptcy fling since they were separate legal entities.

Attorney Jef Anderson of Jef Anderson & Associates, a New York City-based law frm that fled 73 lawsuits against the diocese under the Child Victims Act, said in 2020 that the fling “changed the dynamics” of the cases brought against the diocese, accusing the diocese of using the bankruptcy code to halt survivors’ efforts.

“Why did Rockville Centre really fle?” Anderson said. “We think there’s something different than what they’re telling the public, the people, the parishioners, and survivors. The real reasons, we believe, based on our experiences in Rockville Centre and across the country, are to obstruct the process the survivors have been given by reason of the Child Victims Act.”

In May 2020, State Supreme Court Judge Steven Jaeger of Nassau County rejected a bid by the diocese to dismiss 44 lawsuits fled against it under the act. The diocese faced 203 sexual abuse cases when it fled for bankruptcy, with that total growing to an estimated 600

Continued on Page 38

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS The Diocese of Rockville Centre.

Herricks seniors Presidential Scholars

Herricks seniors Ashley Lam and Jeylin Lee were recently named on behalf of the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the United States Department of Education as candidates for the United States Presidential Scholars Program. Students are chosen for outstanding performance based on their ACT assessment or the College Board SAT tests.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by executive order of the President to recognize and honor some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Each year, up to 161 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.

Gumdrop Bridge Stem Challenge

The Roslyn High School girls varsity basketball team visited East Hills Elementary School to assist Ms. Naughton’s 5th graders with the Gumdrop Bridge Stem Challenge. They were tasked with building a structure with only gumdrops and toothpicks. To meet the challenge, students had to design a bridge that could support one pound of sugar for ten seconds or more!

LeBoutillier speaks to local GOP

Former Congressman John LeBoutillier, who represented the NY 6th Congressional district, which is currently the 3rd Congressional district, discussed the present state of the Republican Party, with special emphasis regarding newly-elected congressional member, George Santos, to a concerned crowd at the January meeting of the Albertson-Roslyn Heights Republican Club.

LeBoutillier went into detail, explaining what legal measures the House of Representatives could possibly take to expel Santos. He also stressed that the Queens Republican Committee was initially responsible for vetting Santos because Santos is a resident of that borough.

Herricks seniors Ashley Lam, left, and Jeylin Lee, right, have been named on behalf of the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the United States Department of Education as candidates for the United States Presidential Scholars Program.

Ribbon cutting for Roslyn Wine, Liquor

The Greater Roslyn Chamber of Commerce performed a ribbon cutting on Thursday, Jan. 26 for new member Roslyn Wine and Liquor.

The store, located at 1366 Old Northern Blvd. in Roslyn Village, offered friends and customers tasty treats plus several delicious beverages to try, including Prosecco and tequila.

The new owners are Sergey Kalantarov and Yair Pinkhasov, and familiar face Anna Chablaney, who is

the former owner, is now the manager of Roslyn Wine and Liquor.

The Greater Roslyn Chamber of Commerce was well represented. VP of marketing and public relations Barbara Kaplan and board members Mimi Howard, Wayne Wink, Graciela Hall, Alicia Brown, Garnet Ardila, Melissa Spitalnick, Howie Mann, and Kate Lumetta were all in attendance as was Town of North Hempstead Councilman Peter Zuckerman.

He also spoke about his experience as a congressman when President Ronald Reagan was in ofce to an extremely receptive audience with much discussion and open dialogue.

In attendance was the supervisor of the Town of North Hempstead, Jennifer DeSena, along with Town of

North Hempstead Councilman Dennis Walsh, who also spoke.

The club meets on the third Wednesday of every month at the Williston American Legion, Post 144, 730 Willis Avenue in Williston Park.

Fire dept. buys new equipment

Firefghters with the Glen Cove Fire Department will be a little safer during emergencies thanks to the eforts of Assemblymember Charles Lavine (D-North Shore, LI). The department recently purchased new life-saving equipment with a $250,000 State Grant secured by Lavine. The money was used to purchase 20 Scott Air-Paks and 26 sets of new gear. Assemblymember Lavine got a frsthand look at the equipment on Thursday (1/26/23) at the Glen Cove Fire Department.

“I am so pleased to be able to provide the funding used to purchase this new equipment which is essential to ensuring the safety and security of the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our neighbors here in the City of Glen Cove,” Lavine said.

Among the upgrades included in the Air-Paks cited by the department leadership is the enabling of much better communication between frefghters in distress and their command during an emergency situation. Meanwhile, the sets of gear, comprising of essentials like fame-resistant boots, overalls, and jackets replace aging equipment and will go far in improving the safety of frefghters.

For more information on the many great features in the Scott Air-Pak, go to https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/ b5005047169/

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROSLYN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF CHARLES LAVINE

State Assemblymember Lavine inspects new safety gear at the Glen Cove Fire Dept. last Thursday.

Addressing gun mayhem gradually

Quick quiz.

What was the No. 1 cause of death among children in the United States in 2021?

No, no not car accidents. That was No. 2.

Cancer? No, that was No.3.

No. 1? That, for the past two years, has been guns.

In 2020, frearms claimed the lives of 4,357 children ages 1-19 in the United States. In no other peer country were frearms among the top fve leading causes of death with the exception of Canada, which banned handgun sales in October.

That is shocking but not surprising.

The United States leads the developed world by huge margins in deaths by frearms in every age group and, not coincidentally, the number of frearms in circulation. This helps explain why 79% of homicides are committed in the United States by frearms and a mere 4% of homicides in the United Kingdom.

In 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control, 45,000 Americans died from gun-related injuries. Suicide led with 24,292, followed by homicides with 19,384, legal interventions with 611, unintentional shootings with 535 and 400 undermined.

The total guns deaths rose to a record 48,000 Americans in 2021. You can be sure numbers will rise in 2022 and 2023.

And those numbers do not include the injured. About twice as many people are injured than killed with frearms, often with life-altering efects.

What to do?

Northwell Health, New York’s largest health provider, has under President and CEO Michael Dowling taken a leadership role in answering this question and framing the problem for what it is – a public health crisis.

Dowling started a Center for Gun Violence that has engaged hospitals and national health systems to work with communities and implement intervention programs across the country.

Later this month, the New Hyde Park-based health system will host its fourth annual gun safety forum in New York City, bringing together leading executives, clinicians, researchers and policymakers around gun violence.

This should be required viewing for every elected ofcial in the state – especially those with authority over gun laws in New York and Washington.

The health network has also started a multi-platform public awareness campaign, encouraging hundreds of other healthcare systems throughout the nation to follow suit. This makes sense given the systems’ role on the front lines of the gun violence crisis. They deal daily with the failure of Congress and state houses to properly address the issue.

Earlier this fall, Northwell also began circulating online advertisements, television commercials and printed messages targeting the rampant deaths of children every day as a result of gun violence

Dr. Chethan Sathya, director of Northwell’s Center for Gun Violence Prevention, said the campaign was launched to make parents aware of questions that should be asked about safe frearm storage and violence prevention.

“It’s translating what we do as a health system into the public as well,” Sathya said. “It’s inspired a lot of conversations among parents, which is great and what we want people to focus on. We really want to frame this as a public health and safety issue.”

Sathya said neither the campaign nor any of Northwell’s eforts to combat gun violence were an attack on the Second Amendment.

Gun violence in America, he said, has become a safety issue rather than a political one, despite some individuals still claiming the healthcare system is pushing for the repeal of frearms.

“The majority of gun owners in this country are for frearm safety, responsible gun ownership and safe storage,” Sathya said. “But there are millions of

Americans who are frst-time gun owners and just don’t know about the dangers of having a gun in the household.”

Sathya said having a frearm in the house increases the risk of accidental injury, suicide and homicide, so providing educational resourcesfor gun owners is an initiative she lauded.

“This is the leading cause of death in kids. It’s going to get worse and worse and continue to be the leading cause of death unless we collectively prioritize this,” he said.

Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times columnist who has written frequently on solutions to gun violence, echoes Northwell’s eforts to try a harm-reduction model familiar from public health eforts to reduce deaths from other dangerous products such as cars and cigarettes.

This, he said, starts with acknowledging the reality that we are not going to eliminate guns in the United States where there are an estimated 400 million guns – in a country with 332 million people.

Kristof said at this point the focus needs to be on keeping guns away from risky people.

New York State has relatively strict gun laws, including a red-fag law that prevents individuals who show signs of

being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing any kind of frearm.

The law was tightened after a 19-year-old white man killed 10 Black people and wounded three in a Buffalo supermarket in November – in one of 647 mass shootings of four or more people in 2022 nationwide.

New York has the ffth lowest death rate from guns at 5.3 per 100,000 compared to Mississippi, which leads at 28.6 per 100,000.

An AP poll shows bipartisan majorities of Americans support a nationwide background check policy for all gun sales, a law preventing mentally ill people from purchasing guns, allowing courts to temporarily prevent people who are considered a danger to themselves or others from purchasing a gun, making 21 the minimum age to buy a gun nationwide and banning those who have been convicted of domestic violence from purchasing a gun.

A smaller majority of Americans — 59% — favor a ban on the sale of AR-15 rifes and similar semiautomatic weapons, with Democrats more likely to support that policy than Republicans, 83% vs. 35%.

But the politics of gun ownership and money behind opponents of reform

often prevents sensible gun legislation from being passed – and even reversing legislation already passed.

Then Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin mounted a strong challenge for governor in November based on crime, criticizing the state’s bail reform laws and gun safety measures

In the wake of the Bufalo shooting, he said New York should dump its red fag law, loosen permits for concealed weapons and allow New Yorkers to “stand your ground.”

The constitutional right, he said, to bear arms “shall not be infringed.”

New Yorkers should not be distracted by such political appeals.

They should instead focus on reducing the harm by regulating guns and bullets the way we regulate the adoption of pets, the ownership of cars and the sale of alcohol.

The adoption of pets requires background checks. The ownership of cars requires they be registered and insured. The sale of alcohol is taxed, limited to people age 21 and over, and we don’t permit people who drink over a reasonable limit to drive.

We should at least make it as hard to own a gun as it is to own a puppy. The lives of our children, as Northwell Health has noted, depend on it.

Pairing MLK with Confederate general

Christmas and Chanukah are celebrated about the same time each year. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25 and Jews mark the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in an eight-day celebration that adheres to the Jewish calendar.

To add to the season’s festivities, in 1966 Kwanzaa was created as a weeklong holiday between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1 to honor African culture and traditions.

And let us not forget the 1997 Seinfeld-inspired Festivus (for the rest of us), a day that is celebrated on Dec. 23 as a secular alternative to holiday consumerism.

My apologies if I left out a December holiday celebration that is dear to you.

For the most part, people of diferent faiths and cultures celebrate these holidays with mutual respect. However, not all holidays that land closely together on the calendar refect that reality.

Case in point: King-Lee Day.

I was not aware that Alabama and Mississippi mark King-Lee Day as a state holiday, to concurrently honor

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who sacrifced his life to advance racial justice, and Confederate General Robert E. Lee, who fought in the Civil War to preserve slavery.

What?!?

Yes, that’s right! The two Southern state legislatures, in their infnite wisdom, thought it was a good idea to pair the two. I’m sure it was the last thing that Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney had in mind when they frst performed their duet “Ebony and Ivory” in 1982.

Odd juxtapositions of calendar days are not unprecedented. For example, Hitler’s birthday and National Stoner Day both fall on April 20.

Here’s a thought experiment: Imagine if in the month of November, Thanksgiving (Nov. 24) was paired with the anniversary of Kristallnacht — The Night of Broken Glass (Nov. 9-10), when in 1938 the Nazis launched pogroms against the Jewish population in Germany, destroying Jewish homes, synagogues and businesses, murdering Jews and transporting more 30,000 Jewish men to concentration camps.

As a Jew, or any right-thinking

person for that matter, I believe that my head would explode if such a pairing occurred. Which, I imagine, would be the case for many Black Americans (and other people of goodwill) living in these United States where King-Lee Day appears on the calendar in a country that is currently very clearly resistant to racial healing.

“For many Black Southerners, this double holiday is part of a broader efort to glorify the Confederacy, 158 years after its secessionist war efort

went down in defeat,” writes Meena Venkataramanam for the Washington Post.

She cites Lewis Baldwin, professor emeritus of religious studies at Vanderbilt University, who explains that the coupling of the King-Lee days “speaks to an ambivalent South, a South that says one thing and actually practices another.”

The ambivalence of which Baldwin speaks, animated by white grievance, can no longer be addressed in the classroom in a growing number of states. Why not? Because there are elected government leaders, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who believe that studying Black history might upset the sensibilities of some white children. Consequently, they are deciding and legislating whose stories get told and whose don’t.

In their “war against woke,” the Florida state legislature approved a bill in 2022 (The STOP Woke Act) that limits how teachers can address race and racism. The new law states: “A person should not be instructed that he or she feel must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological

distress for actions in which he or she played no part.” Accordingly, eforts in a number of states are ongoing to amputate the present from the past and erase multiculturalism from school curricula.

