Issuu

Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown

Friday, July 2, 2021

Vol. 70, No. 27

HOME & DESIGN

HERRICKS GRAD SWIMS FOR OLYMPIC SPOT

KAMINSKY DEM CHOICE FOR DA

PAGES 21-28

PAGE 2

PAGE 6

Revised speech received, not read: Feeney Wheatley principal revises account of grad’s talk that sparked furor BY S A M U E L E PETRUCCELLI Five days after a Wheatley School student delivered a graduation address referring to the violence between Israelis and Palestinians as ethnic cleansing, the school principal said he did not read the final speech before the ceremony. “I was not informed that the speech had been edited by the student after it had been selected and approved by the Wheatley Speech Selection Committee,” Principal Sean Feeney wrote in a statement released last Thursday. “As such, while I did read the approved speech, I did not read the final speech before it was presented during the Wheatley School graduation on Sunday, June 20th.” Feeney’s comments seemed to remove some of the onus placed on the graduate, Huda Ayaz, who is Muslim, in an email he sent to the community on June 20 following the strong reactions caused by her speech.

“Unfortunately, one of the student speakers diverted from the remarks that had been originally approved by the Graduation Speech Committee who made the selections, presenting personal views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Feeney said in the email. “I apologize that such a wonderful ceremony became marred for many people in attendance due to those remarks.” In her speech, Ayaz urged her fellow graduates: “Speak for those who don’t have a voice, and stand up for any injustice that you see. Educate yourself about international dilemmas, including the ethnic cleansings of Palestinians and Uighur Muslims. Families are continuously torn apart and real human lives are being lost but ignored.” Ayaz’s speech was met by at least one racist remark with an attendee shouting, “Go back to Pakistan,” according to Ayaz’s lawyer and legal director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ahmed Continued on Page 34

PHOTO COURTESY OF MINEOLA HIGH SCHOOL

Mineola High School’s 113th class graduated at Eisenhower Park on Saturday.

Mineola High School graduates 113th class BY S A M U E L E PETRUCCELLI

Marvel’s cinematic universe at commencement on Saturday morning. Speaking to an audience in Mineola High School’s 113th graduating class heard Eisenhower Park, Superintenthe district superintendent re- dent Michael Nagler compared count two Avengers films from the Marvel movies’ “blip” – a

five-year period when half of all life in the universe was exterminated – to the “new normal” that his schools endured during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Continued on Page 35

Support local journalism and get real news Subscribe to the Blank Slate Media newspaper of your community https://theislandnow.com/subscription/

The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

G.N. man allegedly spat on, kicked police

Herricks grad swims for Olympics

Gerzon Hernandez arrested in Mineola after altercation Sophia Karras takes on best in trials BY B R A N D ON DUFFY

IMAGE FROM GOOGLE MAPS

Herricks High School swimmer Sophia Karras has closed the books on an illustrious high school career by competing in the United States Olympic trials. In the 1,500-meter women’s freestyle, Karras finished 23rd out of 30 swimmers during the preliminary round with a time of 16:53.09, making her ineligible to qualify for the finals without a finish among the top eight. The event, Wave II of the United States Olympic trials, held June 13 to 20 at the C.H.I. Center in Omaha, Nebraska, was the last week of meets before final selection of the Olympic swim team. Winning both rounds of the event was five-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky, the niece of Jon Ledecky, co-owner of the Islanders. When asked about the level of competition she was around all week, Karras alluded to sharing more similarities than diﬀerences. “She’s amazing at what she does and it’s really nice to just know that I’m swimming with

her and maybe when she was my age, she was in the same boat,” she said. Karras, the second-ranked swimmer in the state, said she appreciated the time spent preparing for her meet. “I flew out June 9th and was there for about a week, five days before I actually swam. During that time I would get into the pool and just warm up, get loose, get a feel for the water and everything. Then race day the environment there is so nice. Seeing all the Olympians around you and knowing that you’re at a level like that is cool. You see the generations that have come and passed in one place.” Since 2017, when Karras was named Nassau County champion, the Albertson native has earned all-state, all-district and all-conference honors in every year of eligibility. Highlights of the 2020-21 season included MVP of the county championships, Nassau County Scholar-Athlete, and top state positions in both the 200-meter and 500-meter freestyle. Continued on Page 34

Police said they found Gerzon Hernandez “acting irate” at the corner of Grant Avenue and Mineola Boulevard in Mineola. BY R OB E RT PELAEZ

As police began to investigate, Hernandez became physically aggressive towards the ofNassau County police ac- ficers, according to the police. cused a Great Neck man of spit- Officers tried to place Hernandez ting at and kicking officers while under arrest, at which point he they tried to arrest him last week. began spitting at and kicking the Police said officers from the officers and a police medic, officounty’s 3rd Precinct were dis- cials said. The officers and medic were patched to a disturbance at the intersection of Mineola Boule- able to subdue Hernandez and vard and Grant Avenue in Mine- place him on a stretcher before ola on June 21. There they found a county police ambulance took 27-year-old Gerzon Maudial him to a nearby hospital for furHernandez of Great Neck “acting ther assessment, officers said. A pair of officers were also irate,” officials said.

taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of hand injuries they suffered while trying to arrest Hernandez, officials said. Hernandez was charged with two counts of second-degree assault, second-degree harassment, false personation and resisting arrest, according to a news release. Officials said he was arraigned last Tuesday, but efforts to reach a law enforcement representative for further update on the arraignment were unavailing.

Sophia Karras

TO REACH US MAIL: 22 Planting Field Road Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 FAX: 516-307-1046 SUBSCRIPTIONS: Sue Tabakin 516-307-1045 x206 stabakin@theislandnow.com

DISPLAY ADVERTISING: Steven Blank 516-307-1045 x201 sblank@theislandnow.com CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Deborah Flynn 516-307-1045 x218 dflynn@theislandnow.com

EDITORIAL: Editorial Submissions: theislandnow.com/submit-news/ • Event Submission: theislandnow.com/local-events/ Arts Editor: Ethan Marshall 516-307-1045 x208 • ethanmarshall@gmail.com Great Neck News: Robert Pelaez 516-307-1045 x203 • rpelaez@theislandnow.com New Hyde Park Herald Courier: Robert Pelaez 516-307-1045 x203 • rpelaez@theislandnow.com Manhasset Times: Rose Weldon 516-307-1045 x215 • rweldon@theislandnow.com Roslyn Times: Rose Weldon 516-307-1045 x215 • rweldon@theislandnow.com Williston Times: Robert Pelaez 516-307-1045 x203 • rpelaez@theislandnow.com Port Washington Times: Rose Weldon 516-307-1045 x215 • rweldon@theislandnow.com

WILLISTON TIMES (USPS#685-100) is published weekly by Blank Slate Media LLC, 22 Planting Field Road, Roslyn Heights, NY, 11577, (516) 307-1045. The entire contents of this publication are copyright 2021. All rights reserved. The newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing in any advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Periodicals postage paid at Williston Park, NY. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Williston Times, C/O Blank Slate Media LLC, 22 Planting Field Road, Roslyn Heights, New York, 11577.

The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

Tillery resigns from Community Church Pastor steps down after 4 years at East Williston congregation, citing illness in his family BY S A M U E L E PETRUCCELLI The Rev. Dr. Marcus Tillery has resigned from his pastorship at the Community Church of East Williston due to an illness in his family. He served the community for four years. Until a replacement is selected, the Rev. Dr. David Jeﬀerson Jr. will serve as interim pastor. He previously served as youth minister and executive director of youth and young adult services at the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. Tillery was deeply involved with local politicians such as North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth, state Sen. Anna Kaplan and former state Sen. Elaine Phillips, who had all visited the church on numerous occasions. “He was always very involved in speaking to politicians and just finding out what’s going on in the community and what can be done to spearhead diﬀerent projects within the church,” said Wilson Troche, communications director at the church, who

worked with Tillery during his four years of service. During Tillery’s time, the church hosted annual interfaith Thanksgivings two years in a row, working closely with the Islamic Center of Long Island and St. Aidan Roman Catholic Church in Williston Park. “He was very involved in bringing members of diﬀerent faiths together to appreciate and understand everyone’s religious backgrounds,” Troche said. “He will surely be missed.” He said the congregation valued Tillery’s connection and relatability. “That’s one thing that a lot of people within the church and the community have always said – Marcus was always someone that we could approach,” Troche said. “He was a multifaceted person that knew when to listen, when to give advice, and when to be a friend.” The Community Church of East Williston has over 100 members and is interdenominational. Church elders have established a committee to appoint a new pastor.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS

The Rev. Dr. Marcus Tillery resigned from his pastorship at the Community Church of East Williston due to a family illness.

!"#$%&'()*+)',-.)* /)($)'

+OP(/#"#+Q !"#$%"&'(!"#$%"()&&#&*)+*&( ,(-%./)+#.& !"#$%"&'%(#$$#$)%*+,-%,$.%-,/+%,%.#00+'+$1+%#$%2"&'%1"--&$#*23 4&5%*+'-#$,6%6"1,*#"$5%*7'"&)7"&*%8,55,&%9%:&00"6/%;"&$*#+5

$01(!234526(7(89(:;(<=>?@@(952(A;82( B86(!234526(7(89(:;(<=C?@@(952(A;82

!"##$%&'$(#")*+$%',--$./0$&01230$+041533$6457174839 &01230$,991984589$%%<%%)151:;:$<=>?@@$ 9840815A$B/;0CD$E4A3$457$A0348$F353G89 )36B45169$%<%$*57;980D$C34715A$B/;0CD$E4A39$457$F353G89 =,#.%*#-+%"00%9%)&,',$*++.%(++/53%%<%%>5/%,?"&*%"&'%7#'#$)%?"$&5+53 %4CC$DEFGH(>IJ7K=@@$8/$96B37;C3$4$03:/83$15830213E$ /0$21918$/;0$E3F9183$48$LLL?L5:20169;2:?M;N

P5(P01:(:;(P36A O82(.86:;N526( %695M30RRS(O82( $5:52016(0( /099S(01T(/50R:AS( I:A(;U(V8RSW !"#$%&'()*+)',-.)*/)($)' !"#$%&'(")*+,-"$+-").,/$0,-"10$0&2+ 3$/&+4"#2/"526/"3$/"$+-"1,/7&+4"" 89,"32%%6+&0("#2/")7,/":;"(,$/<

!"!#$%&&%'#()*+,* $%&&%'-.+#/0123#45#66!78#9#!68:;"6:<;;;

The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

State A.G. defends NRA lawsuit in G.N. Letitia James says ‘rot runs deep’ in organization at Reach Out America fundraiser BY S A M U E L E PETRUCCELLI State Attorney General Letitia James visited the Great Neck Inn as a guest speaker for a Democratic fundraising event on Sunday afternoon, defending her lawsuit against the National Rifle Association and claiming the “rot runs deep” in the organization. Hosted by Reach Out America, James discussed other highprofile cases such as her suit against Google and Facebook, the investigation of the Trump Organization and the suspension of Rudolph Giuliani’s law license. Among the cases discussed was the attorney general’s 2020 lawsuit against the National Rifle Association over claims that top executives illegally pocket fundraising dollars for personal expenditures. “We are seeking to dissolve the NRA because the rot runs deep,” James said. “It has nothing to do with the Second Amendment. It has to do with the fact that they were diverting funds for their personal use.”

funds that individuals were giving to the NRA – for the purposes of furthering and supporting and defending the Second Amendment – they were using it for yachts,” James said. “Can someone please tell me what the Second Amendment has to do with a yacht?” The former New York City public advocate mentioned other legal actions such as her suit against Google, alleging the company violated antitrust laws by engaging in predatory acquisitions. “They purchase these companies, basically because they don’t want these small companies to compete with them,” James said. PHOTO BY SAMUELE PETRUCCELLI “They have dominance over the marketplace and as a result of State Attorney General Letitia James spoke at the Great that, your privacy rights, your Neck Inn for a Democratic fundraising event hosted by data, obviously is in jeopardy.” “As a result of their power and Reach Out America on Sunday afternoon. their advantage, they are basically James made it clear that her they were not,” she said. “They converting your personal data into lawsuit charges the NRA in its en- were treating the NRA as a per- a cash cow,” James said. James took questions from tirety, in addition to leaders like sonal piggy bank.” the audience and commented on LaPierre was singled out and Wayne LaPierre, the group’s exhis lavish expenditures cited as the suspension of the law license ecutive vice president. of Rudolph Giuliani, the former “Just like any other charitable evidence. “Wayne LaPierre and his fol- New York City mayor and laworganization they have a responsibility to abide by the law – and lowers were basically diverting yer for former President Donald

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

WILLISTON

PLUMBING & HEATING SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES FOR OVER 38 YEARS

!"#$%&#"!"'()*+,#"!"-+(&#"!"#,.//(0+#"! !".$-"0(#"*.%1+2#$.%#"! !"3.$-+2#"4"5(,+2"6+(,+2#"! !"3(*&'-.5",+#,$%0"! !"#+21$*+"*.%,2(*,#"! !"-+0(-$7(,$.%#"!

24 HOUR

EMERGENCY SERVICE

10%OFF DIAGNOSTIC FEE “BEST OF THE NORTH SHORE” WINNER

516-746-3353

201 Hillside Ave., Williston Park www.WillistonPlumbing.com

Trump. “Unfortunately, because he trafficked in falsehoods, he was held responsible for the insurrection,” James said, referring to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters. “Because he has an obligation and a duty as a member of the bar to speak the truth and to provide facts, he needs to be held accountable, and in fact he was.” James also shed light on her office’s actions against the Trump Organization and hinted at a potential action by the Manhattan district attorney’s office. An investigation is seeking to determine whether Trump’s company inflated and deflated the value of assets to obtain favorable terms from banks and avoid taxes. “Now they say that I’m on a political witch hunt,” James said. “But if someone values it to achieve favorable terms for insurance purposes and for mortgages and then devalues those same assets for tax purposes, don’t you think I have an obligation and duty to look into that?” Continued on Page 34

Sport Psychology Dr. Tom Ferraro

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

drtomferraro.com drtferraro@aol.com

(516) 248-7189

The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

We do real estate well and we have the numbers and accolades to prove it. Coach Realtors is proud to be ranked within the top US real estate firms.

Work with us 516.248.9494

Ranked within nation’s top 125 largest non-franchised firms by Real Trends Ranked within nation’s top 225 most successful brokerages by RIS Media and Real Trends

Manhasset Emerald Bay Condo in Manhasset SD, Living Room w/ fireplace, Dining Room, Eat in Kitchen, Family Rm, Master Bedrm w/ double master baths and 2 walk-in closets, 2 additional Bedrms and Bath, basement, attached garage MLS# 3315056 $1,588,000

Roslyn This expansive property includes an additional buildable lot. Brick Colonial in quiet cul-de-sac, Living Room, Formal Dining Room, Eat in Kitchen opens to Family Room w/fireplace, 6 Bedrooms, 3.5 baths, basement, attached garage. MLS#3317173 $2,300,000

Williston Park Opportunity is Knocking for You to Make This House Your Home! Ranch located Mid-Block in the Heart of Williston Park, Herricks School District, Living Room, Eat in Kitchen, 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath, basement, detached garage. MLS#3324498 $599,000

Islip Terrace Turn of the century Side Colonial Midblock location, Entry foyer w/vaulted ceiling, Living Room, Formal Dining Room, Eat in Kitchen, Family Room, First Floor Master Bedroom, 3 additional Bedrooms, 2 Baths, basement, detached garage, and many updates. MLS#3320477 $469,000

**There are more than 1,200 residential real estate brokerage companies on Long Island and more than 100,000 in the United States. Being listed within the nation’s top 225 brokerages places Coach Realtors at the very top of the real estate industry.

coachrealtors.com

Williston Park Office | 24 Hillside Avenue, Williston Park, NY 11596 | 516.248.9494

H E R E YO U C A N

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

Dems tab Kaminsky for DA race

State senator from Long Beach and former federal prosecutor seeks to follow Singas BY R OB E RT PELAEZ State Sen. Todd Kaminsky (DLong Beach) announced he will run for Nassau County district attorney to fill the seat previously held by Madeline Singas, who was appointed to the state’s highest court. Kaminsky, who announced his candidacy on Monday, attended law school at NYU and spent a decade working as a prosecutor on the federal and state levels. He worked as an assistant district attorney in Queens County under Singas in the Domestic Violence Bureau. Kaminsky later served in the Eastern District of New York as an assistant U.S. attorney and acting deputy chief of the district’s Public Integrity Section. “Nassau County needs a district attorney with a record of results and experience to keep our families safe – and I am ready to do the job day one,” Kaminsky said. “As an assistant district attorney, federal prosecutor and legislator, I have always prioritized public safety and delivered justice for our

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE KAMINSKY CAMPAIGN

State Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) announced his candidacy for Nassau County district attorney on Monday. communities.” Some of the high-profile cases Kaminsky worked on included an investigation of Jimmy Rosemund for drug traﬃcking, obstruction of justice, firearms violations and other financial crimes, and former state Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada on embezzlement and fed-

eral corruption charges. State and county Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs touted Kaminsky’s eﬀorts to enhance law enforcement throughout Long Island. “Senator Todd Kaminsky is a fearless former federal prosecutor who has put Long Islanders’ safety first his entire career,” Jacobs

said in a statement. “When fringe groups were crying ‘defund the police,’ Todd did the opposite: he added more money for Long Island cops and strengthened our criminal laws.” The Nassau County Republican Committee, on Facebook, criticized Kaminsky as “too extreme and too dangerous” for Nassau residents. The Republican Committee has not yet named a candidate to run against Kaminsky in the November special election. “Nassau Democrats could not have selected an individual who is softer on crime,” the committee said in a statement on Facebook. “Kaminsky helped author a cbriminal-first law that took away judges’ discretion to detain dangerous gang members and drug dealers as they awaited trial. He even voted in favor of giving contact information of crime victims and witnesses to accused criminals.” Kaminsky won his seat in the state Senate in a 2016 special election after former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos was arrested on public corruption charges. Kaminsky, who spoke on the need for transparency and ac-

countability on Monday, received support from County Executive Laura Curran, a fellow Democrat also running in a November election. “As an experienced prosecutor, Senator Kaminsky has a record of supporting our law enforcement oﬃcers, working hand-in-hand with them to clean up crime and take on corruption,” Curran said. “With Senator Kaminsky as our District Attorney, the County will have a strong ally as we continue to keep Nassau families safe.” “As DA, I will protect our families from violent crime, taxpayers from fraud and corruption, and the human rights of every New Yorker,” Kaminsky said. “Let’s get to work.” Singas was confirmed by the state Senate to the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, on June 8. Singas, a Manhasset resident, filled a vacancy left by Judge Leslie Stein, who retired last week, and will take a 14-year term on the court. Singas was succeeded by Joyce Smith, a longtime assistant district attorney and special victims prosecutor, who is the county’s first black district attorney.

!"#$%&'()*+,*''%-( !"#$#%&$

!"#$%&'()#*+,+,!"#$%&"'(%)*%+,%")-%"),.""-%*$+,'(/ 0"-%1+(2+**$,%34%5-$*6"%7'/2,*

!"#$%&'(%)*+$,-$'.$%/0$%1$2/3 89$-%::%;$+-*%*$-9'(/%")-%6"##)(',;< =$-9'(/%>-$+?0+*,@%4)(62%+(.%.'(($-% A%.+;*%+%B$$?< C:DEF%EGAHIIGG%%J%%5+KL%C:DEF%EGAHGADM MMN%O4+(."#$%P"+.@% 1+(2+**$,@%7Q%DDIMI

!"#$%&' !"#$"%%&'()&%'"*)"#'

The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

Legislature OKs Drug overdose spike spurs body camera renewed anti-opioid campaign pact with police BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z

BY R OB E RT PELAEZ The Nassau County Legislature unanimously approved a measure on Monday that provides police oﬃcers with a $3,000 annual stipend to wear body cameras. The Republican-controlled Legislature voted to approve the measure set forth by County Executive Laura Curran, a Democrat, to reform policing, as required by state oﬃcials after the death of George Floyd last year. In a statement, Curran said, “I thank the Legislature for approving this important tool – together we are moving Nassau County one step closer to greater transparency in

policing.” In late May, Curran announced the purchase of 2,500 body cameras for officers at a cost of $5 million. The agreement between the county and the union would provide officers with the $3,000 annual stipend, with 26 payments made to officers throughout the year. Officials said the agreement would cost Nassau taxpayers an additional $8 million annually, an increase of $3 million from an estimate Curran announced in May. The county selected Ronkonkoma-based Island Tech Services to provide the camera technology and handle training and technical support. Continued on Page 35

Nassau County officials said they are “re-energizing” Operation Natalie, a countywide anti-opioid initiative, following a spike in drug overdose deaths during the coronavirus pandemic. The effort – which included educational seminars for youth and adults – helped drive down opioid addictions and fatalities over three years before that progress reversed last year amid the COVID-19 crisis, County Executive Laura Curran said last Tuesday. Curran and Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said there’s a need for “re-engagement” because the pandemic negatively affected community members and prevented county officials from addressing opioid issues as they usually would. “With the COVID pandemic, unfortunately we did start to see those overdose numbers go up,” Curran, a Democrat, said. “People were isolated, there was a lot of despair, economic insecurity. All of these things lead to that downward spiral and then starting new habits or going back to bad habits.” Operation Natalie was named after

PHOTO BY ROSE WELDON

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder outlined ways to “re-engage” Operation Natalie, after increases in opioid addictions and fatalities throughout the county in 2020. a Massapequa teenager who became the face of the heroin epidemic nearly 10 years before the county announced its establishment in March 2018. That year, opioid deaths decreased by 25 percent from their 2016 peak. Countywide nonfatal opioid-related overdoses subsequently dropped 21 percent from 2017’s levels to 217 cases

in 2019, while fatal overdoses fell 15 percent to 44, according to Ryder. Operation Natalie also led to the Nassau County Police Department seizing $1.2 million worth of heroin in December 2019 in connection with the largest heroin-traﬃcking operation in the county’s history. Continued on Page 35

COMMUNITY NEWS

Upcoming at the Williston Park Library Carl DelVecchio Memorial Library www.willistonparklibrary.org By: Donna McKennaDirector E-mail: wppubliclibrary@gmail.com From the Director: The Williston Park Library is excited to announce our partnership with Page Turner Adventures to offer children a virtual and fun summer experience. Please refer to the children’s calendar of events on our website, willistonparklibrary.org. Each week will feature a different theme and each day offers a new experience — theater shows, stories, crafts, children’s book author and illustrator interviews, contests, games, special guest performers, virtual field trips, and much more. Monday is Show Day featuring a virtual story theater show; Tuesday is Craft Day featuring crafts, games, recipes, science experiments, and other activities; Wednesday is Author and Illustrator Day featuring fun interviews, read-alongs, trivia games, book giveaways and other activities with children’s authors and illustrators; Thursday is Mashup Day featuring more crafts and activities; and Friday is Guest Day featuring special guests related to that week’s theme. New titles added to the collection: Unfit Heiress: The Tragic Life & Scandalous Sterilization of Ann Cooper Hewitt—Audrey Clare Farley Deadly Influence—Mike Omer

Life List—Lori Nelson Spielman Yellow Wife—Sadeqa Johnson Sweet Forgiveness—Lori Nelson Speilman That Summer—Jennifer Weiner All the Children Are Home—Patry Francis While Justice Sleeps—Stacey Abrams Our Daily Hours Are: Browsing &Vestibule Pick-Up: Monday-Friday: 10am-5:30pm and Saturday: 10am-4pm “Open for Browsing” means you can come inside, walk around the Library, and look for books and other items. Please limit your time to 1 hour. Only one family at a time will be permitted in the Children’s Room. Items requested over the phone can be picked up in the Library vestibule. Please maintain social distancing practices while in the Library. All customers and staﬀ are required to wear face coverings at all times while in the Library, per Executive Order 202.17. Face coverings must cover both your mouth and nose. Congregating is not permitted. Three computers are available for public use for a limit of 30 minutes. Please return items in the outside book drops. For safety reasons, we cannot accept items returned inside the Library!

Adult Programs Pollock-Krasner House & Study Center Virtual Tour—Tuesday—July 27—11am12pm via Zoom. Register in advance for this meeting:https://us02web.zoom. us/meeting/register/tZMrcuGhqTksHNG444AE2dLAJRZ9XAcEZ-aP You will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Empire Safety Defensive Driving Class—Thursday—July 29—10am-4pm in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. Open to drivers of any age. $28 p/person (check or money order payable to Empire Safety Council. Class is limited to 25 participants. Social distance seating and masks are required. Registration is required. Call the library to register. Children’s Programs Pageturners—Monday-Friday—July 1-July 30—10am-5:30pm. Please refer to the children’s calendar of events on our website willistonparklibrary.org Too Many Tails! With Petra Puppets— Saturday—July 10—10:30-11:30am in the parking lot of Village Hall. Masks are required for everyone ages 2+. Please bring your chair. Email willistonparkprograms@ gmail.com to register. Green Meadows Farm with Jason Reilly—Tuesday—July 13—11am via Zoom. Children of all ages are welcome to learn about frogs, bugs and other animals. Email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to reg-

ister. The Zoom link will be emailed to you. STEM-tastic: Mythical Tales-Unicorns, Mermaids & Dragon Tails—Friday—July 20—11am in the Assembly Room of Village Hall for children of all ages. Explore a world of mythical creatures, create a rainbow in a bowl and build your own dragon. Masks are required for everyone ages 2+. Email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register. Reading to Dogs with Bide-A-Wee— Thursday—July 22—11am-12pm in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. Masks are required to everyone ages 2+. Email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register for a time slot (11am, 11:20am, 11:40am or 12pm) First come, first served. Summer Reading Finale with Nick the Balloonatic—Saturday—August 7—11am12pm in the parking lot of Village Hall. Masks are required for everyone ages 2+. Please bring your chair. Raﬄe prizes to be drawn and winners announced. Email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register. Come into the Library for a free children’s craft every Monday for Take and Make Mondays. Check out the calendar of events for Virtual Puzzle Wednesdays and Virtual Game Fridays. Please check our website willistonarklibrary.org for updates on all upcoming events.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

A discussion from mental health to media Blank Slate Media columnists in free-wheeling dicussion during virtual town hall BY R OB E RT PELAEZ A group of Blank Slate Media columnists discussed the growing mental health concerns exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and the state of media outlets after a contentious presidential election in a virtual forum last week. Judy Epstein, who worked for nearly two decades in TV news and documentaries, has had her “A Look on the Lighter Side” columns appear in Blank Slate publications since 2013. Epstein’s columns have won a variety of local and statewide awards and she has also turned some of her insights into standup comedy routines. Michael D’Innocenzo has served as a history professor at Hofstra University since 1960. In 2008, he received the American Historical Association Eugene Asher Award and the

experience working with professional teams, coaches and Olympic athletes. Andrew Malekoﬀ is the former executive director and CEO of the North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights, where he has worked since 1977. He was named Social Work Community Practitioner of the Year by the New York State Social Work Education Association. The discussion kicked oﬀ with female tennis phenom Naomi Osaka’s decision to withdraw from Wimbledon to spend “personal time with friends PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COLUMNISTS and family” in mid-June. said Osaka, who Four Blank Slate Media columnists discussed the Ferraro is 21 years old, represents state of mental health illnesses and local media a growing issue with a in relation to the presidential election in a virtual younger generation of superstar athletes who deal forum last week. with mental health crises on a frequent basis. Outstanding College His- Hempstead Town Board. “It’s really hard to detory Professor Award naTom Ferraro is a sports tionwide. He was a candi- psychologist with a Ph.D. scribe the level of pressure date for Congress in 1984 from SUNY Stony Brook, that these young people and also ran for the North with more than 25 years of are under, where they’re

really expected to have etiquette and be responsive and be bright and be interesting,” he said. D’Innocenzo mentioned that he’s found the mental health strains are prominent in members of the younger generation who aren’t acclaimed athletes. The pandemic, he said, has underscored the thoughts of loneliness and potential suicide among teenagers and young adults. “I think we have a crisis here in terms of mental stress for young people [as a result of] the pandemic and I think they need a lot of intervention,” D’Innocenzo said. Malekoﬀ said the common denominator between the top celebrities, athletes and other prominent figures and virtually everyone else in the world, is loss. Whether it be loss of a loved one’s life or their own social life, he said, the pandemic took

away one of the most fundamental aspects of human nature. “During the pandemic there are kids that lost family members and they weren’t able to go through the usual grieving rituals that we typically do,” Malekoﬀ said. “They also lost a certain amount of freedom … They weren’t able to socialize as much as they did before, certainly not in a safe way.” Epstein said the constant pressure that young adults face to stand out has been exaggerated in recent years for a variety of reasons. She mentioned that people should strive to have a personal best rather than a comparative best, but the way the culture has recently shifted has made it more diﬃcult to be pleased with that. “There is so much pressure on all of us and on kids to be the best at everything,” Epstein said. Continued on Page 32

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU CALLED THE CATERER, PHOTOGRAPHER AND FLORIST. BUT WHAT DID YOU FORGET? !"#$%&'(#)*'+,-../.0'*"#%'1-#023&%$)'4&11/.0'"5'-',/5&3/6&7'(#3'*"#%'5-8&'/)')2"4/.0' -',/5&3/6&'"5')3%&))9' :3';")6&3/<#&7'"#%'("-%1=8&%3/>&1'+2*)/8/-.)'4/,,'0/?&'*"#'-'6"%&'*"#325#,7'?/(%-.3' -++&-%-.8&'/.'6/.#3&)9'@2/)'%&."4.&1'2#)(-.1=-.1=4/5&7'3&-6'8-.'2&,+'*"#'1&8/1&' 42/82'8")6&3/8'-,3&%.-3/?&)'-%&'%/023'5"%'*"#9 A&-#3*B2"3)'C';")6&3/<#&'5&-3#%&)'A"3"DE'-.1'-'5#,,',/.&'"5'>,,&%)7')#82'-)' F#?G1&%6E7'H&)3*,-.&E7'I",#6-E7'-.1'B8#,+3%-E'3"'%&)3"%&'32&'?",#6&'-.1' 8".3"#%'"5'-'6"%&'*"#325#,'5-8&9' .%/"0%-1")0-23)45&%0-#31#-67-2"89-2"-#"$%&5':4-#;%!'3<-=->)#&-/"0-1")-,,,3&-?"#$%&'()%,-

You’re in... You’re ’ out... You’re ’ Gorgeous. G

!"#$%&'()&*#+%,-)./&01#2&))*./-)1#$3#""456#7#4"895659:;;; 8<4#=/&>#?.)*,)1#$)@#3%&>1#$3#";;84#7#<"<9A:595;;;#7#!"#$%&'()%*+,!"$+!"#$%&'()'(%$*#++,'-).) +%/&09B)&'CD)0#E)&F/'%-%GCH'## I+)H'#E%J'%&H#C*#$3K#L#$)@#3%&>#M/G/NC*)## B-C*CJ/-#=&%O)HH%&#%O#E)&F/'%-%GP## $3Q#R/*G%*)#M)0CJ/-#B)*')&

/#"!$0'1)'2#034*,'-).)'' +%/&09B)&'CD)0#=-/H'CJ#S,&G)%*#T# U%V#E%J'%&#$3#M)'&%#?&)/KL## <;#P)/&H#B/H'-)#B%**%--P1#R'0W ? H * N I 7 * A Q CD @O - ? H Q B E ICDC 7 H Q

@ABC-DBBE@A+8-FA-GHIIHF-?HJ7+KLM-N@HCH?HI-GH@-OHE@-BDGACOP

-AS SEEN IN -

The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

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

We’re OPEN on the 4th of July! Wishing Everyone a Happy & Healthy July 4th

Relax And Beat the Summer Heat Order Takeout Or Delivery

Delivery through:

WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS ARE BACK

1/2 OFF Bottles of Wine from 5-10pm Available at the Bar and in the Dining Room

ASK ABOUT OUR CATERING MENU & PACKAGES Available for Showers, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Sports Team Parties

PARTY PACKAGES STARTING AT $26 per person

Brighten Somebody’s Day with a

!"#$%&'#()*!#+,*-.",#/0%,.1 !".%,*+2"*3&&*400%)#25)1

OUTSIDE DINING AVAILABLE

WE ARE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR LUNCH AND DINNER Per CDC Guidelines, FULLY vaccinated patrons may enter the restaurant without a mask. Now Accepting Reservations For Parties of 6 or More A $25 fee will be applied if canceling within 3 hours of reservation.