The so-called “anti-woke bills” would be better named “anti-empathy” and “anti-democracy” bills. The censors politicize and demonize the concept of “woke,” when what it means is being empathetic, tolerant, open to learning and willing to listen, all virtues one would think a parent would wish for their children to acquire. But their real aim is to deny the emergent reality of a multicultural democracy, as America continues to become increasingly diverse.

The legacies of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and General Robert E. Lee could be discussed together in the classroom in an enriching way, along with the history of slavery in America, the civil War, reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, and the civil rights movement.

However, should Americans offcially celebrate the two together? I don’t think so.

That gives mixing oil and water a bad name.

Time for L.I. to put politics aside in Albany

By now most of the people who follow politics have had an earful of stories about George Santos. There is no doubt that his fate will be decided soon enough. I have already commented on the failures of the screening system, but the Santos candidacy raises so many other issues of importance to all of us taxpayers and voters. In my mind, the biggest is the issue of what kind of people are running for public ofce today and are they interested in more than just a title and the power that goes with it?

I served in ofce at a time when we had great political leaders representing us at the federal and state level. Each and every day they worked tirelessly to pass legislation that would help Long Island become the great region that it is. Our fne park system and our mass transit services didn’t happen by accident. Our thriving hospital system didn’t succeed without elected ofcials who crafted

laws to help those systems fourish. The programs for children in need didn’t appear overnight. Our excellent school system was the product of visionaries.

I have been frequently asked what is the diference between the time I served in government and the current government system? My answer is that once upon a time our ofceholders would focus on what could be done over the next 10 years? Some candidates run for ofce because they only care about the next 10 minutes. I think we have some very dedicated people who currently serve us. This is the time for them to step forward and use their voice and their infuence for our local needs.

Long Island currently has nine state senators. Seven are Republican and two are Democrats. The state Senate is controlled by the Democrats, but that doesn’t mean that the seven Republicans, working with the two Democrats, can’t be an efective

voice for the bi-county area. The Long Island nine, as they should be called, can be efective if they work together.

The need for a combined bi-partisan efort is critical because the Senate is controlled by mostly New York City

progressives. The vast majority of the city legislators have little or no concern for the island, which makes the idea of a united front even more important.

It isn’t hard to lay out an agenda for the nine senators and the assembly members as well. In the past, our Long Island delegation was successful in getting our schools a fair share of state aid. The more money we got the lower the school taxes, which are already too high. Thanks to Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Long Island Expressway received a badly needed makeover. But we still have serious trafc problems in Nassau and Sufolk counties that can only be fxed with fresh dollars. Better roads also mean more jobs for our hardworking construction workers.

The vast majority of our readers do not rely on the Nassau Medical Center for their health care services.

But the hospital is the only source of care for hundreds of thousands of in-

digent residents. The hospital has had its share of problems over the years due to mismanagement and political infghting, but it has to be kept alive and functioning. That is a challenge for all of our state legislators.

The fallout from the COVID epidemic cannot be ignored. There are still many residents sufering from long-term symptoms and they are a fnancial drain on our private hospital system. Ask any doctor who treats patients in local hospitals and they will tell you that there are heavy caseloads of fu and COVID patients still crowding the emergency rooms and occupying hospital beds. This continued epidemic is not a partisan issue. The lsland needs help from Albany.

Once upon a time when Long Island spoke, Albany listened. Now is that time. We do have the voices in our delegation that can be efective. It is time for those voices to speak up and stand up for the 3 million residents who need their leadership.

The placebo effect and the power of belief

Ihad a conversation with two friends this weekend and the topic of the British monarchy came up. One said that these figureheads served little purpose and that kings and queens were things of the past and were essentially not worth the British taxpayers’ money. But I begged to differ. I think the function of the figurehead is every bit as important as a placebo in medicine. Placebos may not contain an active chemical substance, but make people feel better, stronger, safer and even happier. Placebos

and figureheads both contain the magical power of belief. Let me explain.

The word placebo is Latin “to please” and has also been defined as “to flatter” or “to play” and although it carries with it a negative connotation, it is by now a well-established fact that placebos relieve pain and facilitate healing perhaps due to classical conditioning or expectancy. If you believe something is going to help you, it probably will help you, whether that’s a sugar pill or the real thing.

The mind is a powerful mechanism and if the mind believes in something, the body will follow. The main reason that many people are willing to spend a small fortune on vitamin pills is because they believe that they will help you feel better, live longer, sleep better, et cetera. And one of the primary functions of a general practitioner is to give the patient the reassurance that nothing is wrong with them. The moment the doctor says “there is nothing to worry about,” the pain evaporates into thin air. This is the power of the mind and the power of belief.

EARTH MATTERS

The reason corporations spend more on advertising than on research and development is that long ago they realized that the public’s belief in a brand is far more important than whether their product is actually superior to the competitors.

To bring this into practical focus, let me give you two simple personal examples. Why do I always buy Tide laundry detergent? Do you think I have any idea whether Tide is better than all the other brands of detergent? No way. I just believe this is a good product. I have seen many ads on television which tell me this is so. Therefore I believe it.

Why do I think anything manufactured by Burt’s Bees is a healthy, organic, wonderful product? Because I like the way the packaging looks, that’s why. The look of the packaging of Burt’s Bees makes me a true believer. And I am certain that if I were to actually buy let’s say a Burt’s Bees Lip Balm, I would be as happy as a lord with the results. Thank God I am way too cheap to spend my money on lip balm.

Let’s say you don’t spend your time buying laundry detergent or looking at Burt’s Bees products. Say you’re an athlete, a professional golfer perhaps, and have a need to

make it onto the PGA Tour. If you have the money, and the time, you will be flying down to see one of the big name golf instructors not because you have proof that they will actually teach you better than local guys but because you believe they will. You believe in their far superior brand.

And so it is with monarchs in Britain. The king and queen have nothing to worry about. People have a need to idealize things and to believe that these admired objects will make them safe and secure and happy and healthy. The British have his Majesty Charles III and thus have peace and safety and happiness and good health.

As for us in America, what we have is CVS, vitamins, Burt’s Bees, and numerous other products to purchase in order to make us feel peaceful, safe and happy and healthy. I bet we spend more on our placebos than the Brits spend on the monarchy. In other words, good luck charms actually can work if you believe in them strongly enough. The Brits have the king, Tiger Woods has his red shirts and the Irish have the four-leaf clover.

Or as the Mets would say: “You gotta believe.”

Vacant land’s unsung role in our environment

Whenever I hear someone dismissing a piece of land as vacant, it makes me nuts. There is land undeveloped for human use, but no vacant land (or water for that matter). Unless the land has been saturated with pesticides, every acre contains billions of soil microorganisms, both fora and fauna.

Plants will colonize cleared land in a predictable succession: grasses, annuals and perennials, then shrubs and small trees and eventually canopy trees. Insects, birds and small animals will make use of the improving habitat. The expression “Nature abhors a vacuum” means unless the land has been too damaged by pesticides or non-permeable surface, plants and animals will reclaim that area.

“Vacant” land has value in services to our environment. Unlike developed parcels, water can percolate into the aquifer uncontaminated by pesticides,

herbicides, and other household and business pollutants. Absorption of stormwater also prevents runof to more sensitive areas and decreases fooding.

“Weeds” provide food and shelter to insects, birds and animals, control erosion by softening rainfall impact, and in the process of photosynthesis produce oxygen and lower local temperature. These plants provide biodiversity lacking in urban and suburban developed environments.

Several studies of undeveloped urban land have placed signifcant values on those sites. A study in the City of Roanoke, Va., found that trees in vacant land stored almost 100,00 tons of carbon. The value of carbon and pollutant removal and storage was estimated at about $8.5 million.

Some cities have begun to recognize the value of undeveloped land for stormwater management, biodiversity and community greenspace. By using

JENNIFER WILSON-PINES Earth Matters

greenspace to store stormwater, this removes pressure on the stormwater drain system and sewage treatment plants. Milwaukee has used vegetated swales and bufers on brownfelds to capture stormwater. Philadelphia

uses undeveloped parcels as part of its Green City, Clean Waters green stormwater infrastructure plan. Staten Island’s Bluebelt has state permits to manage stormwater. Bufalo found that undeveloped parcels absorbed and infltrated as much as 50% of annual rainfall.

Philadelphia leads the “rethinking vacant land” movement. Its greening program has found that converting vacant lots into community gardens provides fresh food to underserved communities and a community gathering space in addition to reducing air pollution and promoting community health.

New York City has a Green Thumb program, which is the largest community gardening program in the nation. The Green Thumb program was created to renovate derelict land using volunteers after many parcels were abandoned during the economic downturn in the 1970s. The community gardens

provide green spaces in areas without formal parks, improve air quality, contribute bio-diversity and promote the well-being of the community. The Green Thumb program provides technical and material support to over 600 community gardens in the City.

Part of the problem is that zoning codes see plopping a building on land as the highest and best use. Provision is rarely made in code for green space, permeable surfaces and community access. Vacant lot has a negative connotation, bringing up visions of trash strewn, rodent-infested blight.

Zoning can be adopted to allow municipalities to manage abandoned lots as green space. Philadelphia has had great success partnering with the Philadelphia Horticultural Society. Multiple public surveys have shown that citizens are willing to pay for land preservation. All it takes is a shift in perception, a change of zoning codes and the political will to do so.

DR. TOM FERRARO Our Town

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TOM FERRARO Coins, tees or pills can all be imbued with power if you believe.

Biden should reject Sedition Caucus extortion

Riddle me this Batman: How does a 30%, across-the-board sales tax on everything from eggs to shoes help Americans facing infation pressures? How does preventing the president from using the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to address supply shortages that area pushing up gasoline prices (not to mention price gouging) relieve everyday Americans’ pain at the pump? How does cutting Social Security and Medicare benefts or raising retirement age alleviate Americans’ fnancial anxiety? And how does refusing to raise the debt ceiling – even the threat of which will cause interest rates to rise – not turn the American Dream of owning a home, a car, going to college and a comfortable retirement into a nightmare of woe?

Defaulting on our debts –which is what failing to raise the debt ceiling means — would severely, perhaps ir million jobs lost, a surge in unemployment from its 50-year low to as much as 9%, even higher interest rates than the Fed’s efort at steering a “soft landing” which could likely trigger a Great Recession here and globally. Moreover, destroying the essence of the “full faith and credit” of the United States would undermine the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency and America’s role as an economic and political superpower.

Now think about why Republicans would have as their singular policy to

destroy the United States economy and infict untold pain and sufering on working people while advancing a policy to coddle the richest 1% by going after the IRS and law enforcement and actually looking to roll back the 15% minimum corporate tax while raising taxes on the middle class?

It’s not just to secure campaign funding and show their obeisance to their donor-masters: they think that if they destroy the economy, unleash sufering, and if more than two decades of history are the example, then the masses will blame Joe Biden and the Democrats (after all, they control the White house and Senate) for profigate spending, so they will win the 2024 elections. This ploy has worked consistently, going back to Reagan.

The answer is that Republicans really have no interest in improving the lives of ordinary Americans. It is easy to chalk it up to the fact that they are bought and paid for by the monied interests (and only make this ridiculous pretense of caring for the “little guy” who actually is drawn to the Republican Party because of its permission to commit to unrestrained racism, misogyny, White Christo supremacy, and violence). But in actuality, it is their agenda to destroy American democracy by destroying its economy. It is Steve Bannon’s playbook, and Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, Majorie Taylor Greene are all in Putin’s pocket.

KAREN RUBIN View Point

You know Speaker Kevin McCarthy is disingenuous about screaming about the need to raise the debt ceiling (to pay the bills that Congress already authorized and the government already purchased) because the Republicans had no problem raising it three times (without any extortion on the part of Democrats) during the twice-impeached, disgraced Trump’s corrupt administration. In just four short years, Trump – who continues to hail as his (only) signifcant “accomplishment” passing a tax cut that almost entirely benefted the richest 1% and the corporations (50 of the Fortune 500 companies that collectively earned over $50 billion in proft paid zero in tax), and (as predicted

by the Congressional Budget Ofce) added $2 trillion to the national debt. That was even before pandemic relief spending, billions of which were basically handed out to Trump-Mnuchin’s cronies (including 13 Republican congressmen) like candy from a candy jar. Trump added $7.4 trillion to the national debt – that is 25 percent of all the debt accrued in American history.

In contrast, President Biden’s economic policies not only addressed the supply chain problems that pushed up prices when he frst came to ofce, got COVID under control so people weren’t overwhelming hospitals and morgue freezer trucks and got people back to work. He kept people from going bankrupt, but oversaw unprecedented job creation (10.5 million), the frst real wage increases in decades (yes, more than infation), addressed the Putin-caused spike in gasoline prices and despite all that the Federal Reserve has done to increase interest rates to slow infation, consumer spending and employment remain robust, defying the self-fulflling predictions of recession.

If you see what Biden has created – as I do because I get the actual reports – you will know that his promise to build a sustainable, stable economy from the bottom up and the middle out with economic and environmental justice at the heart – is actually happening.

And Republicans can’t stand that.