DINE-IN, TAKEOUT& DELIVERY

SUNDAY 11:30-9 MONDAY — SATURDAY 11:30-10

www.grimaldisgardencity.com

10 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

We Invite You to Auction!

Joan Miró, Les Grandes Manoeuvres, etching and aquatint, 1974. Sold for $31,250 Tiffany & Co., Schlumberger Enamel & Diamond Bracelet. Sold for $34,375

CONSIGNMENT DAYS WOODBURY – Wed, July 14 GREENVALE – Thurs, July 22

Legislature OKs Curran economic recovery plan BY DA N I E L R OB E RTS ON The Nassau County Legislature on Monday unanimously passed a $62.9 million proposal put forth by Nassau County Executive Laura Curran to aid economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. This economic package includes funds for local businesses, reconstruction of Nassau’s water infrastructure, youth programs and revitalizing main street and downtown areas. “I want to thank Majority Leader Schumer and our federal representatives for securing these funds for Nassau, the Legislature for swiftly taking up this legislation, and members of my Economic Advisory Council for helping the County identify needs and meet them,” Curran said in a statement Monday. “As we recover from the pandemic, Nassau County is ready to come back stronger than ever.” A total of $30 million will be equally distributed to the Boost Nassau Main Street Small Business Grant Program, the Boost Nassau Small Business Loan Program and for workforce development. The two Boost Nassau programs will use the funds to support and promote a variety local businesses and downtown shopping districts. An additional $2.5 million will be used for technical assistance along with miscellaneous staffing supplies and advertisements for the Boost Nassau programs, officials said. “We are open for business, and this is a comprehensive effort to assist Nassau’s recovery,” Nassau County Industrial Development Agency Chairman Richard Kessel said. “We thank County Executive Curran for her leadership.”

Officials said the bill will also allocate $3 million to a new Septic System Replacement Fund which will reimburse property and small-business owners who replace their aging cesspools. An additional $6 million will go toward a multiyear regional groundwater program. Another $10 million will be used to aid those who suffer from food insecurity, domestic violence, child abuse or have trouble with employment and adequate child care. Additionally, $3.4 million will be used to deal with growing mental health problems in the county. Youth programs will get $1.4 million, or a 20 percent increase, in contracts with nonprofit agencies that provide a variety of services including educational and academic support, after-school programs, counseling, youth employment and recreational programs. Programs for the aging will expand their offices. Funding will go to nonprofit contractors serving seniors in health, counseling, legal services, home care, transportation, nutrition and recreation. The remainder of the allocated funds is posted on Nassau County’s website, showing where the money is going. Legislators said they hope the economic relief package will allow the people of Nassau County to pick up the pieces and move forward together. County Legislative Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) said: “As our region continues to recover from the pandemic, Nassau County took a key step today toward delivering crucial support for initiatives that will strengthen our small businesses, protect the environment, and bolster important health and social services programs that benefit Nassau County’s veterans, seniors and youth.”

Our Specialists are currently collecting Jewelry, Watches, Silver, Art and more for auction consignment or outright purchase. Please contact us to schedule a private in-person or virtual appointment. Jenny Pitman Jenny.Pitman@Doyle.com 212-427-4141, ext 208

DOYLE

AUCTIONEERS & APPRAISERS

175 EAST 87TH ST

NEW YORK, NY 10128

DOYLE.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE’S OFFICE

The Nassau County Legislature on Monday unanimously approved a $62.9 million economic recovery plan proposed by Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

12 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

DISCOVER THE FINEST IN SENIOR LIVING

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

SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT TODAY!

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

AN ENGEL BURMAN COMMUNITY

Licensed by the State Department of Health. Eligible for Most Long Term Care Policies. Equal Housing Opportunity.

The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

SCHOOL NEWS

Herricks schools earn Herricks fourth in Project Lead award History Day contest For the third consecutive year, all three Herricks elementary schools have been recognized as Project Lead the Way Distinguished Schools. Center Street, Denton Avenue and Searingtown schools earned this achievement by increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs. Seventeen districts and approximately 600 schools across the country received this designation. According to PLTW, the Distinguished Schools empower their students to unlock their potential by developing the in-demand, real-world knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in life beyond the classroom. Herricks implemented Project Lead the Way in grades K-5 during the 201516 school year and has expanded upon it since then. The curriculum emphasizes the STEM components of science, technology, engineer-

ing and mathematics, and encompasses four modules: two engineering segments, one biomedicine unit and one computer science piece.

Collaboration and handson engagement are key, as students work together and learn through trial and error to solve problems.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Students participated in Project Lead the Way lessons throughout the school year. Pictured is an activity from Searingtown School.

Herricks High School students Amisha Brahmbhatt, Genesis Kang, Prableen Kaur, Roshni Patel and Sarah Ninan were awarded fourth place in the entire country in the virtual National History Day competition. They were recognized for their senior group exhibit, titled “From Outrage to Amity: The 1964 Panamanian Riots.” The group prepared their project under the guidance of advisers Melissa Jacobs and Samantha Gerantabee, and advanced to the national level after placing within the top three in the state contest. Congratulations to the students on this prominent distinction! National History Day is a yearlong educational program sponsored in New York State by the New York State Historical

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Association that encourages students in grades 6-12 to explore local, state, national and world history. Herricks participants spend countless hours

working on their research, for which they access major databases in the libraries, analyze their findings and develop meaningful and comprehensive projects.

Wheatley wins L.I. Meadow D. students baseball championship collect ‘well wishes’ Wheatley’s Varsity Baseball team defeats Pierson 10-3 to win the Long Island Conference VI Championship on Sunday, June 20th. Congratulations on a great season!

Wheatley’s Varsity Baseball Team is Crowned Conference VI Long Island Champions.

Students at Meadow Drive School in the Mineola Union Free School District are raising money for the Georgie Badiel Foundation, an organization that aims to provide clean water and sanitation to the people Burkina Faso, a western African country. Students were inspired to fundraise after a library lesson about the benefits of water and hydration. Meadow Drive students read the book, “The Water Princess,” where they learned about Georgie Badiel’s childhood in Burkina Faso and how children who live there have to walk miles for water. Students were challenged to come up with a way to raise money to donate to the Georgie Badiel Foundation, and in turn they came up with the idea to sell “well wishes.” For one dollar, families of Meadow Drive students can write down their wishes for their child and have them displayed in the school lobby. All collected money will go to the organization to help build and restore wells, provide technical training in well operation and create educational programs for sanitary and hygiene practice. The well wishes project drives Meadow Drive students to live out the district’s mission of contributing positively to a global society.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MINEOLA UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

14 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

Opinion

OUR VIEWS

Wheatley fails an important test

heatley School administrators and parents were tested during a commencement speech when a 17-year-old Muslim student whose family is from Pakistan made a questionable claim in calling for her classmates to stand up to injustice around the world. Sadly, the test did not go well for the school administrators and at least some parents. And their poor performance raises serious questions about racism, free speech, the responsibility of school oﬃcials to their students and even commencement speeches entirely. Let’s start with the response to the speech, which resulted in at least one attendee shouting, “Go back to Pakistan,” according to Ahmed M. Mohamed, the student’s lawyer and legal director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Another male adult had to be escorted away by police after becoming aggressive and making physical gestures. “Immediately after the ceremony was over, two or three men came up to me to tell me my speech was ‘b*llshit’ and ‘a piece of crap,’” said the student, Huda Ayaz, in a letter to the community following her graduation. “They were extremely aggressive and security had to hold them back.” Some comments posted on the islandnow.com website called Ayaz’s comments anti-Semitic. We doubt that if Ayaz’s parents had come over on the Mayflower someone would shout for them to go back to England, so we can only conclude that the call to go back to Pakistan was racist. We would call the comment un-American, but American history is filled with hostility to new immigrant groups – along with the welcoming arms of Lady Liberty in

New York harbor. What set oﬀ this reaction? During her speech on June 20, Ayaz urged her classmates to “speak for those who don’t have a voice and stand up for any injustice that you see. Educate yourself about international dilemmas,” she continued, before adding “including the ethnic cleansings of Palestinians and Uighur Muslims. Families are continuously torn apart and real human lives are being lost but ignored.” Ayaz’s comments about the Uighur Muslims were correct. At least one million Muslim minority Uighurs are held in Chinese government-run detention centers. President Joe Biden called Chinese President Xi to criticize the abuse of Uighers. Her comments about the Palestinians were wrong. There is much legitimate criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. As there is of the Palestinians. Emotions were heightened by recent fighting that resulted in the deaths of at least 256 Palestinians, including 66 children, and 13 Israelis, including two children. But Israel is not engaged in “ethnic cleansing.” Hopefully, Ayaz will follow her own advice to classmates and educate herself further on the subject in college. And the comments of a 17-year-old who along with the classmates endured a year of COVID-19 stress should not require police to escort an adult away – no matter the sensitivity of the subject. We also don’t believe Ayaz’s comments can be called anti-Semitic. Yes, Israel is a Jewish state, but 20 percent of its population is composed of Arabs. And as a country, it

BLANK SLATE MEDIA LLC

Editorial Cartoon

is subject to criticism like any other nation. In fact, enough Israelis were dissatisfied with the direction of the country that the electorate recently ousted its longtime prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and replaced his coalition with a fragile unity government spanning the political spectrum that included for the first time an Arab party. It is true that some people criticize Israel as a pretext for antiSemitism. It is also true that some criticize Israel because they disagree with its policies. In Ayaz’s case, she was making comments in the context of issuing a call for social justice. She did not reference Jewish people or even Israel by name. More concerning was the response of the Wheatley School and the East Williston School District of which it is a part. Immediately after the speech, Wheatley Principal Sean Feeney placed the blame on Ayaz in an email sent to parents, saying her speech was not approved and apologizing for its content. Student speakers at WheatREPORTERS Rose Weldon, Robert Pelaez

ley’s graduation ceremony were required to submit their speeches to the Graduation Speech Committee. Upon approval, students could make edits and send them back. “I want to be clear that the injection of such remarks was absolutely inappropriate to the graduation ceremony, as would be any political statements during a celebration solely intended to acknowledge our seniors and their many achievements and accomplishments as members of our Wheatley School community,” Feeney said. “The comments were not part of the approved speech.” Nowhere in Feeney’s email was there any expression of concern for Ayaz, a 17-year-old Muslim girl who had just graduated from his school and was now being subject to vilification by many adults. Ayaz’s lawyer also said Feeney’s claim in the email was not true. Mohamed said the Wheatley School principal confirmed the receipt of a final copy of the student’s remarks and has admitted to Ayaz being at fault for not reading the final draft.

Screenshots of an email from Ayaz provided by her lawyer show Feeney thanking her for sending what Ayaz had referred to as the “final version of my speech” the day before the graduation ceremony. Several days after throwing Ayaz under the bus, Feeney said in a statement the school did receive the final speech but he did not read it prior to the ceremony. “I was not informed that the speech had been edited by the student after it had been selected and approved by the Wheatley Speech Selection Committee,” Feeney wrote in a statement released Thursday. “As such, while I did read the approved speech, I did not read the final speech before it was presented during the Wheatley School graduationon Sunday, June 20th.” We urge the East Williston school district to waste no time in getting to the bottom of how Ayaz’s final draft was handled. If Ayaz sent her final version to Feeney, why didn’t he read it? Did someone fail to forward the email to Feeney? Or did he simply not read the email he received? Continued on Page 43

PRODUCTION MANAGER Rosemarie Palacios

22 Planting Field Road, Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 Phone: 516-307-1045 • Fax: 516-307-1046 E-mail: hblank@theislandnow.com

ARTS EDITOR Ethan Marshall

EDITORIAL DESIGNERS Lorens Morris, Yvonne Farley

COLUMNIST Karen Rubin

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Deborah Flynn

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Steven Blank

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Stacy Shaughnessy, Melissa Spitalnick, Wendy Kates, Linda Robinson

OFFICE MANAGER Holly Blank

ART DIRECTOR Jewell Davis

PUBLISHERS OF

Williston Times • Great Neck News Herald Courier • Roslyn Times Manhasset Times • Port Washington Times

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

ON THE RIGHT

Returning to a city ruined by Bill de Blasio

ong Islanders returning to work in the Big Apple should be prepared to encounter a city that, thanks to Mayor de Blasio, is increasingly unsafe, increasingly violent and increasingly dirtier. How this came to be is the subject of a superb new book by Seth Barron, “The Last Days of New York: A Reporter’s True Tale.” Baron, who has written extensively on the Big Apple for the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal, has a keen detective’s eye for uncovering what de Blasio’s progressive formulas have wrought: debt, decay and government bloat. Throughout his book, Baron gives untold examples of how de Blasio’s rigid ideology clashes with reality. During the pandemic shutdown, for example, when the mayor forbade street fairs, family gatherings and church attendance, mass gatherings “driven by the demand for racial justice” were exempt from pandemicrelated restrictions. “It was OK,” Barron notes, “to hold marches and rallies, blocking traﬃc while

angrily screaming, because it was demanded by the arc of history.” Bill de Blasio is a classic example of a 1980s radical with powerful collectivist tendencies. He joined up with the communist Sandinistas in Nicaragua and spent his honeymoon in Castro’s Cuba. And like many of New York’s professional progressives, he has never had a real job. And he is lazy. Most of his paychecks, prior to holding elective oﬃce, have come from consulting gigs and political patronage appointments. After years of leading street protests, de Blasio parlayed his notoriety into elective oﬃce, first as a city councilman and later as the city’s public advocate—a largely ceremonial post. A self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, he opposes private ownership of property (except his own), and would have government plan aspects of people’s lives according to their needs. “Look, if I had my druthers,” he once declared, “city government would determine every single plot of land, how development would

GEORGE J. MARLIN On The Right proceed.” As for the rich, de Blasio despises them. He retails the policies of resentment, preaching that the haves have stolen from the havenots. “I like to say very bluntly,” de Blasio has bellowed, “our mission is to redistribute wealth.” Hence, his campaign slogan: “There’s plenty of money in this town, it’s just in the wrong hands.” While he publicly disparages the top 1 percent who pay more than 45 percent of city income

taxes, de Blasio is not an egalitarian when it comes to rewarding the public-sector unions, consultants and wealthy donors who have supported his political ascent. “Again and again,” Barron notes, “Bill de Blasio took pay-toplay politics to Tammany levels of corruption, turning City Hall into something more like a pari-mutuel window than the cathedral transparency and good government he promised to run.” Shortly after taking oﬃce in 2014, de Blasio gave the teachers union everything they wanted “including two retroactive 4 percent raises and an additional salary bump in exchange for vaporous promises of healthcare savings that never materialize.” The price tag: $3.6 billion. The city now spends more per student—over $27,000—than any other municipality or school district in the nation. And what is the return on that investment? “New York City scores below the national average and also underperforms the rest of New York state.” During his tenure, de Blasio

has been on a spending spree. His annual budgets have increased three times the inflation rate. In 2014, the operating budget was $72 billion and his proposed budget for 2021-2022 that begins July 1 will top $100 billion. The bloated city workforce that totaled about 298,000 in 2014 has jumped to 334,000. The only public-sector employees de Blasio demonizes are New York’s Finest, the 40,000 men and women in Blue who patrol city streets. De Blasio cast his lot with “anti-broken windows advocates, opponents of incarceration and police abolitionists.” As a result, crime in all categories has sparked for the first time in a quarter of a century; homelessness is endemic, junkies have taken over public parks, and the mentally ill have taken up residence on subway cars and in sidewalk campsites. To understand why the city you will be commuting to “has seen a turn towards seediness and decay,” pick up a copy of “The Last Days of New York.”