They are out to engineer an economic collapse in order to blame Democrats, despite all the history that shows that the economy falls apart under Republican rule and Democratic administrations have had to come in and put the pieces back together.

Riddle me this, Batman: How is it that voters keep falling for this crap?

This week McCarthy is meeting with Biden for the frst time, and presumably will carry the Sedition Caucus’ extortion demand.

Biden should send him packing. The fact is the Constitution mandates the president fulfll America’s debt obligations, so Congress is obligated to do what has in the past been pro forma until they began to use it for political extortion: raise the debt ceiling in order to satisfy the nation’s obligations.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, having notifed Congress that the debt ceiling has been reached, said she needed to impose “emergency measures” in order to delay catastrophe for a few months.

So I suggest this: Starting now –not waiting to be dangled over the brink – the frst cut in spending should be the salary of everyone in Congress including members, staf and aides until the debt ceiling is sufciently raised.

Let them feel what others will experience as a result of their wildly irresponsible actions.

Evaluating bail laws should be evidence-based

“Evidence-Based Legislation” is a modern concept in democratic legislatures requiring that laws must be based on evidence, science, and fact.

On Nov. 11, 2022, for example, a bipartisan resolution was introduced in the U. S. House of Representatives to establish a commission on evidence-based policymaking which would recommend methods to bring evidence-based policymaking into the legislative process.

To be sure, laws should be based on facts, not on surmise, fear, or superstition. Interestingly, fear of crime was a major theme in our recent Long Island elections, with the Republicans using it to their political advantage.

One of their scapegoats was the change to New York’s bail laws. While campaigning on a promise to erase those changes, they failed to ofer any alternatives.

It will be helpful to review the legislative changes to our bail laws over the course of the last four years.

In 2019, too many defendants remained in pre-trial detention because

they couldn’t pay small amounts of bail.

As a result, the bail laws were changed so judges would not set bail on a lengthy list of misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. For the crimes that remained bail-eligible, judges were to consider the ability to pay bail and were to set the least restrictive conditions.

The law was met with anger from prosecutors, judges, police, and Republican politicians. With neither evidence nor proof, the change to the law was labeled as the cause for the commission of crimes, which rose during the pandemic in 2020.In April of 2020, additional crimes were made bail eligible, including sex trafcking, grand larceny, second-degree burglary, vehicular assault and any crime resulting in death.

Explicit language was added mandating that judges consider criminal history in setting bail. Bail could be set on ‘persistent ofenders’ when new felonies were committed by those on probation or parole even when ofens-

es were not violent. More judicial discretion was enacted in 2022. Judges were empowered to consider specifc factors such as whether the crime involved “serious harm” to another and whether the defendant had a history of possession and or use of a weapon. Judges were given the explicit authority to set bail on repeat ofenders when the charge involved harm to

people or property.

Bail was authorized for repeat ofenders. Gun crimes were made bail eligible. In spite of the efort to politicize bail, what was supposed to be a “red wave” in November turned out to be more of a “red herring” for New York Republicans, with Gov. Hochul winning election to a full term and both the Senate and Assembly remaining frmly in Democratic hands.

No evidence linked bail reform to the 2020-21 increase in crime. Driven by the pandemic,violent crime rose nationally in 2020 and 2021 in Republican- and Democratic-controlled states and cities.

It rose in states that had not enacted reforms to their bail systems, with easy access to guns serving as an aggravating factor in the overwhelming majority of murders. Statistics released by New York’s Division of Criminal Justice Services in September of 2022show that in 2019, before bail reform, 19% of those released on cash bail were rearrested. In 2021, after bail reform, that number was 20%.

In 2019, 18% of those released without bail (released on their own recognizance), were rearrested. In 2021, however, only 16% of those released on their own recognizance were rearrested.

Both the Assembly and Senate will conduct a joint legislative public hearing to examine the data on crime statistics and ways to improve data collection on Monday, Jan. 30. The hearing will also examine how the Legislature can best use the data to expand or implement responsive solutions to emerging trends in crime.

While joint legislative fact-fnding hearings are not the norm, the legislature fully recognizes the signifcance of the need to provide for public safety. It recognizes as well that the only way to promote public safety is through “Evidence-Based Legislation.”

The hearing will be streamed through the Assembly and Senate websites and will be archived for public viewing Charles Lavine is the state Assemblyman for the 13th District

Is respect really the issue with policing?

The murder in Memphis of Tyre Nichols, a Black man, by fve Black police ofcers is a tragedy and a puzzle. Many of us have been led to believe that the murder of young Black men in police custody is the result of racism. It often seems to be the case. But here we have Black police killing a Black man. What can this mean?

I think the argument that police killings have a lot to do with police culture and the socialization of police recruits to demand respect as a defensive mechanism has merit. This certainly seems to be the case in Memphis, where an ofcer was heard calling for Nichols to “stop and show respect.”

It has been thought for decades that ofcers who used force only as a last resort were more likely to end up dead. Consequently, the imperative promoted by the Department of Justice was the “warrior mind-set,” teaching, as one study asserted, “to see almost any civilian as a potentially lethal weapon.”

The urgency with which police and others demand respect is striking for several reasons. First, their demands fail

to acknowledge that respect is a twoway exchange; second, they ignore the fact that individual and group respect are not permanent. No one can demand respect and expect the results to be either honest or permanent.

It makes sense for those who have been subjected to bias and incivility personally or historically to want respect. Indeed, I assume that everyone wants respect as a simple fact of his or her humanity. This includes police, too. It also is true that racism, antisemitism and other forms of prejudice are not only active in our society, but also deny respect to those who are the subject of discrimination and uncivil actions.

We should assert in our schools and houses of worship, and especially in our homes, that others should be respected for their humanity even if they are different from us. But there is a diference between respect for humanity at large, respect for ethnic, national, religious, community, and racial groups in general, and respect for any individual.

While individual respect must be earned, group respect (often thought

of as respect for diversity) and general respect must be ofered freely. An individual’s actions should no more refect poorly on an ethnic, national, racial, religious or professional group than a group’s actions should refect poorly on all of humanity. But respect in these larger contexts cannot mitigate the disrespectful behavior of an individual. I

THE DESK OF JOSHUA

respect you frst as a human, second as an individual. This is the truth that some ignore.

However, individual respect can be regained through efort: by being sincere and helping others, by showing concern, by acting as part of a group which is trying to be positive.

Respect is lost by acting in a callous manner, by disregarding others, by insincerity or by belittling the place and relevance of others. When someone “demands” respect and does so in a manner which itself is disrespectful, he or she not only misses the point but also demeans the issue.

A school, college, university or a courtroom is a precious place. It is where truth in whatever form should be pursued without hindrance. It is where freedom of speech must be protected to the utmost. It is place where diversity – of background, ethnicity, nationality, religion, ideas – should be valued. It also is a place where civil discourse and respect for one another is essential if a full and honest exchange of views is to be assured.

LAFAZAN

Without common courtesy, ears are closed. When ears are closed, there can be no mutual respect. We must learn to disagree without being disagreeable. Those who shout the loudest for respect do the least to gain it.

These are difcult times when relations between groups are strained. I would hope that, even in times like these, families, clergy and teachers would prepare children with the basic values of civility, courtesy, sincerity and respect for others. We should demand the same of our politicians and police.

Those in positions of authority teach by their actions. When they fail to respect others, when they view others as the enemy without cause, they convey a message that such behavior is acceptable. It is not. When this happens, our national values – freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, democracy itself – are disrespected and put in jeopardy.

Robert A. Scott is president Emeritus of Adelphi University: Author, “How University Boards Work,” Johns Hopkins University Press, Eric Hofer Book Awardee

Santos offers chance to improve government

“Make lemonade out of lemons” is a saying ingrained from an early age in students across the country to teach perseverance in the face of adversity.

In essence, when faced with a bad situation, navigate the current circumstances to imagine a positive outcome.

When it comes to George Santos, it’s far easier to imagine a steady stream of lemon juice squirted directly into our eyes rather than heeding such an elementary maxim.

Each new day seems to bring a new lie with it, one more outrageous than the next. From a fake resume to a fake address, to a fake religion,

and more, George Santos remains defant as ever in the face of his masterpiece: the most sophisticated web of lies ever created in the history of American politics.

The good news is that people of good conscience all across NY’s 3rd District, irrespective of partisan afliation, are exasperated by the “Talented Mr. Santos” and have had enough. Calls for Santos to resign ring out from the headquarters of both the Nassau Democrats and the Nassau GOP. But being outraged is not a sufcient enough solution to our George Santos problem.

Yes, George Santos is an issue for the nation, but he’s also a problem

JOSHUA LAFAZAN Nassau County Legislator

of our local creation. And therefore the burden lies with us here in NY-03 not just to destroy Frankenstein’s monster, but to ensure that the next George Santos is barred from ever putting their name on the ballot.

And what George Santos, the long-lost brother of fake German heiress Anna Delvey, has shown us is that guardrails to prevent charlatans and liars from running for ofce simply don’t exist in the 21st century.

That’s why I’ve proposed the G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE here in Nassau County, an eponymousseries of laws named for Mr. Santos: Get

Egregious Ofcials Removed from Government Elections.

This package includes several law proposals to safeguard against individuals like Mr. Santos from ever getting elected in the frst place. They include: Mandatory background checks for all candidates, just like every other employee is subjected to. Barring anyone with an open foreign arrest warrant from holding ofce.

Making it a misdemeanor to lie about a candidate’s education, employment history, address, and income sources.

Continued on Page 43

IRS employees doing a needed job for us

Writer Alvin Goldberg was entirely correct in his Jan. 20 letter asserting that the planned addition of 87,000 IRS agents will be a net beneft to the federal budget rather than an expense that refects solely the cost of their salaries and benefts. It is historically and demonstrably true that the skilled CPAs who examine taxpayer returns are able to discern errors, whether or not deliberate, that ultimately result in increased taxpayer obligations that, when corrected, add to federal revenues—and hence reduce federal budget defcits, against which Republican ofcials and candidates for ofce com-

monly protest. However, the merit of Mr. Goldberg’s point should be extended beyond the relatively short-term dollars-and—cents results obtained from a current-year audit.

Contrary to widespread assumptions, the essential job of the IRS agents is not to browbeat taxpayers for the fnancial equivalent of the Shakespearean pound of fesh. It is, rather, to do their best to see that all taxpayers, whether individuals, households, or businesses, abide by the tax code in accurately reporting their incomes, expenses, and net taxable income and to spot errors and/or omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertently.

Those agents do not determine the federal government’s revenues or expenses, or how the U.S. Treasury copes with the resultant budget defcits. Their objective, as trained CPAs, is to ensure compliance with the tax laws as written. and, secondarily, to make corrections of errors which, on some relatively rare occasions, result in overpayments and refunds but more often require additional taxes and sometimes penalties for deliberate misstatements of income and/or deductible expenses.

But the primary contribution that the IRS makes to the American system of governance is, in my opinion, the

very fact of its existence. The awareness among taxpayers, and at least as signifcantly among accountants, that the IRS can conduct audits of returns is a fairly potent motivation to abide by the regulations in the tax code. Indeed, it’s fairly safe to say that if there were no IRS, there would be as good as zero compliance with a “voluntary” tax system not subject to enforcement.

It may be possible to design a system of taxation that doesn’t depend on a percentage of reported incomes to obtain the revenues needed to pay for the government’s functions— e.g., maintaining the military, operating the federal court system, protection and

care of our national parks, etc. But until and unless such a better means of obtaining the funds necessary to pay for those essential government services, we are stuck with the burden of fling our tax returns annually and of doing our best to avoid errors— again, whether deliberate or inadvertent—that might lead an IRS auditor to question them and, as a result, to require sending the U.S. Treasury another check for payment due.

Robert I. Adler Port Washington

FROM

What’s our greatest asset at The Bristal Assisted Living communities? It’s the lifetime of interests and experiences you bring to it. After all, that’s what makes you special. A caring team that spends the time getting to know you so you can continue nurturing, sharing and exploring those interests? Well, that’s what makes us special, too.

See for yourself. Explore all of our locations in the tri-state area.

thebristal.com

YOUR GUIDE TO THE ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING

NATURE FRAMED AT HECKSCHER MUSEUM

Since the invention of the camera, photographers have enthralled viewers by interpreting the natural world. Viewfinders: Photographers Fame Nature explores artists’ varied responses to the relationship between nature and humans.

These lens-based works reveal the divergent ways in which nature continues to fuel documentation of the human experience and imagination—from images symbolizing the untamed power of nature to those where the landscape has been abused for human consumption. It traces the lure of photography through five themes culminating in contemporary times where every person with a smartphone has the power to “frame nature.”

Photographers Frame Nautre is now open at the Heckscher Museum through April 16.

Guest Curator Susan Van Scoy, associate professor of art history at St. Joseph’s University, has selected black and white, color, and digital photography, photomontage, and video, dating from the late 19th century to the present from the Museum’s permanent collection.