A LOOK ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Say what you mean despite grammarians

am a little bit like Winniethe-Pooh in that sometimes I feel like “a bear of very little brain.” That must be why I find it so confusing when people say things like “Do you mind if we come in?” — for example, detectives at someone’s door on “Law & Order” — and the person being asked replies, “Yes,” and lets them all in. Shouldn’t the answer have been “No, I DON’T mind” if he lets them in? Or else “Yes, I mind” when he slams the door in their face instead? Am I the only one who gets confused? If I were one of those detectives, I’d still be on the doorstep trying to figure out whether I was being allowed in or not. Of course, in most of those police shows, they already have a warrant so they’re going on in regardless. Or do I mean “irregardless?” “‘Irregardless’ isn’t even a word, Judy!” cries The Grammar Snob. “Yes, I’ve heard that,” I reply. “But guess what? People use it anyway! Which is why

dictionaries like MerriamWebster list it anyway because somebody will use it and somebody who hears it might not know what it means and want to look it up.” “You mean someone of very little brain?” “Exactly.” It seems to me that the English language loves to construct little traps like that for the unwary speaker — or listener — to fall into. For example, take a sweater that’s busy unraveling, thanks to your forgetting to put it in mothballs last winter. When you can finally take it to the dry cleaner, you ask, “Do you have somebody who can ravel this?” “No, ma’am.” “Why not?” “Well, because “ravel” and “unravel” both mean the same thing — undoing it.” “Is that you, Grammar Snob? Since when did you become a dry cleaner?” “Since the pandemic. Anyway, what you need is someone who can reweave this, but it’s expensive.”

JUDY EPSTEIN

A Look on the Lighter Side “Thanks, I’m good.” Which means “No thanks, I’m NOT good.” Let’s take another language trap: How do you say that something is the opposite of flammable? Would you say it’s “inflammable?” “No, that means the same thing as flammable!” says Grammar Snob, all inflamed. “Why are you still in my store anyway?” “I’m just so glad to see you,” I say peaceably. “But

what should I say then for the opposite of ‘flammable?’” “You say, “This thing won’t burn,” says Snob. “But I wouldn’t believe it about that sweater — with or without the mothballs all winter.” “You know what?” I say. “I could care less!” “You mean, you COULDN’T care less!” Grammar Snob shouts at me. “What’s happened to you? You used to shout at the TV right along with me, whenever someone else said that.” “I know,” I said. “I can’t be bothered about grammar these days.” My husband loves to exploit these ambiguities. Whenever I am so foolish as to ask him to make me a cup of coﬀee, he grins and says, “Poof! You’re a cup of coﬀee!” “You keep doing that!” I complain. “You drive me crazy!” He replies, “If you insist.” And as he likes to say every Valentine’s Day, “Darling, I can’t do enough for you.” Does that mean that his attempts will be bottomless and

never-ending? Or that he won’t even try? As a Bear of Very Little Brain, I am confused. His favorite bit from “Saturday Night Live” is a long-ago sketch where Ed Asner, as a nuclear energy plant manager about to retire, tells his colleagues, “Just remember — you can’t put too much water in a nuclear reactor.” Of course, the reactor soon goes haywire, and his panicstricken colleagues begin asking each other, “What did he mean by that? Did he mean you can keep putting water in because no amount is too much? Or did he mean DON’T put water in, because that would be wrong? WHICH ONE DID HE MEAN?” The sketch ends with Asner relaxing on a beach, looking out at the ocean, with a giant mushroom cloud blossoming up into the horizon behind him. I tell my husband I’m going to get us a dictionary for these kinds of ambiguities. He replies, “Go right ahead. I will waste no time in reading it.”

16 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

THE BACK ROAD

This is not a good time to be silent and still

’m pretty good at untangling knots and working my way out of messes. Sometimes, though, a mess is well beyond my reach and stuck in the hands of unreliable strangers. Shortly after 9/11, I worried that we might find ourselves under sustained attack by foreign terrorists. For a time, I would not travel over bridges or through tunnels into Manhattan or New Jersey. What gave me some hope was when I sensed people coming together in grief and healing. Partisan politics dissipated in the service of national unity. It was a beautiful thing to behold. I can vividly recall the eerie silence the first time I rode the NYC subway after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. The collective sorrow in

the train car was palpable. Despite the diversity of the riders around me, we shared the same mournful face, united in grief. Today, almost 20 years later, it feels so diﬀerent. Almost 3,000 people were killed in the attack on American soil on September 11, 2001; and, we came together. Since March 2020, more than 605,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus; and, we are torn apart. Hundreds of homegrown terrorists brandishing confederate, Nazi and MAGA symbols attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, some of them using American flag poles to bludgeon police. Thirty-five U.S. senators refused to support a bill to create an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate the attack. Instead, in yet another

ANDREW MALEKOFF The Back Road

conspiracy theory, they have called for a probe of the F.B.I. These cowardly legislators are backed by millions of Americans who believe the fairy tales told by a deposed emperor with no clothes, who has convinced them that he won an election which he verifiably lost by much more than a slim margin.

In 2018, at a Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in Kansas City, then President Trump told the veterans, “Just remember, what you are seeing and what you are reading is not what’s happening.” Timothy Snyder was on target when he stated in his book “On Tyranny: To abandon facts is to abandon freedom.” And, that is where the insurrectionist former president and his band of democracy-challenged misfits are leading millions of Americans. His mantra all along has been some variation of, “who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?” The solemnity and forbearance which united us after our national tragedy 20 years ago, has been succeeded by suspicion and disunion in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Capitol

insurrection and ongoing eﬀorts to restrict voting rights. Bipartisanship has become an anachronism. Superman’s motto – truth, justice and the American way, which I grew up with as a child, rings hollow for today’s children. Being adept at untangling knots does not equip me to envision a way out the mess that has been inspired by a despot who preaches an alternative reality to his malleable millions. In the face of national tragedy and threats to weaken our democracy by restricting voting rights, Americans are far from united. We have drifted apart in suspicion and distrust of one another. As we move from one day of independence (Juneteenth) to another (Fourth of July), this is not a good time for Americans of goodwill to be silent and still.

E A R T H M AT T E R S

Of mice, men and ticks in the outdoors

f you enjoy the outdoors and live on Long Island, chances are you´ve encountered ticks and you probably know about the diseases derived from tick bites, the most notorious being Lyme Disease. The life cycle of ticks includes metamorphosis from eggs to sixlegged larva, molting into eightlegged nymphs that mature into adults. At every stage, they rely on host blood for nourishment. Interestingly, every larva is born innocent. Diseases like Lyme are not transmitted from adult ticks to larva. Instead, the nymphs get infected through small mammal hosts (mice, shrew, chipmunks) and pass that infection on to large vertebrates like us. Fossils of ticks engorged with dinosaur blood reveal they have been around for at least a hundred million years and the bacterial pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi that causes Lyme Disease has been around for long before humans arrived to Long Island. So why did Lyme recently become a problem? Again, human-caused changes to the environment are to blame. It wasn’t an epidemiologist but rather an ecologist who connected the dots to reveal the real causes for Lyme. Dr. Rick Ostfeld at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y., realized that white-footed mice are critical agents in Lyme Disease transmission and humans have facilitated the spread by eradicating their

predators. Furthermore, human-caused climate change has resulted in favorable conditions for ticks to multiply in numbers. According to Ostfeld, Lyme is the fastest-growing zoonotic disease in North America with Lyme doubling in reported incidences from 2002 (240,000) to 2017 (420,000). Ostfeld leads an impressive research project, the Tick Project, that includes large-scale community treatments in Western Dutchess County with the aim to reduce the tick load and therefore Lyme infections using a naturally occurring fungus that kills ticks and bait boxes with Frontline. Lyme was diluted among a wide variety of hosts (reservoirs) in biodiverse woodlands and wasn’t a public health threat until humans moved into areas previously assigned to wildlife. Habitat fragmentation increases the number of competent hosts like mice, and warming climate increases the number of ticks who need wet, humid and warm weather to reproduce. It may not be much comfort to reflect on this if you’re suﬀering from this debilitating and often tragic disease, but it’s important to understand the real causes for Lyme in order to prevent this growing epidemic from becoming worse. We must address our natural defenses. We must do what we can

HILDUR PALSDOTTIR Earth Matters

to curb climate change and restore healthy ecosystem function by recreating habitats with predators that reduce critter numbers. The larger the nature preserve, the more likely it is to foster biodiversity. Deer aren’t great at transmitting Lyme to ticks, with only 10 percent likelihood of transmitting the pathogen in contrast to mice who have host competence of 90 percent. Adult ticks date and mate on deer bodies, that’s how deer come into play. One deer can support as many as 2 million fertilized tick eggs. In a behavior referred to as “questing” ticks are attracted to your breath and body warmth. In the case of Lyme, humans are the end station, we are the incompetent reservoir host, deadend hosts. Once in us, the disease doesn’t spread further. We are the

random host for these opportunistic parasites that aren’t very picky and feed on whatever blood they encounter, including vertebrates, birds and reptiles. To summarize, mice and shrews make the ticks sick and ticks make us sick and we don’t pass this disease on to make anybody else sick — but we are the ones to blame for the spread because we disturbed the existing balance in the ecosystem by reducing biodiversity that kept this infection in check. Habitat destruction and warming climate are to blame for the spread of Lyme, and we are to blame for both. Here´s what we can do to restore balance. First, support tick and Lyme research. Second, prevent the disease by taking all the necessary precautions. The best way to prevent getting Lyme disease includes regular tick checks. Third, curb climate change with your energy choices and conserve nature by dedicating large areas of land to wildlife sanctuaries and in that way support biodiversity and bring back our natural defenses. Ecological restoration of wildlife habitats dilutes the disease reservoirs with hosts less likely to pass on the infection. Support tick eaters like opossums, fowl, and quail and bring balance back to the ecosystem by recreating livable spaces for predators like owls, hawks, foxes, raccoons, and bob-

cats, who eat small mammals. Human development and habitat destruction with associated loss of biodiversity upset the existing balance in the ecosystem. By eradicating keystone species and apex predators, the story of mice and men unfolded. And the story continues. It’s not too late to restore balance. Let’s do what we can! This is a classic tale where overdevelopment and human range expansion without regard for the sanctity of wilderness and the composition of natural inhabitants has endangered our own wellbeing. Humans now inhabit all corners of the world in our attempt to conquer the wilderness. Hundreds of years of aggressively insisting on domination of life and colonization of cultures who were better equipped to live in wild places have by the utter disregard for non-human life increased the risk of transmission of diseases that were previously carefully contained within animal reservoirs in areas out of reach for humans. It’s about time that we do what we can to restore balance and reclaim wilderness. Catskills Mountainkeeper warn that this year is especially bad in terms of tick infestation. Warm winters together with record-high acorn yields a couple of years ago have resulted in an expected “tick time bomb” for this summer. Dress accordingly and tuck your pants Continued on Page 36

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

VIEW POINT

Who are the real patriots in our country?

hat does it mean to be a patriot? That word has been politicized as much as a COVID19 mask to protect others from a lethal disease, as much as “public health” or “parental leave” or “climate change” or “gun rights” or now, the perversion of the term “critical race theory” which chillingly mimics 1930s Nazi propaganda. Apparently “brave” doesn’t cover “risking” the discomfort of getting the COVID-19 vaccination, even if it protects family, community and country. January 6 insurrectionists chanted “1776” but carried Confederate flags. 1776 was a commitment to the formation of the United States of America, replacing rule by a faraway monarchy with rule by the governed; the Confederacy was a revolt intended to cleave the nation, less than a century old, into two based on a notion that some were not entitled to the same “inalienable rights” of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but were chattel, not human beings. Trump wanted to imprison or shoot anyone who desecrated monuments to Confederate generals, installed well after the Civil

War to assert White Supremacy, claiming that these protesters for justice were not patriots, they were the rebels who should be deprived of their civil rights. Who’s the rebel? Who’s the patriot? The January 6 insurrection by Trumpers would have overturned the foundations of what it means to be the United States of America – a democracy in which free and fair elections decide our elected representatives and those who lose accept that. This was the first time in American history that there was not a peaceful transition of presidential power. The Trumpers are still talking about a violent overthrow of the Biden Administration, a la Myanmar. The Trumpers have commandeered the label “patriot” to justify illegal, violent, criminal activity, while providing cover for a corrupt dictator-wannabe who would replace government by the people with a fascist dictatorship (while keeping himself and his criminal associates out of jail and raking in the dollars from his cultists). President Joe Biden has applied the term “patriot” diﬀerently: someone who wears a mask and socially distances in order to pro-

KAREN RUBIN View Point

tect the community, society and the nation. He has declared this the “Summer of Independence” – from the coronavirus pandemic, sounding much like the fictional president in the “Independence Day” movie, when global citizens were called upon to defend themselves from an alien invasion. The coronavirus pandemic is much the same as an alien invasion, but unlike other existential threats that have united the nation – Pearl Harbor, 9/11 – contemporary existential threats such as the pandemic and climate change have eluded such potency to unite in common cause. But I wonder what will hap-

pen when these rebels who continue to use the Big Lie as an excuse to threaten violence and pass sweeping voter suppression laws, gerrymander districts, and set into place the ability of Republicans (if in power) to literally discount election results they don’t like, what happens when they, in fact, overturn elections so they are no longer “free and fair”. That is likely in 2022, so Republicans retake the House and Senate and eﬀectively cancel the rest of Biden’s presidency. Now imagine it’s 2024. Biden has expanded his popular vote lead over Trump (or his MAGA successor) to 10 million votes from 2020’s 7 million. But because of voter suppression, intimidation, partisan rejection of mail-in ballots, purging of voter rolls and rejection of provisional ballots, and Republican legislatures choosing their own electors regardless of votes, the Trumper manages to eke out wins in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Georgia by a dozen votes each – let’s say 36 votes to Biden’s 10 million – to retake the White House. (“It’s not the voting that’s democracy; it’s the counting,” British playwright Tom Stoppard wrote in “Jumpers”.) Will Democrats sit back and

accept the election as “free and fair” or even “democratic”? Will they sit back and watch a “peaceful transition of power”? Or take to the streets like Belarus and do what they can to undermine the illegitimate administration? Who are the patriots in this scenario? The Lincoln Project tweeted, “Protecting democracy doesn’t call for political courage — it calls for patriotism.” So many quotes about “patriotism” have to do with a willingness to fight and die – and used as much by the insurrectionists who would overthrow liberty and democracy in favor of a fascist dictatorship as by those who would protect democracy. “The patriot’s blood is the seed of Freedom’s tree,” wrote 19th century Presbyterian minister Thomas Campbell. “No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots,” stated “veteran muckraker” Barbara Ehrenreich This one is particularly popular with Trumpers: “Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Continued on Page 43

FROM THE DESK OF RICHARD NICOLELLO

Appreciating our independence, freedom

his July 4th marks the 245th anniversary of the presentation and acceptance of the Declaration of Independence, one of the most significant events in world history. The freedom and liberty that exists in the world today is largely the result of the Declaration of Independence made in Philadelphia in 1776. The men who signed the Declaration were remarkably courageous. Everyone who signed the Declaration risked being hung by British forces as a traitor. Their

unshakeable belief in the cause of liberty gave them the strength to take on the might of an Empire that stretched around the world. The signers included some of the wealthiest men in America. They risked losing everything, impoverishing their families. They believed that freedom and liberty were God-given rights, not rights given by government. Our Founding fathers were far from perfect. The America they created was not perfect. It took a bloody civil war to finally remove

RICHARD NICOLELLO Presiding Officer

the stain of slavery from our nation and another 100 years to extend civil rights to all of our citizens. What the signers of the Declaration created, however, was something unique in the history of the world. A government of the people, by the people and for the people. The nation that they helped create has had the strength and flexibility over time to become a more just society. And the words of the Declaration have been an inspiration to freedom-loving people all over the world.

With the 4th of July holiday approaching this weekend, it is more important than ever to appreciate the abundant freedoms we enjoy. With the blessings of living in this great country comes the responsibility to maintain the great experiment begun in Philadelphia in 1776. We must all do our part to ensure the survival of liberty and to create a more perfect society. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, America is the last best hope of man on earth.

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

18 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

OUR TOWN

Five writers in search of a story

hen my publisher Steve Blank asked me to join a Town Hall Meeting, I was happy to do so. It is not every night that I get to sit and chat with intellectual luminaries. Steve Blank is a Pulitzer Prize nominee and publisher, Judy Epstein is a humorist who was an award-winning producer of The Bill Moyers Show, Michael D’Innocenzo is a Hofstra professor of American history and Andrew Malekoﬀ was the director of North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center. And then there was me, a sport psychologist. We are the weekly columnists for the newspapers of The Blank Slate Media. Our televised conversation touched upon the current zeitgeist in America with all our anomie,

Five writers talk about the state of the American mind

existential dread and rage. Here is what our free-floating conversation touched upon;1) Judy Epstein began talking about the vagaries of these virtual meetings whereby the audience gets to see into your private space whatever it may look like. Since none of us are particularly well trained in set design, the background is invariably odd. When I do these Zoom calls, I know that the light I use casts horrific shadows on my face and ages me more than my already ancient 73 years. And my bookcases in the background are unkempt and oﬀputting. 2) The impact of the pandemic on kids and adults in Nassau County was discussed. Andrew Malekoﬀ remarked that the outcome of the pandemic can best be summed up with the word ‘loss.’ We all lost loved ones, a sense of safety and most importantly we all lost a way of life. What he meant by that is that we lost all the social structures that seem to be essential for mental health. We lost the very ordinary and every day social processes like kids getting on busses and going to school thereby giving parents respite. We lost sports activities which mean kids lost a chance to participate in physical and social activities. Kids also lost things like graduation ceremonies, proms, music events etc. And finally, we lost the chance to mourn with the removal of funeral

DR. TOM FERRARO Our Town

processing. 3) Michael D’Innocenzo, our history professor also talked about loss of social connection and about how President Biden was quietly attempting to establish ‘communal cores’ or places where regular citizens would gather just to chat about things. This is what Starbucks so wisely capitalized on. But alas if you go to Starbucks, you will not be engaged in café life in any real way but rather will be sitting at a long table hunched over and engaged in a conversation with your computer. Michael was making a plea for a return of the Third Place, a place which is not home nor work but a third neutral place to meet neighbors. The piazzas in Italy are like this but we have a critical lack of these communal environments in America. Michael said that meeting neighbors this way could remedy and overcome

our paranoid divisiveness which now dominates our political and even our social life. 4) Our conversation turned to sports and over competitiveness in America. I referenced the Matthew Stewart piece entitled “The Birth of the New Aristocracy” where he outlined the wall that has been carefully built by the upper 10 percent of Americans who have invested huge dollars to live in golden zip codes, join country clubs, and have their kids attend only the very best schools. All this to guarantee that they will maintain their social status and standing. Andrew Malekoff said this has produced major stress and anxiety in the kids today. Sport perfectly reflects this desperate effort to be on top and obtain pride in a society that seems to demand one must be number one or you’re a loser. 5) Finally Judy remarked that American value system seems to be that if you are not among the top of the top, you simply cannot feel good about yourself and must instead feel shame, anonymity and embarrassment. I think this kind of shame and envy may be why we are seeing such a rash of mass shootings over the last thirty years. This the winter of America’s discontent. The question of America’s core values which is never far from money, money and lots more money in order to buy stuff. Madison Avenue has done a particularly

good job of commodifying and selling pride, status and happiness. Abraham Maslow and Rollo May led a short-lived movement in American psychology called existential psychology which simply suggested that deeper values like beauty, growth, courage, mastery and self-actualization are far more meaningful than conspicuous consumption but alas existentialism was no match for Madison Avenue and the movement failed before it started. 6) The final discussion was Steve wondering about exactly how fragile American democracy is with Michael D’Innocenzo suggesting that indeed it may be as fragile as we all fear. My sense is that democracy will undergo changes but the system that is far more powerful than any political ideology is capitalism where ‘money talks and nobody walks.” We talked about choking in sports, the role of the press in American life and even a bit about how the unconscious plays a big role in all our lives. If you want to hear the whole show I am sure there is a link on theislandnow.com website. I enjoyed my participation in Steve Blank’s marketplace of ideas and we all owe him our gratitude and thanks for having the good will, courage and the energy to put all these shows together. So thank you Steve Blank.

READERS WRITE

How to pay for expanded Medicare coverage

en. Schumer has a good idea about adding dental, hearing and vision benefits to Medicare. The trick is how to pay for it. The current Medicare payroll deduction for those still working is 1.45 percent. As our population continues to age and live longer, there are fewer people still working and paying into Medicare. At the same time, more people continue to enroll in Medicare. Remember that our national birth

rate continues to decline. Here is a fiscally responsible way to pay for the additional Medicare benefits that Schumer proposes for those who do not have private Medicare supplemental plans already paying for dental, hearing and vision benefits. According to the nonpartisan Congressional budget oﬃce, the estimated cost could be $35 billion annually. Medicare payroll withholding should increase from 1.45 percent to 1.50 per-

cent. This .05 percent increase should continue over the next ten years until reaching 2 percent. For those already on Medicare, recipient quarterly payments should increase by fifty dollars for a total of $200 dollars annually. Increases in future years can be based upon what the Medicare program shortfall becomes for new dental, hearing and vision benefits. Asking retirees to contribute $50 every three months for a to-

tal of $200 per year is only fair when you consider the value of these new benefits. For those who are happy with their current private supplemental plans and not want to enroll, this new program could be considered a new optional Part E Medicare program. These financial contributions from current and future generations will go a long way to paying for increasing the scope of benefits and preserving Medicare’s financial solvency.

BLANK SLATE MEDIA WELCOMES YOUR SUBMISSIONS. PLEASE E-MAIL THEM TO NEWS@THEISLANDNOW.COM

With a $29 trillion federal deficit projected to grow by $1 trillion or more per annually for years to come, we need to pay more attention to the issue of fiscal solvency. TANSTAFFL, there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch or in this case increasing Medicare benefits. Someone has to pick up the tab. Larry Penner Great Neck Letters Continued on Page 31

BLANK SLATE MEDIA July 2, 2021

YOUR GUIDE TO THE ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING

ENJOY A SAFE AND HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY Independence Day is a celebration of the United States of America. The holiday is marked by fanfare and large parties, complete with barbecues, fireworks and parades. As fun as July 4th festivities typically are, injuries, particularly those involving fireworks, are a concern that celebrants should not take lightly. An estimated 11,000 people visited the emergency room for fireworks-related injuries in 2016, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. However, fireworks aren’t the only danger this time of year. In order to remain safe, individuals can heed these tips.

· Do not drink and drive. Alcohol consumption may accompany Independence Day festivities. For those planning on using a car to get to and from parties, it is essential to designate a driver who will not imbibe. Otherwise, utilize any number of ridesharing services or available taxis. · Swim smartly. Always swim with a buddy, and consider hiring a lifeguard if you’ll be hosting a pool party and cannot keep a watchful eye on guests in the pool. Adults also should not swim intoxicated, as it can impede the ability to stay afloat and may lead to risky behaviors. · Leave fireworks to the professionals. Watch a public fireworks display instead of

lighting fireworks on the street or in the backyard. · Exercise caution with sparklers. Kids running around with sparklers in hand could be a recipe for disaster, as sparklers burn extremely hot. Make sure children do not wave them around or others can get burned. Keep a bucket of water handy to properly extinguish the sparklers. · Review safe boating practices. If July 4th festivities find you out on the water, be sure that life jackets are worn and set boating and water safety rules for the family. · Check in with a vet. The Fourth of July can be traumatic for pets not accus-

tomed to fireworks and other loud noises or crowds. Behavior therapy, medication and ensuring that pets do not run away from home and get lost may be necessary. · Watch food temperatures. Do not leave food out in the hot sun for too long; otherwise, harmful bacteria can grow and potentially cause foodborne illnesses. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service says to never leave food out of refrigeration for more than two hours. If the temperature is above 90 F, food should not be left out for more than one hour. These are some of the safety strategies that can keep Independence Day celebrations both safe and enjoyable.

20 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

Thunderbird American Indian Powwow Powwow Special Admission Days are here! Celebrate American Indian Culture through music, dance, Native American crafts and food. This spectacular 3-day powwow features intertribal Native American dance competitions by over forty Indian Nations. Program features an expansive market of authentic Native American art, crafts, jewelry and food (don’t miss the fry bread!). An immersive experience not to be missed. Online tickets only. Advance tickets recommended as tickets are limited. Ticket is required to enter pow-

Thunderbird American Indian Powwow

wow and craft/food market; no gate fee to enter farm grounds. Covid visitor guidelines can be found at queensfarm.org. Fri, 7/23: Performances 7–10PM (Gates open at 6:00 PM)Sat, 7/24: Performances 12–5PM & 7–10 PM (Gates open at 10:00 AM)Sun, 7/25: Performances 12–5PM (Gates open at 10:00 AM) Tickets: $15; $8 (Children ages 2-12)3-Day Tickets: $30; $16 (Children ages 2-12) Tickets & Details at https://www. queensfarm.org/events/

!"#$%&'$%("&$

&')*!("+%%,-.//./0%1%234

* 5 ! 6 + 7% !"#$%&'(

)%**+#( ,-.,+#$

!"#$%&'()*+%,'-*./*

$0"*1'2"&3441*,0%!!1"

!"#$%&'!(#)*'%+,'-%+,(-!,'%-.&+/-,%+(#)

56789*79:;*:<8=>?:@A>*8B<8>=7*B<*CBD= *E9B<>F*76@A>7F*A6E7BE*B=*8BGED7>=*HB=*!&"" 977E;IJJCBD=;9BKLA:M>JA:M>=EBBAN;9DHO>N=88 +012345% 51%612%76%548% .19:6;%<4=>780% 1?%<1>>80@8

'A1;9108B%76C

Thinking Of Selling Your Home? Let Us Make It Happen Together.

Happy Birthday

America!

Gisele (Gigi) Politoski

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson O 516.627.2800 | M 516.815.9300 gisele.politoski@elliman.com elliman.com

110 WALT WHITMAN ROAD, HUNTINGTON STATION, NY 11746. 631.549.7401.

A Blank Slate Media Special Section July 2, 2021

22 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

What to know about outdoor living spaces H ome trends come and go. What was popular as recently as a decade ago may have lost some luster in the eyes of today’s home buyers. Though that’s historically been the case in regard to real estate, outdoor living rooms are one relatively recent home trend that figures to have a longer shelf life, especially in the aftermath

of a global pandemic during which people were encouraged to stay home as much as possible.

Real estate professionals and organizations like the National Association of Home Builders note the popularity of outdoor living spaces among prospective home buyers, and how that

popularity has grown in recent years. Outdoor living rooms not only appeal to potential buyers, they also serve as a means for current homeowners to get more out of their properties. Homeowners mulling outdoor living space projects should consider various factors before deciding to go ahead with a project.

· Cost: The home renovation resource HomeAdvisor estimates that the average cost of an outdoor living space is around $7,600. That cost can easily go up depending on where homeowners live and the features they want to have in their outdoor living spaces. For example, including a built-in fire pit in an outdoor living space will cost more than purchasing a stand-alone fire pit that can be picked up and moved. But many homeowners feel a built-in fire pit makes an outdoor living space even more special. · Return on investment: Return on investment is another factor for homeowners to consider as they try to decide if they should install outdoor living spaces and how to design those areas. Much conflicting data about the ROI on outdoor kitchens can be found online, but many trusted real estate organizations report that such additions do not mesmerize prospective buyers. Data from the American Institute of Architects indicates that outdoor kitchens are routinely ranked among the least desirable

home features, which means homeowners should not expect substantial ROI when selling their homes. But that built-in fire pit? Estimates from the National Association of Realtors suggest fire features recover around 67 percent of homeowners’ initial investment. In addition, 83 percent of homeowners surveyed by the NAR who had installed fire features said they had a greater desire to be home after completing the project. · Space: An outdoor living space may only be as relaxing as the space allows. The proximity of neighbors may affect privacy levels, which can make it hard to enjoy movie night outdoors or curl up to quietly read a good book. In addition, landscaping also may need to be addressed if drainage is an issue in the backyard. That can add to the cost, and drainage concerns may limit the materials homeowners can work with. Outdoor living spaces are popular. Homeowners must consider various factors before deciding if such spaces are for them.

!"#$%&%'( !")'* -%.%/%012345%67289%:%;7<=723<3>29%:%;7.7?9

:%219?8@AB8=8C14DE72

!""#$%&'#(')%*&+!$,

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

Full Service General Contractor, Builder, Remodeler

CALL NOW, SO WE CAN GET STARTED ON YOUR PROJECT TODAY!

John Santos o | (516) 747-5263 F | (516) 621-2527 info@islandcontractinginc.com

The best choice for any residential or commercial projects

LARGE OR SMALL WE DO IT ALL 55 Lumber Road, Roslyn, NY 11576

24 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

How to maintain hardwood floors H

ardwood floors have long been sought after by home buyers. In its 2019 “Remodeling Impact Report,” the National Association of Realtors® revealed that new wood flooring was the fourth most popular project to attract buyers. Of course, hardwood floors aren’t just for buyers. Homeowners who already have hardwood floors know just how impressive these floors can be, especially when they’re well maintained. Maintaining wood floors is not necessarily as straightforward as it may seem, and homeowners may benefit from a tutorial on how too keep the floors under their feet looking good. To polish or not to polish? Polishing floors is an inexpensive way to keep them looking good. But the home improvement experts at BobVila.com note that not all floors can be polished, and determining which ones can depends on the finish. Floors with waterproof barriers such as urethane will benefit from routine polishing. However, floors with penetrating finishes like tung oil will need to be waxed rather than polished.