Legendary American photographic artists such as Edward Steichen, Larry Fink, and Berenice Abbott are represented, as are newly acquired photographs by Kenji Nakahashi and Jeremy Dennis. Dr. Van Scoy also selected a substantial number of works by notable Long Island image makers.

More than 70 works will be grouped thematically into five sections: Picturesque, Wild Nature, Denatured, Abstract, and Imaginative Nature.

“Landscape and photography have always been closely intertwined—in fact, the world’s first automatic photograph was a landscape and photography was first referred to as ‘sun pictures’ or ‘drawings from nature,” said Van Scoy. “Artists have long used landscape as a vehicle to explore other issues such as poetry, spirituality, philosophy, and environmentalism. The images featured in Viewfinders are no exception—they are teeming with hidden meaning.“

Picturesque is the most popular type of landscape photography and follows a formula used in early 17th-century paintings. We expect a pretty landscape to include a central shimmering body of water, framed by trees. Later, landscape architects followed the formula in designing New York’s Central Park, and Huntington’s Caumsett Historic Park Preserve, and photographers followed in capturing the images. Caumsett Park

was a favorite of photographers N. Jay Jaffee and Neil Scholl whose work is featured in Viewfinders Wild Nature is in many ways the opposite of the picturesque. It features vast, rugged natural scenes emphasizing the power of nature. At photography’s infancy, photographers flocked to places such as Niagara Falls to create sublime views that contributed to American nationalist iconography as well as a robust tourist industry. The hunger for sublime views and the thrill of adventure continues today with extreme travel reality shows, adventure programs, and photography on social media. [Image: George Barker, Niagara Falls, 1888, albumen print. Gift of Neil Scholl.]

Denatured reveals what happens when humans try to control or degrade the land causing the natural qualities of a landscape to be removed or permanently altered. Photographs in this section feature urban congestion, industrialization, and attempts to control nature.

Abstract landscapes discarded the standard compositional formats and narrative in place of close-up, cropped, dynamic perspectives without any reference to human touch —as seen in William Eggleston’s “Jamaica Botanical Series,” with close-ups of palms and ferns. The results were that nature became more about a spectacular “image.”

Imaginative Nature is the most ecologically minded landscape category in the exhibition. Here, artists create cut-and-paste collages, recycle found objects, reverse tones, and rely on reflective surfaces to create new, energetic landscapes that bring out the magical, whimsical quality of the natural world. For example, Barbara Roux creates mise-en-scènes in wooded areas with frames or mirrors placed against a leafy ground. The use of framed mirrors reflects the scene back to the viewer and connects them to nature, underlining human’s direct effect on the natural world.

Dr. Van Scoy is writing an essay for the brochure accompanying the exhibition.

Kenji Nakahashi,Trimming, 1987, chromogenic color print. Anonymous gift in memory of Kenji Nakahashi.

AND A BLANK SLATE MEDIA SPECIAL SECTION FEBRUARY 3, 2023

What students can do to rebound in the second half of the year

Students begin a new school year hoping to do their best in the classroom. When those hopes are overcome by academic struggles, students may need a little help to get back on track.

Students and their parents must keep in mind that no school year is derailed by a poor performance in the year’s opening months. There’s plenty of time for students to rebound, and the following are some ways for students to get back on strong academic footing.

• Make it a collective effort. Rebounding from a difficult start to the school year may require a collective effort on the part of students, their parents and educators. Concerned parents can reach out to teachers to learn where students are struggling and seek recommendations about what to do to help them rebound. Once those areas are identified, students, parents and educations can work together to devise a plan to help kids improve.

• Ask to move seats. A 2020 study published in the journal PLOS One found that sitting further from the instructor negatively impacted students’ grades. Authors of the study, which examined the responses of more than 1,360 students, concluded that, while the evidence is mixed, students who choose to sit nearer to the front of the classroom will do better than those who sit in the back. Students who are struggling can ask to move seats if they’ve been sitting in the back of

the class.

• Go over class notes each day. Lectures require significant note-taking, and many students scribble notes as fast as possible so they can keep up. Scribbled notes may be hard to decipher days after a lecture, but they’re more likely to be understood immediately after class or when students arrive home at night. Going over notes at the end of the day or after each class, and even transcribing them from notebooks into typed documents, can help students grasp material more effectively. Typed notes also can make study sessions the night before a test more effective.

• Reserve daily quiet study time. Rebounding from a difficult start to the school year will likely require a daily commitment to performing better in the classroom. Daily study time in a quiet setting, whether that’s at home or at the library, can provide the time students need to focus on their studies without distractions getting in the way. Turn smartphone and device notifications off during study time. Students can even keep a study log to track what they’re studying and the amount of time they study each day. This log can be useful if students need to determine which areas require more time down the road. A school year is long, so students who struggle at the start of the year still have plenty of time to get back on track and achieve their academic goals.

Steps for starting a club at school

Awell-rounded school experience is comprised of a host of variables. Academics are an important part of being a student, but extracurricular activities are valuable as well. In addition to sports, clubs comprise extracurricular activities that students can enjoy.

Many schools have dozens of clubs that students can join. However, if students can't find one that correlates with a particular passion or interest, they are often welcome to start one that does. Each school has its own protocols, but this rundown can help students start a club at school.

· Think about ideas. Figure out where there may be deficits in club offerings and brainstorm ideas with like-minded friends. Talk about activities you enjoy, such as fishing, skiing or reading, and build a club around it.

· Identify a mission. Before moving forward with a club, define its purpose or mission. Will the club be built around entertainment, learning new skills, landing a job, or doing community service? Defining your mission will help guide the planning process.

· Be sure to get permission. Follow the school's rules when forming a new club. Check with the school principal or another school official who oversees extracurricular activities to find out the right way to establish a club.

· Find a sponsor for the club. Oftentimes clubs require a moderator or sponsor that is an administrator in the school. If you have a particularly good rapport with a teacher at your school, ask this teacher if he or she would be

willing to dedicate time to overseeing your new club. Sometimes it is better to find a teacher whose area of interest matches that of the club. For example, a French language teacher may be able to sponsor the French Club.

· Decide where the club meets. In addition to figuring out why you want to start this club, map out the logistics. This includes where

the club will meet. Some schools may have rooms set up for club meetings; otherwise, you may need to take your club to a library or a recreation center in your community. In addition, determine when meetings will occur and the frequency of those gatherings.

· Advertise the club and recruit title holders. A club will need an organizational body of

other students to be successful. As the club initiator you may serve as president. However, a treasurer, secretary, marketing person/ recruiter, and others may be needed. People in these roles can help keep the club running smoothly.

These guidelines can serve as a solid foundation when developing a new school club.

What students can do to block out distractions in the classroom

An ability to focus in the classroom can go a long way toward helping students achieve their academic goals. But distractions lurk in every corner, making it easier than ever to succumb to a lack of focus.

Maintaining focus in the classroom can be difficult in the digital age, but students can try various strategies to block out distractions once class begins.

· Disconnect your devices. A 2020 report from the nonprofit association Educause found that the majority of students report connecting two or more devices to campus Wi-Fi each day. Devices often serve as useful tools that augment classroom lessons, but they also can distract students. Students can turn off notifications on their phones and tablets before class begins so that familiar ping does not sound during lectures and lessons. In addition, unless devices are necessary during a class, students can store them in places where they won't be tempted to check for messages or other alerts when they should be learning. Storing devices in a separate pocket in a backpack or even in a locker outside the classroom can remove the temptation to log on during class.

· Prepare for class in advance. Organizing before class can help students stay focused when a teacher is lecturing,

explaining classroom material or engaging students in a discussion. Students who can't readily access their notes, books or assignments may be forced to spend valuable class time looking for such materials, thus distracting them from the lesson.

· Bring questions to class. Students who jot down questions about a subject prior to class are more likely to be engaged once class begins. Students can ask their questions during the lesson and listen intently to hear if their teacher or professor is answering their questions during their lecture. Either way, bringing questions to class and going over them before class begins can help students narrow their focus to the subject at hand, reducing the likelihood that they'll succumb to distractions.

· Sit in the front of class. Students who are having trouble focusing can try sitting in the front of class. Sitting in the front ensures students can hear their teachers or professors, and sitting so close might subconsciously compel students to perk up so they're not caught wandering. Devices and other distractions can easily compromise students' focus in the classroom. But various strategies can help students focus so they can perform better academically.

Renowned pianist at the Port Washington Library

The Music Advisory council presents Aristo Sham for a special performance at the library.

He was hailed by “The Washington Post” as a young artist with “boundless potential” who can “already hold his own with the best.”

Pianist Aristo Sham has dazzled audiences on fve continents in countries ranging from Singapore and Argentina to Slovenia, Morocco, and throughout the United States.

Sham will appear on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 3:00 pm at the Port Washington Public Library at 1 Library Drive in Port Washington.

5 reasons to see live classical music with kids

A concert designed just for kids can be the best way to introduce children to the joys of live classical music, especially when there’s an interactive component to the program.

These concerts delight the senses, making for an afternoon of family fun. And research shows that live concerts ofer kids a host of developmental benefts including accelerated brain function and a chance to engage with and connect emotionally to what they hear.

Most of all, live classical music concerts are the kind of shared experience that kids of all ages can enjoy. That’s why Sands Point Preserve Conservancy is eager to welcome the Northwinds Symphonic Band at The Great Hall on Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. for a child-friendly and entertaining hour of music for the whole family – parents included.

The afternoon’s lineup features “Tubby the Tuba,” one of the most famous symphonic narrated works for children. Listeners will meet Tubby, the under-appreciated tuba; Peepo the Piccolo; and a kindly singing bullfrog. Originally designed as a vehicle for music education, Tubby also imparts life lessons of friendship, encouragement and overcoming obstacles.

Inspired by a Civil Warera train chase, the band will bring to life a locomotive, racing through the concert hall as they perform “The Great

Locomotive Chase.” Through the composer’s use of percussive sounds and extended techniques, the audience will climb on board for the ride as they hear the clang of a train bell and hiss of a steam engine.

The program also includes “American Fiddle Tune Variations” by Long Island composer Carl Strommen, selections from Disney’s Broadway musical, “The Lion King,” and a rousing march by Port Washington’s own, John Philip Sousa.

There’s a brief intermission, and also audience participation. One member from each section of the band will demonstrate their instrument. And during the interactive portion of the afternoon, children will have the opportunity to choose their favorite instrument and even try their hand at conducting.

Here are fve reasons to bring a child to an afternoon

of live music:

• Exposure to classical music can help develop children’s listening and concentration skills.

• Listening to classical music can accelerate brain development, boosting language development and reading skills as well as sound and speech perception.

• Children can develop a personal, emotional connection to the musical pieces.

• Classical music can instill a sense of positivity.

• Children can feel calm and relaxed when listening to classical music.

Because seating for this event is limited, advance ticket purchases are encouraged.

Visit the Sands Point Preserve’s website for tickets and more information. Children 12 years and under are free and adult tickets are $20. Ticket purchase includes parking and access to the Preserve grounds.

Face Vocal Band: SingStrong 2023 @ 9am

Adelphi University, 1 South Ave, Garden City

Mike Delguidice & Big ShotCelebrating The Music Of Billy Joel @ 8pm / $20-$60

The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Hunting‐ton

Band of Make Believe @ 11:30pm

Nutty Irishman, 323 Main St, Farmingdale

Brooklyn Nets vs. Washington Wizards @ 6pm Barclays Center, Atlantic Av‐enue, Brooklyn

Joe Pianos @ 6pm

Belfast Gastropub, 101 N Well‐wood Ave, Lindenhurst

Monster Jam @ 7pm UBS Arena, 2150

Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont

The Toby Tobias

Ensemble: Toby Tobias Solo at Heckscher Museum of Art @ 7pm

The Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave, Huntington

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

Long Island Nets Vs. Motor City Cruise @ 7pm / $20-$202

Nassau Veterans Memorial Col‐iseum, 1255 Hempstead Turn‐pike, Uniondale

Otan Vargas: The Wine Cellar on Main @ 8pm

The Wine Cellar on Main, 70 Main St, Northport

From Broadway With Love @ 8pm / $59

Tilles Center - Krasnoff Theater, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville

THE LI COMEDY FESTIVAL RETURNS!

February 4th at 8:00pm @ 8pm / $30

BY POPULAR DE‐MAND…THE LONG IS‐LAND COMEDY FESTI‐VAL RETURNS TO GCAC! Join us for an‐other evening of laugh‐ter and fun as we pre‐sent February Funny Fest at Gold Coast Arts Center! Gold Coast Arts Center, 113 Middle Neck Road, Great Neck. schildkrautc@ goldcoastarts.org, 516724-3130

Sun 2/05

Tue 2/07

Roslyn - FAST Adult Bootcamp - 7:15am8:15am @ 7:15am / $320

Feb 7th - Apr 4th

FAST Roslyn, 340 Wheatley Plaza, Roslyn. 516-801-3533

Friday Feb 3rd

Long Island Metro Fire/EMS Expo

@ 3pm / $17-$20

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale

The New York State Association of Fire Chiefs and the Islip Town Fire/EMS Museum Educational Center have partnered once again to deliver this exciting emergency services exposition and educational event on Long Island.