What finish is on the floor? The Hardwood Distributor’s Association recommends a simple way for homeowners to determine which type of finish is on their hardwood floors. Homeowners are advised to rub a finger across the floor. If no smudge appears, then the floor is surface sealed. If a smudge is created, then the floor has been treated with a penetrating seal. The HDA also notes that recently installed wood floors are likely surface sealed. How often should floors be polished or waxed? Wood flooring professionals recommend polishing floors that can be polished once every few months. Waxing wood floors does not need to be done as frequently, and most can benefit from a fresh coat of wax every 12 to 18 months. What can I do on a daily basis? Some simple tricks and daily maintenance can help wood floors maintain their impressive look. · Utilize floor mats. The HDA notes that

floor mats near entryways can reduce the time it takes to clean hardwood floors and reduce the wear and tear they endure. For example, tiny particles like dirt can scratch the floor and contribute to the kind of minor damage that adds up to significant scarring over time. Floor mats near entryways ensures that most of that dirt never makes it to the wood floors. · Vacuum without a beater bar. Some vacuums contain beater bars, which are designed to pick up human hair, dog hair and other things that conventional vacuums may not be able to pick up. The HDA advises vacuuming without the beater bar, as it can contribute to small scratches in the floor. Sweeping with a high-quality broom or microfiber cloth is another way to

pick up dirt without damaging floors. · Use manufacturer-recommended cleaning products. Local home improvement stores sell a host of hardwood floor cleaning products, but the HDA notes that many flooring manufacturers now sell their own hardwood floor cleaners designed specifically for their floors. These products are likely homeowners’ best bets. Homeowners who can’t find them can seek recommendations from a local flooring retailer. Hardwood floors are attractive for many reasons. And they look even more stunning, and last much longer, when homeowners make an effort to maintain them.

!""#$%&'(')$*$%& '+$%*"+)'('&,--.!) Arnie Blake Attention Active U.S. Military, Veterans & Retirees: Offer Exclusively through GAF Master Elite/Certified Contractors

FREE ESTIMATES CONSULTATIONS AVAILABLE

516.488.4858 www.blakewsr.com

!"#$%!&'()*+(*)(

Nasau Lic #H18C5190000 NYC Lic #0888858

2019

"/01'23'40516' .780190:;0 <9;0:60='>'$:6?10='>' @A:=0=

100% Financing Available* Please ask for details *(Subject to credit Approval)

+,+,

!!!!!"#$%!!!!"#$%& &'(%) *)'(# "/*1!0223/0

-.&&/0 !"#$%&'()*+',-&,(*().& #)*&/++0().

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

!"#$ $A8@ %&"'()* 91A<W/; +,)&#-'. '?/183<X /-01"'$* )3-.A<@; 20,34)* =-?4Y/; 5"*,61)78)9)#&: ,A;?:./%Z/[/810 (;3-<%(<?3D:/; ;*-0'7;',-<6)*

2)70#*"7F6: =/%-8;A%V:0 80$) Z-@/% 5"&0# ,A1-8 5"-'* F-<@V-X; =0#-<6) !-83D:/ >"&3)#0-' \A14/8-3< ?-#7>0-',-'.* "38%\-3<?3<X; (1?%$8-;; ;&,7!#0**

&#CF"G>%,"#'H!I(I&"#%'>JK&,> !"#$%&'($))%*'+"#,'-$../#."&' "&0'10".'-$../#."& 23'4/56'7869':6#//6*'+1;;<(='>>?*'@=A

LMNOP%OQNCO5O5%R%LSNSP%TOOCU5OO

@-AA0': I3]-<0 B)-**)' G/3;;/< %0330&0, 9-44-1-? B-$75)',6&: G3@%,/<?:10% C6&'-,6&) 7:1<3?:1/ D*,0,)78)9)#&: >;?-?/%Z/[/810 *%G:4Y%GA1/ E7B6347B"&) !"#$%&'!(#)%*%#+, '-./%)-0%'/1234/ 56%+/-1%7-.380%9:;3</;; =/%9:0%><?31/%>;?-?/; !34/<;/@%*%9A<@/@ 71//%(BB1-3;-8;

'08C!//(<?3D:/;E4A.

26 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

How to pick paint for home interiors

any components combine to define a home’s interior. Some homeowners may be partial to certain styles, such as ultra modern or farmhouse, while others may opt for a more traditional look that cannot necessarily be categorized as one style or another. Though many homeowners may spend considerable time and devote a lot of energy to making their

home embody a certain style, those who aren’t willing to commit to a particular look can lean on one component to make a stylish statement all their own: paint. Color can be a part of every homeowner’s design arsenal. Bold colors can be used to create a stunning accent wall, while homes with open concepts often utilize color to define rooms. Homeowners who want

to revitalize their home interiors can do so with paint, and this approach doesn’t require homeowners to commit to a whole new design style. Though paint may seem simple to novices, homeowners who have painted home interiors in the past recognize how complicated the process of picking paint can be. Paint retailers have a seemingly endless swatch of paint colors

to choose from, and before long homeowners heads may be spinning as they try to narrow down their options. The following tips can help homeowners pick the perfect paint for their home interiors. • Take stock, and photographs, of your current furnishings. Many interior designers rely on a simple technique when recommending color schemes to their clients. Choose a standout color from existing furnishings, such as the dominant color from a patterned decorative pillow or piece of furniture, and then look for the same shade to paint the walls. A photograph of the item can be handy when visiting the paint store. • Lighten colors as you go up. The home renovation and design experts at HGTV recommend picking darker color values for the floor, medium color values for the walls and light values for the ceiling. This approach mimics the look of the great outdoors, where the ground tends to be darker than the trees, and the trees are darker than the blue sky.

• Utilize paint to create the vibe you want. The home renovation experts at This Old House note that colors evoke an emotional response. Cool colors like blue and green give off a relaxing vibe, which makes them ideal for bedrooms and bathrooms. Red is an intense color that can up the energy ante in any room, which can make it an option for homeowners who want to spark debate around their dinner tables. • Give personal preference its place at the table. Though interior designers may have years of experience picking paint colors for a home and researchers may have determined how certain colors can be utilized to create a desired ambiance in a given room, ultimately homeowners are the ones who will be living in the home. So it’s important that homeowners pick colors they like for their home interiors. Paint is an inexpensive way to transform a room. Homeowners can rely on a combination of color strategies and their personal preferences as they try to decide which colors they want on their interior walls.

516.204.1751

!"#$%%&#'%()'* ! & !"!#WINNER

+,-./01+2-341/&5!60!5/75817!3/9260+:;,<-!3/2-3/,&!527!3/!.5!11/1:17!6/0-172++!51

BEST EGRESS WINDOW SYSTEM INSTALLATION

<=>/0?%@ABB/A? !"#$%%/1>%@$*C &#'@$)@/:'D#/9A*EB> .$@/8F/@'/G'H$ ! "! 6'#$/-A@D#AB/+E"=@ ! "! 0?)#$A%$/I'*$/JABD$ ! "! ! "!

2BB/<$/3'/0%/!"#$%%(

+",-%#$ &'()$$.

!"#$%#$ &'()$$*

!"#$%&'(

!"#$

%&'(((

!(/$-")%0(1$*

!"#$%%/<E?H'K/0?%@ABBA@E'? LA%$*$?@/<ABM'D@% ! "! GD%@'*/<$BB/G'N$#%/O/.#A@$% ! "! LA%$*$?@/!?@#>/1>%@$*% ! "! 3'""E$/3''#% ! "! ! "!

!"#"$%KKK(!"#$%%&#'%()'*%&'%#()*%$+"# (&,-%$&%.-$%)%(&/0&*%1&'%/0%$&%PQRSSS/,99% $+-%"*#$)22)$"&*%&1%)*%-.'-##%3"*,&3%#4#$-5 T/"#!$%&%'(!)#$(*&&%+!,-+%&$.!"//%0!#-(!(-!1%!'-,1)#%+!2)(3!*#4!-(3%0!-//%0.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

$2&&'$3(4536(75$'&8'9(( !"#$%&'(#)* $!*!"+$,"-(#)* '7'$3"5$:7($2&3":$32"8 .-&#/0 ,1234*54674*894:1;4* <6==92>*;5*?9754@ 4)1-(5-+)2&$")+(6)+.%'$&+$.(7"''( $&8-($9-(7)##:(&+;(9-&;&<9-()%$()=( :)%#(0#)>-<$.?(@-(<&+(A-$(:)%(.$&#$-;B( 0#)2";-("+=)#1&$")+()#(1&+&A-(:)%#( 0#)>-<$?

$#*A$B!*$C#*DB'*#$'*&-$#" 4)1-5-+)6)+.%'$&+$.?<)1 4)1-5-+)6)+.%'$&+$.CA1&"'?<)1

!"#$#%!$&'&#

#1234156378(9%54:26;378(9<=>>1;?378 <-@AB")"("B"<)#%<+B(%&!)+BB+)%-&!

CC/($=86(<D75E1(=F1;(G//(HGI/(H(C//(+>J2 %5267881;2(=K(D=:21(J=L1;

!"#$%&'"( !"!#$%&#'&(#)

!"#$%&'(&)*+&,*'+& )+!!&-*./+#-/*+&0#+.$.1&($1.(

!"#$%&'()*"(+#"+(,-#(-$"#(./(0"+#!

!"#$%&'()#(*+(,-#.)+(/00)"+$1-+$.(/2&"'&3'-

**+',!-$./%0'12!(/!3'#1%"!'4"1#! )*+,--.,/.01

THE SUMMER LINEN SALE NOW THROUGH AUGUST 2ND 9:;#*<##!""#$#%&#'()*+&!%#",%&%-#!%.# .*/%2#,%0"(.,%1#0(-4*6#*).&)-8

DUXIANA MANHASSET ?B99#C*)45&)%#D*("&3!). B?EFGEHF?I::## //8.(J,!%!80*6

Now through August 2nd, enjoy 20% OFF !""#$#%&#'()*+&!%#",%&%-#!%.#.*/%#,%0"(.,%1# +,""*/-2#.(3&4-2#0!-56&)&#45)*/-2#!""&)17# 0*%4)*"#0*3&)-#!%.#4)!3&"#+,""*/-8 =<#&)#1**.#45)*(15#>(1(-4#92#9:9?#*%"78# @!%%*4#A&#0*6A,%&.#/,45#!%7#*45&)#*<#&)-#*)#.,-0*(%4-8

28 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

!"#$%&'$%()'!*++,#'-$(.'

!"#$%&'"(#%

%*$.&&$4%'1&25$3.3-$6,.*'2$)7,/68+25$ '/6/+.&$7/.*%29$.&%*6$0/+8$.$ &.,61$21&1(+/%*$%:$8-3,/'$7/.*%2$

./0/$$ &"'"(#)*

!"#$%&' !"#$%

(

F62Z645[&26

1,,--

&259&:3

2/23$ '+#$&* F62Z645[&26

+*,,4--

(

&259&:3

F62Z645[&26

)*+,,--

&259&:3

"5/36#$ !"#$%* F62Z645[&26

(

7*+,,--

&259&:3

F*N*O,&'$"P&"#$&N+$Q*&-.R*.,"$A&"'&;"NN+Q*&)$"Q$+P& )-+."%S&T-,J&U$+.@%&N-V*&5*T&W+T+-&3-+."%X&+N".Q& T-,J&",J*$&5*T&+.@&)$*="T.*@&1+P+J+X&F-*N*$X& W.+U*X&0+N@T-.X&3*,$"'X&3$+PU*$Q*$X&F+P-OVX& F,*-.T+AX&+.@&7+%".&Y&!+PN-.S&

!"#"$

%$"&' !"#$%# !"##$%&'$(%)*+,-$,%.'$/*$012+3),2,&,J*&F"#$O*&7+NN

!"#$%&"'&()*$+,-"./ 01&233(4567856&9:8&6(&;(<49=>? 7".@+A=B$-@+A/&>C27DE37 F+,#$@+A/&>C27DG37 F#.@+A/>H37DI37 3J".*/&KG>EL&M?I=IECC

%&)*$%+&,+%$ -.)/$0%+$ *(1%$-.)/$20%+

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

!"#$%$&'() !

!"#$%&'(

!4*+-"47

)-.$%&'/

;7#+1"<=$A1#?4

PW?>0(''($E^PG$R1(?-)>$Q,1++M c1+?'02$'W$d'YT$(F$d',,

DN[$+1)I?+>>1()$Q'-? E'C0

!4*+-"47

!"#$"%#&'()*+(,-.

3$OGH"56$7$8#9 A0%,!MN1!CDD!)6+-*!)-,%%-1!=%K L6,X

3$!56$7$/0>> E#9/$#,X!69!'#09!)-,%%-1!CMC!'#09!)-,%%-1!A6,T#&*09I-69

777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

P9^6;!-*0&!F0:%!<%,76,$#9Q%_

!4*+-"47 !"!#$%&&$&'() *+,-(.$/01.-2

;7#+1"<=$>#?@

3$456$7$8!9:;9<89!:=" "#$%&!'(!)*+#,-!)-#. /0+$1!234!567&-,#!890. :%,&0-;1!5%$<&-%#/ %>??2$/1@>$A>BC?+$-? D-55>0$E-(.2F+ 3$4GH"56$7$/0>> =#<<%,!>#9/;?&!@,0&*!A+B1!CCD E#+,%F!G:%9+%1!=6,-*<6,7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

*,,C+1'(+$EI>$A0-) JC>>($KI'L$JC>>(+$< A0-)$JC>>($A1((>0 KI'L$<$JC>>(+M$DN

JC>>(+$/-06$R',C(?>>0 A-2$d>)1+?0-?1'(

Q>><&'Y-,M$KI'5 K6-,,$3$KC)-0>. Q>-C?2$Q-0 3$#"-6$7$/0>> )+I#,%/!W%#+-;!W#,1 2MUU!ZF/!=6,-*%,9 W6+F%:#,/1!S6&F;9

!4*+-"47

3$;56$7$8#"<84O=:== @FF+&069&!-*%!H,#I!J+%%9!)*6K J+%%9&!=L1!M4N3!OM,/1 PF$*+,&7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

KI1,>,-)I$&-L 3$=56$7$8#9 '+FQ#*;?&!A+B!#9/!R69Q%,5#FF1!MCMC!S#0F,6#/!G:%9+%1 T#9-#I*

/01>(.,2$/-06$P(16-,+ 3$##-6$7$8#! G:0#-6,!)<6,-&!#9/!P:%9-& R%9-%,1!M2UD!VF#-B+&*!G:%9+%1 W,66XF;9 7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

Q10.1()$#"#$R10?C-, S'0T+I'5 3$#!56$7$/0>> 2YY!W,6#/K#;1!=%K!L6,X

U'-?$N')D'0?I5'0? 3$##-6$7$8H" =6,-*!)*6,%!G90$#F R%9-%,1!CN3![%,969 [#FF%;!S6#/1!=6,-*<6,/0>>$K?-0$U-Z1() S'0T+I'5 3$;56$7$/0>> =%K!L6,X![0,-+#F1!MYY!W,6#/. K#;1!=%K!L6,X

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

UC1.>.$V>.1?-?1'($W'0 P(X1>?2

3$9GH"56$7$8!!"<8="" A0%,!MN!=%K!L6,X1!CDD )6+-*!)-,%%-1!E0B%,-; W%FF%!W6#-1!=%K!L6,X

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

/0>-T1>+?$_$/C((1>+? /''.$E'C0e$8b9 3$!GO956$7$8b9 R*09#-6K9!>6+,0&$!`06&X!#-!# -,#7aQ!0&F#9/!#Q,6&&!&-,%%7,6$1!CCY!R#9#F!)-1!=%K!L6,X