Kelli Baker (solo) LIVE at Bar Petite in Huntington

Village

@ 7pm Bar Petite, 56 Stewart Ave, Huntington

Cuthbert Live: Solo at Mac Arthur Park @ 6pm MacArthur Park, 1 Maple Ave, Rockville Centre

Great Neck Winter Market @ 10am Great Neck Indoor Win‐ter Market Great Neck House, 14 Arrandale Avenue, Great Neck. deeprootsfarmersmar ket@gmail.com, 516318-5487

Sarah Silverman: Grow Some Lips

@ 7pm / $39.50-$89.50

The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Hunting‐ton

Mon 2/06

Brooklyn Nets vs. LA Clippers @ 7:30pm Barclays Center, Atlantic Av‐enue, Brooklyn

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New York Islanders vs. Seattle Kraken @ 7:30pm / $31-$1000

UBS Arena, 2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Belmont Park - Long Island

thereal.KATH @ 7pm Willistons', 17 Hillside Avenue, Williston Park

Long Island Nets Vs. Sioux Falls Skyforce @ 7pm / $20-$202

Nassau Veterans Memorial Col‐iseum, 1255 Hempstead Turn‐pike, Uniondale

Wed 2/08 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Karen Bella @ 7pm

Bar Petite, 56 Stewart Ave, Huntington

The Man In Black: Tribute To Johnny Cash

@ 8pm / $24.50-$59.50

The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Hunting‐ton

After School ProgramsFlorence Brownstein at Chabad - Toddlers

12:05pm - 7 Classes

@ 12:05pm / $175

Feb 10th - Mar 31st

Chabad of Port Washington Gym, 80 Shore Road, Port Washington. 516-801-3533

PCLI WorkshopLight Painting

Portraits @ 7:30pm

Join the Photography Club of Long Island (PCLI) on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 7:30 PM in the auditorium of the Port Washington Li‐brary for a hands on workshop with Mike DiRenzo on light paint‐ing. Port Washington Public Library, 1 Library Drive, Port Washington. susantiff18@gmail.com, 516-680-2711

Thu 2/09

Dan Reardon

@ 5pm Teddy's Bully Bar, 46 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay

Port Washington – Bolt Basketball Academy –Friday 4pm - 5pm – 7

Classes @ 4pm / $230

Feb 10th - Mar 31st

Chabad of Port Washington Gym, 80 Shore Road, Port Washington. 516-801-3533

Junior Waterman Class: Friday 2/10 (5:005:45pm) @ 5pm / $20

Hollywood Health Club Pool, 265 E. Park Ave., Long Beach. 516-978-7946

FAST Roslyn - Friday Night Flag Football Fun - 02/10 @ 5:30pm / $50 FAST Roslyn, 340 Wheatley Plaza, Roslyn. 516-801-3533

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Amateur Boxing Road To The Garden @ 6:30pm / $30

Amateur Boxing Road To The Garden Doors Open 630 pm 7 pm Start 186 Jericho Turn‐pike, Mineola. danan nx2@optimum.net, 516840-3556

The Como Brothers @ 7pm FIRE ISLAND VINES (FIV), 17 E Main St, Bay Shore

Dallas Brass @ Valley Stream Public Schools @ 7pm Valley Stream Central High School, 135 Fletcher Ave, Val‐ley Stream

Darlene Love @ 8pm / $68-$88

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love Returns to Port Wash‐ington Jeanne Rimsky Theater, 232 Main Street, Port Washing‐ton. info@landmarkon mainstreet.org, 516767-6444

Phil Smith @ 9pm

The Wine Cellar on Main, 70 Main St, Northport

powered by

Clamming

I remember rising in the early hours to go with my father or a friend. At dawn we’d walk the shallows to fnd their little breathing holes in the mud. The smell of the bays and mud returns to me at times, and a sense of the fowing current.

Egrets and gulls had their space, part of the design to which we belong.

Among the reeds I’d sometimes fnd a shark tooth. Back on shore I used to see the shell middens left under the bright sun by those long gone and wondered about them.

Because I lived here not just anywhere I used to fnd a lot of clams and oysters, and slept under the stars until the sun spilled forth. Walked with the afternoon rain through temples of forest, and trembled when thunder exploded out of itself into bright noise.

I remember the clam bakes on the beach at night with friends from college. Everyone was humming, happy. How we cling to the roads we know and reach the crossroads, searching for what was wonderful, exciting, familiar.

Stephen

Strong bladder required to ride NYC subways

NYC Transit President Richard Davey’s announcement that his agency has reopened nine more subway station bathrooms on top of the seven last year was disappointing. Riders can only access them between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. They will be closed between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. New York City is a 24/7 town, just like the subway system.

This still leaves us with a full bladder and no place to go during those hours and all day long at 455 of the other 471 subway stations that are still closed or never had bathrooms. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber continues to fail in applying equity when it comes to NYC Transit subway riders vs. Metro North and Long Island Rail Road. Their commuters having access to clean safe bathrooms.

I guess when riding the subways, both he and Davey have never had the urge to go. Perhaps their bladders are stronger than most riders’ or they wear Depends to and from work. Many of the 3 million-plus subway or commuter rail riders who utilize existing restrooms on a daily basis would disagree with both.

LIRR restrooms at Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal, Jamaica Station and dozens of other stations are open. MNRR Grand Central Terminal and dozens of other stations are open. The LIRR has new modern stateof-the-art bathrooms at Grand Central Madi-

son. Staten Island Railway passengers have direct access to both the NYC Department of Transportation Staten Island St. George and Manhattan Whitehall Street Ferry Terminal restrooms. Lieber forgot that the previous NYC Transit president, Sarah Feinberg, in June 2021 said she would like to reopen all closed subway station bathrooms as quickly as possible.

Why 19 months later are we still waiting? When will the MTA and NYC Transit make the budget and give detailed schedules for reopening all current bathrooms closed as a result of COVID-19?.There are 130 existing bathrooms at 70 of 472 subway stations.

Reopening secure, safe bathrooms with adequate supplies of toilet paper, soap and hot water would be one way to attract 2 million former pre-COVID-19 riders who have yet to return. Access to a public restroom is a basic human right. Within the $51 billion 2020-2024 Five Year Capital Plan funding can be found to reopen all existing bathrooms. Bringing more subway stations into compliance with the Americans for Disabilities Act should also include construction of restroom facilities at those stations lacking such amenities. The MTA will be eligible for $1.8 billion in funding from the Federal Transit Administration in 2023. The MTA historically has allocated 70% of these annual federal funds for NYC Transit. These funds

can be used for both bathroom improvements to existing or construction of new restrooms. Funds can also be programmed for preventative maintenance. Why doesn’t the MTA add functioning restrooms to the NYC Transit Capital Program? Use federal funds to pay for these improvements. Coordinate the scheduling of bathroom cleaning with assignment of police who patrol stations. They can provide employees with a level of comfort when cleaning.

You could also hire a private sector company to maintain and clean bathrooms. Offer the private sector the ability to adopt a station bathroom in exchange for free station advertising. Do the same with companies that provide bathroom cleaning products and supplies..Hundreds of MTA HQ employees at 2 Broadway along with many of the thousands of NYC Transit employees have access to clean safe restroom facilities24/7.

Paying customers and 100% of NYC Transit employees deserve no less.

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 Ofce of Operations and Program Management.

Hochul vetoes wrongful death bill

Gov. Hochul deserves praise from the medical community in Nassau County and New York State for giving legislation to increase wrongful death awards signifcant consideration. “This broad, far-reaching law has serious unexpected repercussions, particularly for our already troubled healthcare system,” as Gov. Hochul observed in her New York Daily News op-ed.

Together with the Medical Society of the State of New York, Nassau County is prepared to collaborate with the governor and the Legislature to create updated laws that guarantee legal recourse for bereaved families while safeguarding the capacity of doctors, hospi-

tals, and healthcare professionals to continue giving our patients the care they expect and deserve.

If our prices signifcantly increase, we will not be able to do that because we are the state with the highest liability insurance expenses. Physicians practicing in underserved communities would be disproportionately afected by the fees.

Despite having a top-notch healthcare system, New York is one of the least desired states for doctors to practice medicine. We must take action to guarantee that our state recruits and keeps licensed doctors who can ofer our residents high-quality medical treatment.

We would like to recognize and express our gratitude to Dr. Parag Mehta, President of the Medical Society of the State of New York, for his fearless determination and to the staf, partners, and doctors of our great state who worked tirelessly to achieve more equitable results.

Again, we are grateful to Gov. Hochul for her request for a modifed version of this law that safeguards the healthcare requirements of every New Yorker.

Dr. David Podwall President of the Nassau County Medical Society

Town of North Hempstead Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte, who championed the reseeding of more than 1 million oysters in Manhasset Bay over the last several years, and worked in collaboration with the Cornell Cooperative Extension.

The shocking police treatment of Tyre Nichols

Iwas appalled and distressed watching the video in Memphis, Tenn. where fve black police ofcers had beaten a black motorist Tyre Nichols, who later died three days later.

This senseless beating in my opinion was an egregious and nefarious attack on a defenseless human being. But this should never have happened.

These ofcers were fred and will be tried for second-degree murder. Let me also

point out that the majority of our police nationwide have pledged to serve and protect and do so with dedication, courage and honor to protect us in our various communities.

It is so very sad there are the few police ofcers who act in a barbaric way that puts a bad light on the many police ofcers who do their job serving and protecting the many who need protection from those who commit crimes.

As such my heartfelt prayers goes out

to Tyre’s mother, Row Vaughn Wells who is grieving over the loss of her son. I also pray for peace in our nation over the release of this barbaric video.

In the protests that occur and will occur may it be peaceful as Tyre’s mother has called for.

Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Bellerose

Cipot Garden City Park

PHOTO BY ERIN MOLYNEUX

Joy Fu seniors celebrate new year Cannabis safety tips for parents

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, Council Member Veronica Lurvey, and Town Clerk Ragini Srivastava recently attended the Joy Fu Seniors’ Lunar New Year Celebration on Jan. 23 at Michael J. Tully Park in New Hyde Park.

The Joy Fu Club is a senior citi-

zen social organization centered on Chinese heritage that features activities for members including ping pong, Mah Jong, chess, arts & crafts, exercise, and cultural education. Sunday, January 22 marked the beginning of the Lunar New Year ushering in the Year of the Rabbit.

Observing Holocaust Remembrance Day

Nassau County Legislator Arnold W. Drucker (D-Plainview) joined with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, religious leaders and his colleagues in government on Wednesday, Jan. 25 to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day with a dome lighting ceremony at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive & Legislative Building.

The observance came two days before the ofcial observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Friday, Jan. 27, which coincides with the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1945.

“On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we pay solemn tribute to the lives of the 6 million Jewish victims and millions more innocent people who perished at the hands of Nazi barbarism,” Legislator Drucker said. “As we continue to combat the ugly scourge of hatred around the world, we must remain unwavering in our commitment to educating future generations and standing up to antisemitism and bigotry at every opportunity. May the light of the memories of the victims of the Holocaust be our beacon as we fulfll our solemn pledge to never forget the lessons of history.”

Dr. Eric Levene, pediatrician with Allied Physicians Group, New York State’s largest independent pediatric provider, and his colleagues urge parents to learn about how to protect their children from accidental consumption of cannabis products.

New laws in New York State allow the licensed sale of marijuana to those 21 years of age or older. Now that cannabis is legal for recreational use, many parents are unaware of the hazards and dangers of having edible cannabis in their homes or in homes of friends and relatives.

“At Allied Physicians Group, we have always been concerned about drug and alcohol use by teens. However, with the signifcant national rise in accidental consumption and overdoses with young children, we now must focus on educating parents about responsible cannabis use and storage,” said Levene.

Parents need to know the facts:

It is illegal to drive while high as it impairs cognitive motor skills and decision-making. Drivers who are high will be charged with a DUI and will face the same penalties as they were drinking and driving.

According to Leandra’s Law, penalties for driving impaired with children under 16 in a vehicle are greater than when driving alone.

Edible marijuana takes longer to enter a person’s system and this process can take up to several hours.

For children, cannabis harms developing brains, impacts the ability to think

and solve problems, afects memory loss, reduces coordination and causes difculty maintaining attention.

Cannabis potency has steadily increased over the years. Even small amounts can have long-term impacts on children.

Tips for safely securing cannabis:

Keep marijuana and cannabis products in secure places well out of the reach of children.

Ensure that all edible and other cannabis products are kept in a lockable, safe storing container that children do not have access to.

Make sure all edible and other cannabis products are out of sight and never left out.

Talk with children about the dangers of using cannabis.

“For those who buy cannabis products, secure them like you would alcohol or medications in the home. Lock them away, do not keep them anywhere near the kitchen or places where families

normally eat. Today, edible cannabis is packaged to look like ordinary candies and goods with familiar-looking brand names and graphics. They can easily be confused for treats like gummy bears, lollipops and baked goods like cookies or brownies,” said Dr. Levene.

For parents, it is important to know the signs and be aware if your child has accidentally consumed marijuana. Young children who unintentionally ingest a marijuana/cannabis product it can have the following efects: increased heart rate, vomiting, slurring of words, lack of coordination, dizziness, paranoia, anxiousness and difculty breathing.

As more states across the nation legalize the use of recreational marijuana, there have been reports of children under the age of 12 consuming edible cannabis. Between 2017 and 2022, The U.S. Poison Control Centers have reported more than 7,000 kids under the age of 6 have eaten marijuana edibles.

Accidentally consuming edibles is a risk for children that can result in the need for emergency medical attention. Harmful efects can include difculty breathing, impaired motor skills and vomiting. If your child has ingested edible marijuana, immediately call poison control, 1-800-222-1222.

If your child is exhibiting any of the symptoms listed, immediately take your child to the hospital or call 911. For more information about cannabis safety and how to get in touch with a pediatrician, please visit Allied Pediatrics’ website, www.alliedpediatrics.com.

tumbling

Long Island University Director of Athletics Dr. William E. Martinov Jr. has announced the addition of a women’s acrobatics & tumbling program to the University’s athletics department, with recruitment for 2023 underway and competition beginning in spring 2024.

A national search for a head coach has begun.

“Long Island University welcomes the addition of an acrobatics and tumbling program as we provide new opportunities for female athletes who are skilled in gymnastics and cheer to compete in Division I athletics while pursuing an elite education,” said Martinov. “Acrobatics & Tumbling is an emerging sport nationwide and we look forward to welcoming some of the best student-athletes across the country to Shark Nation.”

Long Island University is the eighth program to sponsor Acrobatics & Tumbling at the NCAA Division I level.

Acrobatics & Tumbling is the evolution of diferent forms of gymnastics. The sport involves tumbling, tosses, acrobatic lifts and pyramids. Competitors in this sport demonstrate signifcant strength, power, fexibility, and balance in their skill set.

The National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association is the governing body for Acrobatics & Tumbling.

The NCATA exists to provide leadership, governance, and education for the sport of Acrobatics & Tumbling at the collegiate level based on fair and safe athletic competition while continuing to expand varsity opportunities for female student-athletes at the collegiate level.

According to the NCATA, over 9 million young women participate in the skill sets of acrobatics & tumbling, through youth participation in all disciplines of gymnastics or cheerleading.

“The NCATA is thrilled to welcome Long Island University to the Acrobatics & Tumbling community. President Kimberly Cline and Athletic Director Bill Martinov are committed to operating an inclusive athletics department that embraces new opportunities for women. In sponsoring NCAA Gymnastics and NCAA Acrobatics & Tumbling, as well as a robust cheer and dance program, LIU will provide comprehensive opportunities for young women with experience in the numerous gymnastics and cheer disciplines who wish to continue training and competing at the collegiate level,” said NCATA Executive Director Janell Cook. “LIU’s announcement enhances the recent growth Acrobatics & Tumbling has experienced in all three NCAA divisions in the northeast. We are excited about the possibilities for additional growth in the region, and nationally, as we continue progress towards our goal of NCAA championship status.”

Business&RealEstate Luck, timing and being smart in 2023

Since 2020 the pandemic has shut down many businesses, causing people and families to leave major cities to work remotely away from the crowds and Covid- 19 in the supposedly safer, less dangerous environment in suburbia.

This was one of the stimuli along with the lowest rates on record that propelled the local and domestic U.S. real estate market to excel to heights never experienced in history. This led to a white-hot sizzling period of time in our real estate market to a much quicker transition in the past year where buyers and sellers suddenly faced a more frigid climate with the doubling of rates.

This has occurred in the locations where builders and fix and flippers out West have completed projects and pending construction has been sitting idle for the last six months. The No. 1 reason is rising interest rates. I am quite sure as those houses continue to languish on the market and cannot even find renters, that hedge funds like Black Rock as well as Warren Buffet, (who made a huge bet on real estate in Detroit for pennies on the dollar after the implosion of our

market in 2008) or other substantial funded entities will be waiting on the sidelines for the right time to consider purchasing in bulk at major discounts. Even those areas which have a high concentration of investors will have a more difficult time renting as business and job losses ramp up in 2023, and negative cash flow cause them to sell at prices lower than what they had paid.

As I mentioned last week, there are three scenarios that have been causing people and families to leave the market (and New York State) or stay put where they are currently residing. Either you have been priced out of the market due to the doubling of our rates or are fearful that you will be purchasing at the top of the market or you don’t want to give up your much lower interest rate to buy up in the market with a higher rate. However, when moving up it’s usually the best time to sell. (ask me why).

However, when paying in cash for an outright purchase one will be less affected by interest rates and won’t be a deterrent. Negotiations could be more favorable for buyers and this will come into play more

and more going forward. Especially at this time of the year, and if and when we are hit with a major snowstorm in February, buyers might just be in the most advantageous position to make their best deal. Moreover, as a seller, and to your advantage, with cash buyers, there won’t be a bank involved that essentially will be more conservative in the lending process to consumers; and their appraisals might be lower than the contract price. This,

in turn, will either cause the buyer to come up with a larger down payment or most likely what I am experiencing is a likely renegotiation of the contract price or worst-case scenario, leave the deal.

As a new agent, you were fortunate and your timing and luck were spot-on when you entered the business (or if a buyer, who bought when rates were historically low) in 2020 and 2021 and were able to do what was necessary and required enabling you to earn a living and for a few a lot more. However, today, going forward, this market will define and separate men from boys and women from girls in determining who survives in the business. If you have been watching Million Dollar Listing NY or LA, you will notice the change in both markets as prices and rates have escalated especially on the higher-end properties. Although wealthy people have less of an issue purchasing, especially for cash; they will be a much tougher group when it comes to asking and sale prices.

Sellers, be prepared, as there will be many more instances when they will go for your jugular, try to cut your heart out, or do their

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best to try to stress you out when negotiating. If you price your property correctly, and you have “tough skin,” you will minimize and possibly eliminate these tough times. As prices moderate and come down, and you are still thinking that pricing your place way above what the comparables sales show, then you just might sit on the market waiting much longer for that elusive purchaser unless there are quick adjustments to your price.

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Philip A. Raices is the owner/ Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 40 years of experience in the Real Estate industry and has earned designations as a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (G.R.I.) and also as a Certified International Property Specialist.

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Prez of elder law attorneys chapter

Scott B. Silverberg has been named president of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

An associate attorney at the Law Ofce of Stephen J. Silverberg, Scott is dedicated to elevating the profession and has been active with NAELA

as well as other national and regional legal organizations.

“My goal as President is to build NAELA in terms of impact and membership. Our work with the New York Legislature focuses on protecting seniors and special needs individuals, at the same time we seek to im-

prove the skills of Elder Lawyers,” he commented recently. “I’m excited about taking this leadership role and look forward to a busy and fulflling term.”

NAELA is a professional organization of attorneys dedicated to helping clients with the legal issues asso-

ciated with aging, including probate and estate planning, guardianship/ conservatorship, public benefts, health and long-term care planning and special needs. Scott is a member of the National Board of Directors of NAELA and was previously Vice President of the New York Chapter.

Scott B. Silverberg

NYITCOM, St. Francis Hospital to partner

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine and St. Francis Hospital and Heart Center’s DeMatteis Center for Cardiac Research and Education have launched a research collaboration that could improve the health of Long Islanders and patients around the world.

The new initiative provides NYITCOM students the prestigious opportunity to join St. Francis Hospital’s worldrenowned, innovative cardiovascular research that could have life-saving implications.

Each academic year, second- and third-year medical students (selected by NYITCOM) will have the opportunity to apply for a competitive, yearlong, mentored research program in which they shadow cardiovascular researchers from St. Francis Hospital, one of the highest enrollers of randomized clinical trials in the United States.

The research experience will take place at the DeMatteis Cardiovascular Institute and St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center in Roslyn. It will allow future physicians to witness medical discoveries frsthand, gaining potentially life-saving insights that could beneft patients in the short and long term.

In addition, medical students will take part in the investigative research process from start to fnish, acquiring the necessary understanding to one day conduct their own future studies and clinical trials.

The relationship also furthers the medical school’s existing relationship with Catholic Health, whose facilities serve as a vital training ground for NYITCOM students completing clinical rotations and graduates fulflling residencies and fellowships.

“Research is absolutely critical to medical education,” says NYITCOM Dean Nicole Wadsworth. “Physicians with medical research experience are better positioned to provide top-notch care and allow patients to make the most informed health decisions possible. With this new collaboration, our students will be engaged in comprehensive research protocol-from collecting data to providing outcomes.

In gaining a deeper understanding of the scientifc process, these future physicians will be well equipped to critically review medical literature and determine what is in the best interest of their patients.”

According to Dr. Ziad Ali, the director of the DeMatteis Cardiovascular Institute and board-certifed cardiologist, establishing the academic relationship was an obvious choice. Not only are the DeMatteis Center and New York Institute of Technology campuses located directly across the street from one another on Northern Boulevard, but researchers at both institutions are working to advance medical innovation.

“Both geography and mission played a key role,” says Ali. “Tradi-

tionally, we have had many seasoned practitioners and researchers, but we realized that we needed a more layered approach. Just like sports-where there are the major leagues and minor leagues-medical research also needs a feeder system. Now, we are developing a culture where we train future academicians. NYITCOM students are dedicating themselves to a year of research where they learn, in detail, the scientifc method, including how to collect, interpret, and analyze data and how to ask critical questions-all of which come together in moving our feld forward.”

The program’s frst NYITCOM research scholar, Karen Chau, is assisting Ali in a cardiac imaging study that

visualizes coronary artery calcifcation, the buildup of calcium salts (plaque) in the arteries that deliver blood to the heart. The condition is associated with poor outcomes in heart disease patients.

To further complicate matters, measuring calcium plaque buildup can be challenging, as diagnostic imaging technologies can vary in resolution, level of invasiveness, and ability to assess diferent types of plaque. Therefore, calcium plaque measurements can difer based on the imaging technology used.

For example, coronary angiography is an imaging technique in which contrast dye is inserted intravenously,

allowing blood vessels to show more visibly on CT images. However, the CT beam that helps to capture the images can create artifcial shadows that could lead to overestimated volumes.

Under Ali’s mentorship, Chau is analyzing calcium plaque formation and comparing the measurements collected by various diagnostic imaging techniques. The fndings could help to inform future cardiovascular research, including an upcoming clinical trial that will examine potential abnormalities, like calcium plaque, in the blood vessels used for coronary artery bypass grafts.

These surgical procedures, which are conducted when major arteries near the heart are clogged or narrowed, involve relocating healthy vessels from other parts of the body (often the leg) to divert blood fow around obstructed arteries and ensure that the heart receives its necessary supply.

Chau, who aspires to pursue a career as a pediatric cardiologist, notes that her research experience will prove invaluable to her future career in medicine.

“The skills that I gain during this research year will allow me to understand how clinical trials are developed, carried out, and analyzed. I can take these skills with me as a future physician to plan other trials that can help us better understand diseases and treatment,” said Chau.

To co-chair bankruptcy practice

Richard J. McCord, partner at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman LLP, has been elevated to co-chair of the Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Group.

He has an in-depth understanding of bankruptcy law,representing creditors and debtors in all areas of corporate and consumer bankruptcy matters. He also lectures on bankruptcy issues throughout the course of the year.

He served as supervising judge

in charge of administrative duties for the City of Glen Cove, presiding over all phases of civil and criminal proceedings for 34 years, and the courthouse will be named after him.

Since 1987, he has served as a Chapter 7 Panel Trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York. He also served as a Chapter 13 Trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York.

Active in his community, McCord

has served as Chairman of the YMCA of Long Island Corporate Board and as chairman of the board of managers of the YMCA at Glen Cove.

For his dedication and service to that organization, the YMCA of Long Island honored him as the Adult Volunteer of the Year. He was also honored at the fourth annual National Night Out Against Crime hosted by the City of Glen Cove and Glen Cove Fire Department for his “outstanding eforts as a member of the city’s

judiciary system.”

McCord earned a Juris Doctor from Quinnipiac School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University. He has achieved the highest rating from Martindale Hubbell.

Before serving as Justice of the City of Glen Cove, McCord was deputy mayor of Glen Cove from 1980 until 1983, and chairman of the Glen Cove Housing Authority from 1985 until 1987.

NYITCOM dean Nicole Wadsworth and Dr. Ziad Ali, the director of the DeMatteis Cardiovascular Institute.

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Recent Real Estate Sales in

214 Lawrence Lane, Glen Cove

3 bd, 1 ba, 1,278 sqft, Sold On: 11/16/22, Sold Price: $661,500

Type: Single Family, Schools: North Shore

27 Redwood Court, Glen Cove

4 bd, 3 ba, Sold On: 11/7/22, Sold Price: $935,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: North Shore

147 Parkway Drive, Roslyn Heights

5 bd, 4 ba, 2,365 sqft, Sold On: 11/14/22, Sold Price: $1,390,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: East Williston

11 Woodgreen Lane, East Hills

5 bd, 4 ba, Sold On: 11/16/22, Sold Price: $1,330,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: Roslyn

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

Santos takes time out from House committees

Continued from Page 1

help feld calls from parts of the 3rd District instead of having calls go to Santos’ ofce.