^X>0Y1+>$[,-++$W'0 c>-,?I$<$D'L$](,1(>g

""#$/>,1Y1-G$]D&*D^M %01@-?>$&>++'(+$1( A0-L1()$_$%-1(?1()M$O9 61(+$`;$LT+a

3$b56$7$/0>> )-+/06!UUR!]!=ZT!Z=E@=P1!UU G:%9+%!R1!)6+-*!)-6,%7,69-1 =%K!L6,X

777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

647$%&'% S>.(>+.-2$V'0(1() P.C,?$N')3$4-6$7$8#9<8#"" =6,-*<6,-![0FF#I%!A#,X1!NM

38-$%&'9 !4*+-"47

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

!4*+-"47

777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

;7#+1"<=$>#?@ Q>)1((>0$&-Y0'++> [-65$`['>.a$K^KK*]D #

U10,$KY'C?$N')3$O56$7$8#" =#&&#+!R6+9-;!'+. &%+$!67!G,-1!Z9%!'+. &%+$!H,0:%1!S6&F;9

3$9GH"56$7$8;" \C,$9?I$<$\C,$=?I 5%,,0QX&!5)!>%990&!R6+,-&1 2YY!)*%F-%,!S6QX!S/1!=%K 5;/%!A#,X 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

N'$[I1

!4*+-"47

3$!56$7$8#"

D>L$N'0T$&1B>0?2 @+:$A-,,-+$S1()+ 3$456$7$8OO<8O4= W#,QF#;&!R%9-%,1!NCY G-F#9-0Q!G:%1!W,66XF;9 EI>$P0?$'W$%CB,1Y K5>-T1()$/0>>$R10?C-, V-+?>0Y,-++ 3$456$7$/0>> 2YY!W,6#/K#;1!=%K!L6,X

3$bGH"56 L6!R*0!0&!#!+90b+% QF#&&!K*0Q*!K0FF!Q6$. B09%!-*%!&-#B0F0-;!67 ;6I#!#9/!-*%!&F6K!$6. B0F0-;!67!>#0!R*0!K0-* c%d0B0F0-;!#9/!B#F#9Q% e!09QF+/09I!$09/!#9/ B,%#-*(!A#,-0Q0<#9-& $+&-!B,09I!#!;6I#!$#-( '#,;!"#9%!H#:0%& \,%%91!'#9*#&&%-( 7%%/B#QXf96,-**%$< &-%#/9;(I6:1!U2N]OND] NM22 &'()$*+,-(.$K1(),>+ ^@>(?+$h$K5>>.$A-?1() 1($&'()$*+,-(.$h$K>>($'( Rc#

777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 3$456$7$8!=:=9<8HH:9"

3-4$%&'5

E%!R#0,%!E6+9I%1!C4D!50FF&0/% G:%9+%1!T0FF0&-69!A#,X

!4*+-"47

3$;56$7$8!! R#,6F09%&!69!W,6#/K#;1!2NCN W,6#/K#;1!=%K!L6,X

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 W#;:0%K!G:%9+%1!=6,-*<6,V'@1()$/'0$&1W>$A-(Y>f 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

01.$%&'2

3$#!-6$7$8Hb" \C,$9?I$<$PC)$H"?I Z9F09%!)%&&0691!23G!\F%9 )-,%%-1!\F%9!R6:%(!U2N]UDY] 3MC3

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

)*+$%&',

O?I$'W$\C,2$Q'-? %-0?2$DN[ /10>L'0T+$[0C1+> *(.>5>(.>(Y>$A-2

3$#56$7$/0>> J+%%9&!R6+9-;!V#,$!'+. &%+$1!4M]UY!E0--F%!=%QX!A#,X. K#;1!VF6,#F!A#,X

V*[cP^&$[c^ jD%^d/^[E$< R-YY1(-?>.$](,2$KI'L

!4*+-"47

D'0?I$c>65+?>-.F+ ['(Y>0?+$B2 [-(.,>,1)I?G ^(.,>++$KC66>0 3$4GH"56 =6,-*!5%$<&-%#/!K0FF B%!*6&-09I!0-&!R69. Q%,-&!B;!R#9/F%F0I*&%,0%&!-*0&!&<,09I!#9/ &+$$%,(!'0Q*#%F!"( >+FF;!A#,X1!2OY2!P:%,. I,%%9!G:%9+%1!=%K 5;/%!A#,X(!7%%/B#QXf 96,-**%$< &-%#/9;(I6:1!U2N]OND] NM22

!"#$%&': /0>>$['@1.$<$#=$R-YY1f (-?1'(+$1($&'()$*+,-(.g 3$#"-6$7$/0>> C24!W%-*<#I%!S/1!C24!W%-*. <#I%!S6#/1!)>P!CN1!50QX&:0FF% 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

\16$/,'0>(?1(>

Q0'-.L-2 ['66'(+$[-0(1@-, 3$956 \C,$;?I$<$\C,$#;?I >*0&!7#$0F;]7+9!#99+#F %:%9-!7%#-+,%&!-*,0FF09I $0/K#;!,0/%&!#9/ I#$%&!76,!#FF!#I%&!#9/ -#&-;!7#0,!766/!76, %:%,;!#<<%-0-%(!A#,X. 09I!#9/!#/$0&&069!#,% 7,%%(![0&0-!-*%!K%B&0-% 76,!&#:09I&!69!,0/%&( W,6#/K#;!R6$$69&1 MUO!=6,-*!W,6#/K#;1 50QX&:0FF%(!Q#,69Q69 K#;fQ6$Q#&-(9%-1 ONN]NNN]MC34

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

/-06$['66C(1?2 R',C(?>>0$A-2+$!"!#

i>?'$A1>?$#"#$/0>> S'0T+I'5

D>L$Q>)1((>0$K-,+[,-++$1($&'()$*+,-(.

3$=GH"-6$7$/0>> J+%%9&!W6-#90Q#F!\#,/%91!3M] UY!'#09!)-,%%-1!VF+&*09I

3$456$7$/0>> =%K!L6,X![0,-+#F1!MYY!W,6#/. K#;1!=%K!L6,X

3$4GH"56$7$/0>> MOO!'%,,0QX!G:%1!P#&'%#/6K

777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

>*%!B%&-!<F#Q%!-6!<,6$6-%!;6+,!%:%9-&!69F09%!#9/!09!<,09-(![0&0-!+&!f!*--<&ghh-*%0&F#9/96K(Q6$hF6Q#F]%:%9-&h

3$=GO956$7$8H9<8#";:9" R#,6F09%&!69!W,6#/K#;1!2NCN W,6#/K#;1!=%K!L6,X 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

!4*+-"47

D>L$A1@1.>$<$&1(T1( %-0T$E01BC?> 3$#"56$7$8#" '+FQ#*;?&!A+B!#9/ R69Q%,-!5#FF1!MCMC S#0F,6#/!G:%9+%1!T#9. -#I* !"#$%$&'() !

30 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

#$!& *($%03

)$&0'+B'#*&&*,'-+,#0C'D+0"#/'E$%"+.'

!"#!$%!%&

D+0"#/'E$%"+.' $#.&'F,(C'G3

/45'6789':;<5'=>?854' @754<'>?'A79'6789' A;@79>54<'>?' #;<<;8'-78?563 !"#$%&'#("#)*'+('#,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, !-#.+.#*/(,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 0)"$%1*23#4*5( 6..7%8($#)-")'#$,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 9()4#3%:(44'($$%0()-#;,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 9.+(,)'7,<($*2',,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, =*7$ >(#$ 8(#)*4%?3.@@*'2,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ?("/*A($,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ?@."#$,)'7,8(A"()#*.',,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, :(77*'2$

!"##$%&'!"((')$'*##+,#-$.'*,/,&0'12

'()%!"#$%&

,-,.

! " # $ % & ' " # ( ) & * ) + , # - '

"* $+))+#

.../(0),'"#$+$1./21*321$()'(4546

PROUD SPONSORS:

N E W H Y D E PA R K

Herald Courier Roslyn Times Williston Times Great Neck News Manhasset Times Port WashingtonTimes 22 Planting Field Road, Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 Office: (516) 307-1045 Fax: (516) 307-1046 www.theislandnow.com

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

READERS WRITE

Questions about Why I got absentee ballot Berkowitz vote A

t’s time the school board members representing the residents follow their own rules and regulations. If Barbra Berkowitz, a representative on our school board, has voted in an unlawful manner she should be removed from her position.

Such a person can serve as neither the president nor a trustee of the board. Honesty, above all else, should be the school board’s creed. Leon Ebrani Great Neck

ttention Ben Elihu, Leon Ebrani, and Eli Hematian: After reading your letters that appeared in the Great Neck News last week, I feel compelled to respond and divulge information that many who are connected with the Great Neck Public Schools and/or who are in my circle of friends have known for a great number of years. I receive absentee ballot status for medical reasons, and it is my choice whether to vote in person or

by absentee ballot. My oncologist feels that I should have the ability to make this decision as, periodically, my chemo injections fall on a Tuesday, and it’s not advisable to be in close proximity to so many people, especially with those who choose to go maskless and/or not be vaccinated, as is their right. I make neither a secret of this nor would I have expected to disclose it in a newspaper, but I felt I had no choice as you continue to seek ways to remove me from my position as a Board of Education

trustee. The time has come to accept the victorious result of the community-wide school vote, held in May, aﬃrming my re-election to a threeyear seat on the Great Neck Board of Education. While I doubt that you will apologize to me about the attempt to defame me, I request that you cease your unwarranted attack on my character and integrity. Thank you. Barbara Berkowitz Great Neck

think about it or comment on it. Two weeks ago the same thing happened when the board signed a four-year contract with Dr. Hynes without community input, discussion, just a surprise agenda item, 12.4, a 7-0 vote and no impartial discussion of merit. They say, we “need this now” and “it is for the children” but that doesn’t pass the smell test. The most recent change I could find to the mission statement was from 2007 before all of elementary school and Weber students were even born…so we could have waited a few weeks to hear what the community has to say. But that is not how Port Washington operates. This action indicates what the Board and Administration really thinks of com-

munity input. This is the same board that shut oﬀ community comment from Zoom board meetings for almost a year when the community needed engagement the most. I am looking forward to joining the board and trying to create a culture that respects the members of the community and includes them on discussions. We may not agree, but everyone deserves to be heard. Presenting and voting a new mission in the same night? Port Washington deserves better. In July, Port Washington will get better.

Olympian Berry Port schools deserves better turns back on flag

wen Berry on Saturday at the U.S. Olympic trackand-field trials a U.S. hammer thrower turn away on the podium from the American Flag as the national anthem was played. This was apparently was a protest against racism. This act I find most appalling as a veteran of the US Navy and had served during the Vietnam era and was proud to have done so. Now a protest is right to do but not in my opinion in this venue. What Gwen Berry has forgotten that many good Americans have served and died and that is with many diﬀerent races to pre-

serve these freedoms we all have today. America is not perfect and much is needed to improve race relations. But respect of the American Flag and the national anthem is the right thing to do for all that gave their lives. Many Americans served in many wars and conflicts and left friends, families, homes and jobs to serve the greater good. All this to allowed Gwen Berry to represent America in the Olympics. Now Gwen Berry think about all this. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Bellerose

n Tuesday June 22, the Port Washington School Board voted on the first new vision and mission of the school district since I was a high school student here in the 1990s. And while there were committees and some community input via a Thought Exchange in April, the Mission and Vision document is dated May 25, 2021, was made public June 21st and adopted without any community comment in a 7-0 vote on June 22. Dr. Hynes could have emailed out the mission statement in the email he sent to the district on June 22 at 2:46 pm, but all the email had was the date and time of the board meeting. As a result of this rushed vote, nobody gets to read it, digest it,

Adam E. Block, PhD Board Member Elect, 2021-2024

‘Last Night’s Moon’ Trump defense lacks facts I read soon we’ll not be able to distinguish the stars Because of the thousands of satellites Musk sends up. Well, we often can’t really see them now because of An excess of light pollution falling across the night sky. You’ll find me wishing for a little more than clear skies Though. In our harried, nervous lives, necessity Makes the world go round, also greed and love, But you won’t find me going the long journey Between one to the other. We’re sitting side by side, leaning into each other. The kids are asleep. I brush a lock of silver hair Back from your cheek. We’re not able to see the stars Because of the light, but we look up able to see the moon Spread its wonder on each other’s face. We spend content hours like this, talking and wondering About the future. It’s a vital part of completeness, Our small romance and deserved sweetness Is the optimism of happiness. The moon has no ulterior motives, it just is. Its wonder is blemished like love. I’m sorry if some don’t understand, Simple is exactly how I always wanted to be. Stephen Cipot Garden City Park

nder what could only have been a satirical headline- “Fact-based information trumps insults” — poor Walter Jaworski responds to Steven Blank’s supplication

to respond to letters, and I paraphrase, “in a way that educates” (perhaps with facts ?) “instead of name-calling” in a most curious fashion. He relies, instead, on the typi-

cal ill-informed, dare I say, fascist response, of labeling all with whom he disagrees Marxists or communists. Not. A. Singe. Fact. Sad! Eric Cashdan Sands Point

Roslyn officials ignore issues

ddressed to John Durkin and Marshall E. Bernstein. Gentlemen, a few weeks ago we met at Trattoria Diane to discuss some of the issues that concerned me and others with regard to the community in which I currently reside i.e. Roslyn Landing. I also expressed my concerns with regard to what I see as a lacuna and problematic situations in the village. Sadly, although I thought a subsequent dialogue, as we pleasantly discussed, would be welcomed, silence of an unpleasant

nature and a surprising lack of courtesy ensued. It is regrettable as I had enjoyed the company and the apparent thoughtfulness of two well educated gentlemen, but…. The questions that I had then and that I addressed with the mayor and his deputy have, alas, remained dead letter. One of the serious problems that I spoke about was the dangerous situation that exists leaving Roslyn Landing as, particularly, in the early morning Old Northern Boulevard is more akin to a speedway than a quiet country road. A lack of cameras and a stop

sign to prevent an injurious event is not a casual request but a sine qua non for the prevention of accidents in the future. All other questions that I have with respect to the village and Roslyn Landing are of the less pressing nature and thusly ought to be addressed in either a formal or informal way in the near future Thank you for your expected attention to my email. Patrick Silberstein Roslyn Letters Continued on Page 36

32 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

Business&RealEstate

What’s future of 3D printing homes? Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the greater demand for homes and the increased costs of wood and other components and the skyrocketing prices over the last year, the time has come as some innovative builders within the U.S. and in other countries have slowly begun to rely on 3D printing technology to produce a very defined and solid home with concrete. The cost to create this type of construction is much less costly and only requires one person to be on-site to watch the process unfold and monitor the apparatus as it builds a foundation and walls. The time it takes is considerably less and saves the builder a huge amount of time and labor costs. The downside it reduces the number of jobs that is needed to construct the home, but the upside is more homes can be produced at a lower cost. On average it will take 4-6 months to build an average-sized home of 1200-1800 sq. ft. However, with a commercial 3D printer doing the work, it can take as little as one day to build the structure and then when you have the contractors complete the doors, roof, windows etc. it can take as little as a few weeks to complete and finish the process. This is a much more eﬃcient and environmentally beneficial way to produce a home with much less concrete and materials used

creating less waste. The accuracy and detail of being able to produce very complex designs and varied shapes and sizes far beyond what a human could do, enables the builder to be much more creative. This contributes to greater savings as well as saving heat and establishing environments benefiting handicapped individuals to live more comfortably. In 3D Source which explains 3D printing of homes and I quote, “Moreover, the University of Tartu, Estonia, with the Estonian University of Life Sciences, have collaborated to create a low-cost 3D printed house concrete material made primarily of peat which could reduce the material cost of building a house by up to 10x! Additionally, because peat is so common it could be dug up locally — such as in deprived thirdworld countries — and used to build houses, so materials do not have to be shipped there. This becomes extremely advantageous in those countries where the necessary shelter and housing is desperately needed at a cost that could never be produced otherwise. In the U.S. this is a better way to ramp up the construction of much-needed housing at costs that make it aﬀordable for those who can and will no longer be able to purchase due to the escalating prices. These homes could be built