Blakeman, a Republican, while calling for Santos to resign, said the congressman’s lies about his Jewish heritage and family lineage during the Holocaust were outrageous.

“What was really tragic is the fact that there are so many people here in Nassau County that are survivors of the Holocaust,” Blakeman said several weeks ago. “These are people whose families were decimated and it many instances wiped out… For him to make up this story that his parents were Holocaust survivors is beyond the pale.”

Santos, who claimed his grandparents were survivors of the Holocaust, condemned antisemitism during a speech he gave on Holocaust Remembrance Day at the House foor. Screenshots of old social media posts allegedly made by Santos included a salute to Adolf Hitler and comments about “the Jews and black[s],” according to Patch.

“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh hiiiiiiiiiiiitlerrrrrrrrrrr (hight hitler) lolololololololololololol sombody kill her!! the jews and black mostly lolllolol!!! Dum,” a Facebook comment from a profle named “George A D Santos” posted more than a decade ago with the congressman’s face as the profle picture.

Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman by 142,017-120,060 in the district’s November election.

After multiple publications, including The New York Times, unearthed falsehoods in his personal

and professional background, the newly elected congressman said he would continue to serve the 3rd District constituents until the same number of people who voted for him call for him to step down.

“I was elected by 142,000 people,” Santos told U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), who hosted Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast two weeks ago. “Until those same 142,000 people tell me they don’t want me, we’ll fnd out in two years.”

Santos also tweeted weeks ago that he would not resign from Congress, touting his desire to serve the constituents of the 3rd District rather than other politicians or political parties.

3rd District residents who want Santos out have already begun to band together in the form of online petitions. Great Neck’s Jody Kass Finkel launched a change.org petition calling on Santos to step down which had received more than 35,000 signatures as of Tuesday.

Finkel, along with Nassau County and state Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs, called for Cairo and other local Republican ofcials to sign a bipartisan statement on congressional integrity. The statement advocates for Congress to expel Santos from his position if he does not resign.

“Bipartisan calls for George Santos’ resignation are a welcomed step forward,” Jacobs said in a statement. “All of us, from both parties, that value and respect the responsibility and stature of elected ofce, particularly that of the House of Representatives, should unite in demanding Santos’ expeditious expulsion from the House, should he refuse to resign.”

State of the Town good. And rocky: DeSena

Continued from Page 2

intended goals.

For infrastructure, DeSena said work will begin this year on Michael J. Tully Park on New Hyde Park’s tennis courts and track and turf feld, sidewalk replacements along Westbury Avenue in Carle Place and renovating the playground at Fuschillo Park in Carle Place.

DeSena reiterated similar sentiments she made last year regarding working across the aisle with her colleagues on the town board while alluding to ongoing issues.

“Last year, I stood here and delivered a simple message to the Town Board: ‘together, we can accomplish many great things.’” DeSena said early in her address. “I believe that we have done just that as we have continued to collaborate and work hard for our residents over the past year.”

Later in her address, DeSena said she was “disappointed” by a recent town board vote that postponed a $3.1 million allocation from the town’s general fund to the capital fund for the Manhasset Sewer Conversion Project while they await more information to critical questions from the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District.

“I am confdent that their lingering questions and concerns will be resolved by our

March meeting because a project that promotes economic development, improves quality of life, and protects Manhasset Bay for generations to come should result in a unanimous vote in favor,” DeSena said.

DeSena said the proposed hiring of Steven Leventhal as Ethics Board counsel being blocked was “unfortunate” while saying she is committed to implementing ethics training for town employees and elected ofcials.

Democrats said at the time during the September town board meeting that outside counsel can be requested by the board when needed, which they have not done as of now.

Before being elected to her frst political ofce in 2021, DeSena was executive director of the Manhasset Coalition Against Substance Abuse. As supervisor, she established the town’s Substance Misuse Advisory Council and on Friday announced the appointment of Drew Scott, a former News12 anchor and current Newsday TV reporter who lost his granddaughter, Hallie, in 2017 to a fentanyl-laced heroin overdose.

After DeSena’s address, Lurvey recorded a response applauding the supervisor’s “ambitious” agenda while updating residents on priorities laid out in last year’s response, which include infrastructure improvements, protecting the environment, enhancing programming and

maintaining the town’s fscal health.

Lurvey listed accomplishments from the Democrats, who hold a 4-3 majority on the seven-member town board, while saying DeSena’s 2022 agenda was one she could not fulfll alone.

“The reality is that the constituents of the Town of North Hempstead have elected a Town Board that is split along party lines, and for the sake of our residents we must work across the aisle to get things done,” Lurvey said. “I call on the supervisor to work together to do the work of the people of the Town of North Hempstead.”

The Democrat said as part of amendments she submitted during budget season, the 2023 town budget includes additional funding for street paving, sidewalk repairs and tree services, including a 5% tax cut.

This year’s budget was put together without a town comptroller or chief deputy comptroller, positions that have remained vacant since DeSena took ofce.

“It’s shocking to realize that a town with a nearly $170 million budget has been operating without a formally appointed comptroller for more than a year,” DeSena said. “To be frank, these positions have gone unflled for far too long.”

In December, a resolution to appoint John Morris, a former Smithtown comptroller with

Diocese proposes $200M settlement

Continued from Page 10

cases as of today.

Places in the Diocese of Rockville Centre named in the lawsuits against the diocese include Chaminade High School in Mineola, Our Lady of Fatima in Manorhaven, St. Mary’s Church and St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset, St. Agnes Cathedral High School

in Rockville Centre, St. Hyacinth Parish and All Saints Regional Catholic School in Glen Head, Good Shepherd Parish and Church in Holbrook, Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, St. Andrew’s Parish and Elementary School in Sag Harbor, St. Barnabas Parish and Church in Bellmore, St. Joseph’s Parish and Church in Babylon, St. Lawrence Parochial School in

Sayville, St. Patrick’s Parish and School in Bay Shore and St. Philip and St. James Church in St. James, Camp Alvernia in Centerport, Holy Family School in Hicksville, St. Hugh’s in Huntington Station, St. Ignatius Loyola in Hicksville, St. John of God in Central Islip, St. John’s Hospital in Smithtown and St. Rosalie’s in Hampton Bays.

over 15 years of municipal accounting experience, was rejected.

Council member Mariann Dalimonte, a Democrat, cited a Newsday article that reported Morris was not re-hired as the Smithtown comptroller and that council member Robert Creighton said his term “didn’t work out to our satisfaction” before she voted no.

Brian Devine, spokesman for the supervisor, said Morris was the only candidate left after a year-long bipartisan search process.

Lurvey said the Democrats are concerned that the audit of the Building Department will not be able to provide insight on productively reforming operations since the comptroller’s offce is fnancial in nature while adding that previous calls to form an independent task force to review operations were ignored.

Lurvey agreed with DeSena that an ethics training program should be implemented for town employees and elected ofcials but was critical of the supervisor’s constant attempts to make appointments to the town’s Board of Ethics.

When DeSena took ofce, the seven-member board at the time was completely made up of members who were in holdover status and could be removed at any time. Since then, four members have been appointed to defned terms.

Lurvey also said that Friday was the frst time DeSena had mentioned updates to the master plan since last year.

“She stated in last year’s speech that she ‘will be submitting a more detailed proposal at a later date to make this a reality,’ but to our knowledge, today is the frst day this initiative has been mentioned since she frst spoke about it last year,” Lurvey said.

DeSena’s address and Lurvey’s response will be broadcast on North Hempstead TV and made available on the town’s YouTube channel.

A previous version of this story was published. It has since been updated.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SANTOS CAMPAIGN

U.S. Rep. George Santos requested to be recused from his House committees on Tuesday.

Grist Mill’s frame to be rebuilt with grant

Continued from Page 1

“This could not be done without the community getting involved and government offcials supporting the project, so thank you so much,” he said. “It’s just wonderful.”

A rare surviving Dutch framed watermill built between 1715 and 1741, the mill acted as Roslyn’s economic foundation for centuries. It was converted into a tea house and museum in 1920, remaining open for 54 years before it was closed and ownership was transferred to Nassau County for a future restoration.

The National Register of Historic Places currently recognizes it as a historic site.

More than $1.6 million had been raised for the restoration of the Grist Mill as of August, Landmark Society ofcials said. The Roslyn Grist Mill Million Dollar Match Challenge was launched in December 2021 by Kroplick and his wife Rosalind.

By early 2023, these funds will help fnish the frst phase of the historic building’s repair. This phase includes fxing the building’s original timber beams from the 1700s onsite, putting the restored timber frame back in place and lowering the structure onto a new base.

The $1.64 million raised exceeded the intended target of $1.5 million. Grist Mill Executive Director Jennifer Lister said she was grateful for the overwhelming support.

“We’re especially thankful to the Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation, Gerry Charitable Trust and the Kroplick family,” she said. “[They] have answered the call to restore the mill and preserve an important piece of Long Island history.”

After over 40 years of planning and four years of fund-raising, restoration began in 2018, highlighted by the lifting of the building above street level on Jan. 23, 2020, in preparation for a new foundation.

In May the Landmark Society hosted a virtual presentation, “The Magic of the Old Mill,” which focused on the mill’s time as a tea house from 1920 to 1974. The program featured a flm of rarely seen archival photography nar-

rated by Carol Clarke and Ariel Morabito.

“The voices you’re going to hear belong to individuals who knew the tea house intimately during the 50 years that it operated as the Roslyn Mill Tea House,” said Morabito. “They reveal little-known details about the mill and about the tea house.”

People interviewed in the flm included former tea house proprietor Alice Titus and Peter

Lynch, a one-time Nassau County fre marshal. Born in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they spoke about their ties and stories of the mill.

In one excerpt, Eda Hicks Seaman, a Roslyn resident, shared a story about the circus passing by.

“I was told that the circus was moving from New York to the eastern end of the island.

When the elephants reached the mill dam, they very gingerly put their foot out and felt the structure and refused to go over [the road],” she said. “They knew it wouldn’t hold them and they had to go around the ponds.”

The Roslyn Landmark Society is a non-profit organization that was created in 1961. Their mission is to educate people about the history of Roslyn and its surroundings.

Supposed Santos treasurer says he never OK’d

Continued from Page 2

penditure flings under $200.

The center fled the complaint with the Federal Election Commission and to the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice several weeks ago.

Democratic U.S. Reps. Ritchie Torres and Daniel Goldman fled a complaint with the House Ethics Committee several weeks ago for allegedly violating the Ethics in Government Act, saying the Republican must be held accountable for deceiving voters and Congress.

The Ethics in Government Act, ofcials said, was created to “preserve and promote the integrity of public ofcials and institutions,” which Torres and Goldman believe Santos has failed to adhere to. The two described fnancial reports submitted in 2020 and 2022 as “sparse and perplexing” in the complaint.

Financial disclosures also showed that four political action committees with ties to Santos and his family contributed almost $185,000 to the Nassau County Republican Party, money that will be returned, according to Nassau Republican Committee Chairman Joseph Cairo.

The Rise NY PAC contributed $64,225 to the Nassau GOP and $62,500 to the Town of Hempstead Republican Party. The Nassau GOP

also received $47,966 from the Devolder Santos Nassau Victory Committee, $10,000 from the GADS (George Anthony Devolder Santos) PAC and $750 from Devolder-Santos For Congress.

Cairo told Newsday weeks ago that the Nassau GOP will return the Rise NY money, which totals $126,725 and reiterated the lack of support Santos has from the organization.

Over the past two years, Santos also donated thousands to Nassau County organizations and elected ofcials.

Included in the flings is $500 to Elaine Philips’ campaign when she was running for Nassau County comptroller for an event donation, a personal contribution of $500 to the Sands Point-Port Washington Republican Committee, $750 to the Nassau County Republican Primary Campaign, $1,000 to D’Esposito’s campaign, $250 to the Glen Cove Knights of Columbus, $200 to the campaign for Vhibuti Jha, who ran for the state’s 16th Assembly District, and $500 to the campaign for Ruka Anzai, who ran for the state’s 13th Assembly District.

The Times reported that there are no records of where the funds from one of the biggest donors to Santos’ campaign went. RedStone Strategies received a $25,000 donation

from an undisclosed donor via the company’s Wells Fargo account on Oct. 21, according to The Times. The company, described online as one composed of “experts in marketing and others in politics” listed the Devolder Organization, headed up by Santos, as a managing ofcer.

Another twist in the flings is that the Federal Election Commission has no record of RedStone Strategies, The Times reported.

“I don’t see a record by a committee of that name registered with the FEC, and our regulations would be if a political group raises more than $1,000 for the purpose of infuencing a federal election, they would be required to register with the FEC within 10 days,” Christian Hilland, a spokesman for the agency told The Times.

A Daily Beast report also claims the congressman “almost certainly” received a $500 campaign donation from Rocco Oppedisano, who was charged with smuggling 15 foreigners and $200,000 into the United States in 2019.

Oppedisano’s family operates Il Bacco, the Little Neck restaurant where Santos also held his victory party at on Election Night.

Financial disclosure reports showed Santos spent over $4,500 during 25 diferent visits to Il Bacco during the campaign cycle and showed

the campaign owed the restaurant more than $18,000 for the Election Night event.

Oppedisano, an Italian national, was expelled from the country following the 2019 incident. Federal ofcials charged him with smuggling undocumented immigrants into the United States and with an attempt for him to re-enter the country illegally.

Additionally, data from the Federal Election Commission revealed the Republican received nearly $30,000 in campaign donations from Andrew Intrater, the cousin of Russian Oligarch Viktor Vekslberg, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Vekselberg, who was born in Ukraine, made his frst million from selling scrap copper before purchasing several aluminum smelters and forming the conglomerate Sual Holding in 1996, according to Forbes. Vekselberg merged Sual Holding with Russian Alumnium to create UC Rusal.

The oligarch’s $90 million, 255-foot yacht was seized by the Spanish government in April at the order of the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice said the yacht “was subject to forfeiture based on violations of U.S. bank fraud, money laundering, and sanction statutes.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ROSLYN LANDMARK SOCIETY

Construction on the historic Roslyn Grist Mill.

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No decision on fate of Nassau Coliseum

Continued from Page 6

“A casino at the Hub is not about the future, and it would not be an engine for economic and social prosperity,” Poser said in the essay. “It would be dangerous for adjoining neighborhoods, and create a nightmare of traffic and pollution, not to mention antisocial behaviors that often crop up around casinos.”

Reese said the company and Hofstra have engaged in discussions regarding the proposal and hopes to have a continued dialogue throughout the process.

“We don’t build $4 billion casinos, we build multi-amenity real estate developments

and we want to engage with the community and local labor leaders,” Reese said. “We’ve spoken to Hofstra and we hope there are more opportunities to engage in conversation.”

In terms of the gross gaming revenue under the proposal, Reese said, 80% goes to the state and 20% goes locally. The local percentage would be split up between both Nassau and Suffolk County along with the Town of Hempstead, with Suffolk receiving 10% and Nassau and the town each receiving the remaining 5%.

Reese said the organization will not look to get a tax exemption or other subsidies to help offset building costs.

DeSena says Lurvey is ‘playing politics’

Continued from Page 7

DeSena also said that individual members of the town board cannot direct department staff while day-to-day operations fall under her jurisdiction, according to New York town law. She also said she disagreed with Lurvey saying she didn’t raise objections.

“Filming a response video is an incredible act of political partisanship and is a stain on an event that the League of Women Voters have spent over 35 years building up to be the premiere nonpartisan showcase of all that North Hempstead has accomplished over the past year,” DeSena continued. “I have made my objections clear regarding your attempts at playing politics. This should be a day where we should be celebrating the many great things we’ve done together to make North Hempstead the idyllic place it is.”

A resident asked the town board during the Jan. 24 meeting if the response to the address

would be available on the town’s platforms, saying it gives residents the chance to see both sides of the aisle.

DeSena said the response itself is political and was not done previously under prior administrations.

“I think it’s appropriate and I would like there to be an airing of more than one viewpoint on the state of the town,” Lurvey said at the Tuesday meeting.

Zuckerman also said he believed the response was governmental in nature, not political, and it was appropriate.

After Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s State of the County address in 2022, County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D–Glen Cove) issued the Democratic rebuttal. U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) issued a rebuttal to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address in 2022.

George Santos’ world of lies

It seems we live in a world of lies. Therefore, it is no surprise, Santos does aspire, To be a world-class liar

There is query about his name, With the shrug of a shoulder

He deviates from Santos to Devolder

And Zabrovsky is added to the list.

Is there a name that he hasn’t missed?

At the very least he is a puzzle

That many of us would like to muzzle

He has brought anger, embarrassment and shame, To Republicans and their crew

Leaving those in his path feeling askew

This Santos-Devolder-Zabrovsky is a pitiful bloke. His plethora of stories are like one sick joke.

Lies whipped up and more lies galore.

And whoops, each day another is in store.

His list of an education for all to envy

In reality there isn’t any

His claims of laudatory places he has worked, Has us all reeling and completely irked.

His list of achievements is all rubbish.

Did he leave anything out of what he has accomplished?

And what about other achievements he has embellished?

Santos makes efforts to claim with relish.

That he is in fact Jewish

Or hyphenated Jew-ish

At the very least he is famished

Santos does not seem to be fazed, That he can cause sane people to be crazed

And I have a burning yen,

To learn if Santos is even a citizen.

He seems to gag,

That he has been seen in drag

Added to Santos’ lies,

Are stories of his poor mother’s demise.

Discoveries of lies that are even worse,

Criminal actions, stealing funds are more perverse.

Then there is lying to donors

Or lying about being a property owner

And for added kicks

McCarthy is part of this fabricated mix.

What in the name of heaven

Is it with Kevin?

So, he can just gloat?

Over that secured vote.

We have had enough of deception,

It may be cause for a special election.

Santos is a world class fraud and uncouth,

So, I ask you, will he ever tell the truth?

And even more divine

If Santos would only resign.

Lois Schaffer Great Neck

Santos offers chance to improve government

Continued from Page 18

The G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE is not a guarantor against politicians lying to get elected. Rather it offers peace of mind to residents that they have an honest choice between two candidates, and gives insurance to voters that if candidates don’t play by the rules, they, like us, will also be held accountable.

When James Madison authored the Constitution, never in the wildest dreams of our Founders did they envision needing laws like the G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE on the books. But so as the Constitution is a living document, our governments also must continue to evolve with the times.

And in the age of George Santos, where

politicians take an “ends justify the means” approach to elevate lies over the truth and perpetrate fraud against the voters in order to win elections, these safeguards are needed now more than ever to protect our democracy. My hope is that versions of the G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE pass in Mineola, in Albany, and in Washington.

Therefore all across this state voters can breathe a collective sigh of relief that no matter which candidate wins, at least someone as morally reprehensible as George Santos won’t be representing them.

After all, while Santos may be the lemons, the G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE is our lemonade.

Let’s drink up

FOR YOUR

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Town of North HempsteadBoard of Zoning Appeals

Pursuant to the provisions of the Code of the Town of North Hempstead, NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the Board of Zoning Appeals of said Town will meet at Town Hall, 220 Plandome Road, Manhasset, New York, on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 to consider any matters that may properly be heard by said Board, and will hold a public hearing on said date to consider applications and appeals. The following cases will be called at said public hearing starting at 10:00am. APPEAL #21342 –Gerald M. Abatemarco; 63 Cherry Tree Ln., Roslyn Heights, Section 7, Block 313, Lot 26; Zoned Residence-B Variance from § 70-103.A to legalize a garage conversion on a singlefamily home that leaves not enough parking. APPEAL #21346 – Nivine & Magdy Elsharouny; 81 Hamilton Dr., Roslyn, Section 9, Block 630, Lot 1; Zoned Residence-A Variances from § 70-29.B & 70-29.C to maintain the construction of a new dwelling that is too big (exceeds maximum permitted percentage of the lot and maximum permitted total foor area) Plans are available for public viewing at https:// northhempsteadny.gov/bza. Persons interested in viewing the full fle 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.

Sports

Manhasset wrestler Carlson eyes state title

Senior undefeated this year seeks to avenge sole defeat in 2022 in championship match

BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

Like other individual sports where you compete head-to-head with one person, it’s helpful to have a short memory.

Dwelling on a win, or an agonizing loss, isn’t good business, because there’s always another match or game right around the corner. And if your head is still in the past, your future’s not going to look too bright.

Eric Carlson knows this. The star 189-pound wrestler for Manhasset High School has had so many tremendous victories over the past four years, including 27 wins without a loss this year as a senior.

But oh, the memory of one loss still causes him to wince. It was the Nassau County fnals last winter, against a wrestler he had beaten earlier in the season, Kwasi Bonsu of Baldwin High School.

“I made one stupid mistake, such a stupid mistake, and he pinned me,” Carlson recalled the other day, shaking his head at the memory as he sat inside Manhasset’s locker room. “And you forget about it and go on, but it bothered me because it never should’ve happened.”

Carlson shook it of to snag a third-place fnish at the New York State championships last February, the best-ever showing for a grappler from the school, capping a 40-3 season that stunned even him.

“If you’d told me when I started as a freshman that as a junior I’d go 40-3 and get third at states I’d say no way, and you’re crazy,” Carlson said.

This year Carlson, who uses his brute strength and his encyclopedic knowledge of moves and holds to crush the competition, has had his eyes fxed on getting back to states and fnishing a few spots higher.

“I have thought about it a few times, but I

try really hard to just focus on one match at a time,” Carlson said. “A few times this year I’ve won (matches) by doing just enough to win, and I have to get out of that mentality, and take every match seriously.”

Manhasset coach Stephon Sair said his senior 189-pounder has been dedicated since joining varsity as a freshman.

“His main strength is work ethic,” Sair said. “He never misses practice, never complains, doesn’t have injuries. “He’s like a machine.”

Fair said that one major key to Carlson’s success is simplicity: He’s not constantly trying new moves or techniques he’s seen on YouTube or in college matches he watches constantly; instead, “he had a few things he does really well, and he’s mastered those things and just does those.”

Carlson frst started wrestling in seventh grade, he said, going out for the team in middle school just because a friend asked him to come to tryouts with him. He quickly grew to love the sport, and by ninth grade was starting on var-

sity.

“I took my lumps and got pounded a little bit against older kids, but I knew I wanted to do this,” Carlson said. “Even though I was losing, I could see that if I worked, I’d get better.”

“I came to the county championship fnals as a freshman, to watch, and I saw those winners getting their hands raised on the podium,” he added. “And I said to myself that’s where I want to be.”

Carlson said his favorite thing about the sport is that it’s “merit-based,” and that if the work is put in, results will show.

By sophomore year Covid-19 had wrecked the winter sports season so he would wrestle for club programs like Ascend Wrestling in Hicksville, while trying to stay sharp. He’s also been invited to training camps and sessions for the best wrestlers in the state in Yonkers.

“I felt myself getting a lot better, every time I wrestled those guys,” Carlson said.

Once he got thru last season, he had the speed bump in the county fnals but still won two matches at states, despite admitting to being a little nervous at his frst time in the state tournament spotlight.

Losing in the semis to Jake Trovato of Lindenhurst left Carlson feeling happy to have been Top 3, but still a little disappointed to be so close.

Now, the Cornell-bound wrestler entering the Industrial Labor Relations program there next fall is hoping to go just a little bit further, and get his hand raised at the end, at the state tournament in Albany on Feb. 24-25.

“I want to send a message to other kids that wrestling is really fun, and it’s never too late to start,” Carlson said. “We’ve got a lot of successful teams here at Manhasset, so just hoping kids see that if you put in the work, you can make it in wrestling.”

Morley tennis director wins USTA award

Hillary Bressler recognized for her work teaching children at the Roslyn facility

BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

For Hilary Bressler, the director of junior tennis at Christopher Morley in Roslyn, every day in the ofce feels like a vacation.

Well, not exactly, but pretty close.

“When you do something you’re passionate about and really love, it doesn’t feel like working,” Bressler said. “Seeing the fruits of your labor, seeing all these kids fnd the love of tennis, that’s my agenda.”

For her eforts, Bressler was rewarded on Jan. 28 with the USTA 10 and Under Red Ball award by the United States Tennis Association’s

Eastern Tennis Association.

At their annual awards banquet Bressler was honored along with a host of other regional winners.

The “Red Ball” program is the USTA’s initiative to get children as young as 3 and 4 years old playing with smaller rackets on smaller courts, to instill the sport in them for a lifetime.

Neil Thakur, the community tennis coordinator for Long Island/Metro and part of the group that chose Bressler, said she is “very welldeserving, and works so hard for the kids.”

Bressler started at CMT in 2017 and said there were about 35 kids in the 10 and under

“Red Ball” program when she began. Last fall there were 153 children enrolled, with Bressler saying they could probably max out at 160 kids.

“If you do a good job and put out a good product, people will fnd you,” Bressler said. “And the coaches, my team, they’re in the trenches and do the hardest job here, which is teaching the little ones.”

“Her high energy and enthusiasm is contagious to all the kids she sees and it shows on their smiling faces during their on-court fun,” said Christopher Morley General Manager Anthony Morais in his nomination letter for the award. “She is a woman of the highest integrity

and puts the kids frst in all of her decisionmaking.

In the future, Bressler said she and CMT would like to go into local elementary schools and bring tennis to kids who might not have the fnancial means to take lessons, to try to fnd the next Serena Williams or Frances Tiafoe.

“It’s very rewarding to be recognized by my peers, who are doing this work all across the country,” Bressler said. “If we can get back into the schools like we were before COVID, and get rackets into the hands, that would be our next goal.”

PHOTO BY TERRY UELLENDAHL

Manhasset senior wrestler Eric Carlson, in blue, is undefeated this season and hoping for a state title at 189 pounds.

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