PHILIP A. RAICES Real Estate Watch

in areas where land is plentiful (upstate NY and other areas) and P.I.L.O.T.S. (payments in lieu of taxes) have been provided for other developments today as well as tax abatements which NYC has provided to many builders. The brain drain has been continuing for years due to the high cost of living and insane cost of housing and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The time has come to enable 3D printing of homes at an aﬀordable cost to keep more families and individuals in place and not leave to other less costly states. Dubai has set its sights on having 25 percent of its buildings to be constructed with 3D printings by 2030. There is a Russian company, Apis Cor using 3D printing technology that has been construct-

ing an Administrative building in Dubai. Even with the searing heat experienced in that area, the 3D printer was successful and passed all tests of speed and durability. In July 2018 in Nantes, France a family moved into their newly constructed 4BR home, the firstever 3D printed home for 170,000 Francs=$182.292.57 in 2021 dollars. The cost at that time was 20 percebt less than a stick-built home. This is a “no brainer” for NYS and the country as a whole to produce more aﬀordable homes for those who are need of a place to live and at the same time enable them to potentially leave their rentals and gain a stake in homeownership to begin building equity, a future nest egg and long term wealth, and grow roots in their community, which a vast majority have never experienced. 3D printed homes has the potential to assist in solving the housing crisis, whether it be for single, multi-family or government-sponsored projects at a much-reduced cost than conventional methods. At the same time, the current insanely and ridiculously high cost of wood would be reduced by the decrease in demand and usage due to the use of 3D printing usage of cement, lowering those costs too. Municipalities locally and

throughout the U.S. should begin to rethink and update their local building codes (unless they are already doing so) to incorporate this new technology so smarter and more economically priced and efficient construction can be created. Lowering the costs of future housing will maximize and increase the insuﬃcient availability of moderately priced homes and enable more families and individuals to leave their rentals which have provided their landlords all the benefits, and turning the tide reversing the wealth gap so greater numbers will be able to seek out homeownership to build their own personal future wealth and security. I hope Gov Cuomo and Washington are listening and put this on a fast-track agenda to make it a mainstream consideration project. Philip A. Raices is the owner/ Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 39 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 (C.I.P.S). For a “FREE” 15 minute consultation, a value analysis of your home, or to answer any of your questions or concerns he can be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email: Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate.Com

A discussion from mental health to media Continued from Page 8 “So it may not be a good idea to go through all that torment, to get the best grades so you can’t even enjoy college so you can get into a great law school

so you can get that great job and then hate it.” Malekoﬀ said the number of children that the Family Guidance Center saw who had suicidal thoughts and reported

an increase in stress from school or in their personal lives had risen a dramatically from previous years. The panel also discussed how the 2020 presidential election and its ripple eﬀects were portrayed by the media. D’Innocenzo was blunt in his comments, saying that the media simply is not what it was traditionally considered. “Our media is not as good as it used to be,” he said. “It’s hard to have a democracy if [people are unwilling] to make informed judgments based on reliable information.” Ferraro touted the importance of local media outlets compared with the national-level outlets due to the audience they cater to. The higher-level outlets, he said, should be bringing people closer together and making them more informed, but instead have been a wedge that tends to stir up conflict. “It’s kind of like Starbucks making us come together as a community, but it’s really not like the local cafe with people talking to each other,” he said.

Epstein said the political divide that the presidential election caused throughout the nation made it harder to look on the lighter side of things. The differences between Biden and Trump supporters, not even Democrats and Republicans, she said, was something rarely seen before in an election of this magnitude. “My biggest concern is, however much we didn’t use to bowl together, and however much we didn’t use to listen to each other, it is so much worse now,” Epstein said. Malekoff reflected on the work his organization did in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks as a time when the country was truly united. “I think that we are in more dangerous times than we’ve ever been in and I can only say that I would hope that as we go, 10 to 20 years from now that we will look back and say we found a way through this [divide],” Malekoff said. The event can be found online following the link: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=jiLFgcCdmEQ.

The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

Recent Real Estate Sales in the

Willistons

122 Dorset Avenue, Albertson

37 Amherst Road, Albertson

4 bd, 1 ba, 1,083 sqft, Sold On: 3/5/21, Sold Price: $525,000 Type: Single Family, Schools: Mineola

3 bd, 2 ba, 1,200 sqft, Sold On: 4/19/21, Sold Price: $907,500 Type: Single Family, Schools: East Williston

146 Jerome Avenue, Mineola

235 Arlington Street, Mineola

3 bd, 1 ba, Sold On: 4/6/21, Sold Price: $565,000 Type: Single Family, Schools: Mineola

2 bd, 1 ba, Sold On: 3/25/21, Sold Price: $570,000 Type: Single Family, Schools: East Williston

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

Mike Fink

Licensed Associate Broker 193 Hillside Avenue, Williston Park, NY 11596 Office: 516-743-9953 | Cell: 516-647-3737 mfink@bhhslaffey.com !"#$%$&$'(")*" !"#$%&'#(%)*#+,#-&''*./0$#0+,/*1#2+/(#3.%/(*'#4'%5*'6#/(+,#+,#.%/#)*3./#3,#3#,%0+-+/3/+%.#%"#/(3/#0+,/+.78#900#:7&'*,#3;;'%<+)3/*8#900#+."%')3/+%.#"&'.+,(*1#'*73'1+.7#,%0*#;'%;*'/$#,30*6#'*./30#%'#:.3.-+.7#+,#"%')#,%&'-*,#1**)*1#'*,;%.,+40*8#=%#'*;'*,*./3/+%.#+,#)31*#/%#/(*#3-> -&'3-$#/(*'*%"#3.1#+/#+,#,&4)+//*1#,&4?*-/#/%#*''%',6%)+,,+%.,6#-(3.7*#%"#;'+-*6#'*./308#-%))+,,+%.#%'#%/(*'#-%.1+/+%.,6#;'+%'#,30*6#0*3,*#%'#:.3.-+.7#%'#2+/(1'3230#2+/(%&/#.%/+-*8

34 The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

Revised speech received, not read: Feeney Continued from Page 1 M. Mohamed. Another male adult had to be escorted away by police after becoming aggressive and making gestures. Student speakers at Wheatley’s graduation ceremony were required to submit their speeches to the Graduation Speech Committee. Upon approval, students could make edits and send them back. Ayaz did so and received an email response back from Feeney within seven hours. “I think he’s trying to rely on a technicality,” Mohamed said. “For the school to say that it wasn’t approved, that she edited without permission, that she snuck something in, that’s absolutely false. It’s misleading and it just creates a target on her back.” Feeney had accepted fault and admitted to not reading the speech carefully enough in private after the graduation on June 20, according to Mohamed. Last Thursday the public relations firm representing the East Williston school district released a statement on behalf of Feeney. In his statement, Feeney acknowledged that the revised version of the speech was sent to the school, but said he was not made aware an updated version had been submitted. But screenshots of an email from Ayaz provided by her lawyer shows Feeney thanking her for sending what Ayaz had referred to as the “final version of my speech” the day before the graduation ceremony. The statement did not refer directly to

PHOTO BY SAMUELE PETRUCCELLI

Wheatley School’s principal said he did not read a graduate’s final speech beforehand. One attendee allegedly shouted “Go back to Pakistan,” in response to the address. the racist remarks allegedly yelled by an adult, though it did discuss the appropriateness of Ayaz’s address. “A high school graduation ceremony, solely intended to acknowledge and celebrate the milestone achievements of the graduating class, was not the appropriate venue to express any political statements,” Feeney said. “As adults who are role models for our children, it is equally important that our actions toward others, including those

with whom we disagree and especially the youngest members of our community, must always be respectful and reflect the beliefs that are the hallmark of our schools and our community.” Responding to Feeney’s statement, Mohamed called it a reminder of civil decorum that overlooked the anti-immigrant actions, arguing that there was a contrast between the school’s response to Ayaz’s speech and the attendees’ reaction.

“You would think that if an adult tells a student to ‘go back to Pakistan,’ that would be a pretty easy situation for the school district to step in and say, ‘that’s not appropriate, we don’t allow that, we condemn it in the strongest harshest terms possible,” Mohamed said. “It’s really unfortunate to see that there’s a heavy hand when it comes to students, a minor, and this isn’t even a slap on the wrist for the adults.” Meanwhile, some comments posted on Blank Slate Media’s original story about the issue expressed support for Ayaz, some called her speech anti-Semitic, and others faulted the school for a lack of oversight. Ayaz and her family remain concerned for their safety, according to Mohamed. Precautions have been taken, and Ayaz did not attend her senior prom last Wednesday. The psychological trauma is still concerning for Ayaz, who, in a letter to the community, said her anxiety had skyrocketed in the 24 hours after the ceremony. “Telling someone to ‘go back to Pakistan,’ makes them feel like they’re other,” Mohamed said. “They other-ized her in essence, told her that she didn’t belong there.” Ayaz’s parents have also been troubled by the school’s response and share their middle child’s anxiety. “The father is seeing his daughter being slandered by a school that he expected to protect her,” Mohamed said. “The parents are seeing a school district that is not even acknowledging the harm that was done to their daughter.”

Herricks grad swims with eyes set on Tokyo Continued from Page 2 However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, training and preparation were put on hold. “During COVID, there was a time period where I was out of the water for three months. It was challenging to try to stay fit and in shape. I started running and doing anything I could to just try to keep up where I left oﬀ. Once we did get back in the pool, it took about a month to finally start the training I had been doing

beforehand and hitting the goals I was at previously.” Along with her prominence in short distance events, Karras placed first in the 1,500-meter freestyle during the Speedo Junior National Championships in 2019. Her achievements in the mile eventually earned her a spot with the U.S.A. Junior National Team for the 2020-21 season. Karras was one of eight swimmers in Omaha who trained with the Long Island Aquatic Club, the Garden City facility

that is no stranger to putting members on the steps of Olympic participation. Since 1996, the club has seen 23 swimmers reach the Olympic trials, results that have earned it Gold Medal status and the No. 12 spot in the U.S.A. Swimming Club Excellence program. With the Tokyo Olympics commencing July 23, Karras will continue her academic and athletic career at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. She joins the Fighting Irish swim

team as it finished the season ranked No. 21 nationally. With Herricks High School in her rearview mirror, Karras will look on the memories and accomplishments fondly. “I’m going to miss the team, coaches and all the teachers that helped me get to where I am today,” she said. “Also, for all of the meets in county’s, division championships, and states, the traveling and hyping each other up I’m going to miss a lot too.”

State A.G. defends NRA lawsuit in visit to G.N. Continued from Page 4 A former City Council member for the district representing Crown Heights, Brooklyn, James let the audience know of her “honorary Lubavitch” status, referring to the Hassidic Jewish community.

She also gave a call to action for the defense of democracy and of those locked out of the sunshine of opportunity. Local politicians like Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti and North Hempstead

Town Clerk Wayne Wink attended the event, though some left before James’ arrival. The attorney general said there were some investigations she couldn’t comment on, but reassured the audience of

her duty. “All I care about is the notion that no one is above the law,” James said. “I have a responsibility and duty to ensure that the law is enforced in the state of New York, and that’s what I’ve been doing.”

BLANK SLATE MEDIA WELCOMES YOUR SUBMISSIONS. PLEASE E-MAIL THEM TO NEWS@THEISLANDNOW.COM

The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

Mineola High graduates 113th class Continued from Page 1 “But re-emerging from our pandemic blip hasn’t been instantaneous,” Nagler said. “In fact, it’s caused a great new conflict and divided our country, state and yes, even our school community.” Listening, compromise, civility and empathy were characteristics the Mineola administrator cited as missing, partly as a result of the pandemic, but largely from a fear of change. “As we live and now emerge from our blip, we continue to witness change in every aspect of life, including school,” Nagler said. “The greatest skill in dealing with change is to remember the old adage, ‘seek first to understand, then be understood.’” Also addressing the class of 2021 was outgoing Board of Education Presi-

dent Christine Napolitano, who oﬀered statistics like the Dow Jones’ nearly 25,000-point jump, rapid increase in smartphone use and legalization of same sex marriage as indicators of a fast-changing world. “Although the world has changed so much, there are some things that remain the same,” Napolitano said. “Being humble, kind and empathetic will always be superpowers to me.” She urged the graduates to remember how much they are loved, and to live their best life and stay persistent. “The road to success is always under construction,” Napolitano said. “Fail early, fail often, but always fail forward.” For some graduates, commencement couldn’t have come fast enough. After experiencing over a school year’s worth of coronavirus disruptions to the

typical classroom format, Alex Molina received his advanced regents diploma and will move on to study journalism at SUNY Albany. “It feels really good, to be honest,” Molina said. “Going away for college has always been a thing I’ve wanted to do since like freshman year, and now, time has arrived.” Though acknowledging the duality of emotions now that her son has graduated, Leidy Serrado pointed out the pandemic’s obstacles that her son overcame. “Although we had so many hurdles and diﬃculties, it is an accomplishment for him,” Serrado said. “To his teachers, we are also thankful, and to all of those who contributed a grain of sand so that this could be a reality.” “With this pandemic everything was more diﬃcult,” she said. “But none of us

gave up and here we are starting a new path for my son.” Not all graduates will study at universities, though. Matthew Pardo will join the Marine Corps. “It definitely feels good to be out and not having to be locked in a room for six hours a day,” he said. “I never really enjoyed sitting in a classroom. It’s not really my thing so I don’t think I’ll really miss it.” Kristen and Kirsten Benes are twins and 2021 graduates. They say they’ll miss Mineola, and their parents are more stressed about life after graduation than they are. “At the beginning of the year I thought we were only going to last like two weeks max,” Kristen Benes said. “But we actually made it through the year, and it just went by really fast.”

Legislature OKs body camera pact with police Continued from Page 7 Despite the agreement, the county and its Police Benevolent Association are still negotiating a contract. In December, the union rejected a contract that would provide police oﬃcers with a 25 percent raise over 8 1/2 years along with the annual body camera stipend. Union President James McDermott said the proposed contract was defeated Dec. 23 by 143 votes, according to Newsday. According to a statement he provided to Newsday, McDermott said the use of body cameras “will only showcase the outstanding professionalism of Nassau County Police Oﬃcers and reaffirm to the public the dangers faced by our members as they continue to sacrifice their own health, safety, and well-being to ensure Nassau is the safest place to live in America.” Nassau County spends $1,148

per capita on police and fire protection while the national median is $359, according to a U.S. News & World report this year that deemed Nassau County the safest community in America. Public safety professionals account for 1.26 percent of the county’s population, compared with the national median of 0.70 percent. Eﬀorts to reach McDermott or another representative of the union for comment were unavailing. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the body cameras will begin to appear on all patrol oﬃcers in one precinct by September before the initiative expands across the department by the end of the year. First Deputy Commissioner Kevin Smith told Newsday that he anticipates the 8th Precinct and parts of the 5th Precinct will roll out body cameras sometime in September.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE’S OFFICE

The Nassau County Legislature unanimously approved a measure for police to receive $3,000 annual stipends to wear body cameras on Monday.

County responds to spike in opioid overdoses Continued from Page 7 But fatal drug overdoses jumped 34 percent in Nassau in 2020, according to new statistics reported by Newsday. There were 287 fatal drug overdoses in the county last year, with 60 suspected overdose deaths that have not yet been confirmed by the medical examiner’s oﬃce, the paper reported. “We were winning the battle, we were reducing our numbers … and then we got hit with COVID and we lost our way,” Ryder said. Ryder said the most aﬀected population was people aged 21 to 30, who are out of school and may be out of work, a trend that was only exacerbated by the pandemic. Drug enforcement also dropped because of the restraints of the coronavirus,

but the pandemic clearly did not stop drugs being pushed into communities, Ryder said. County police officers made just 294 heroin arrests in 2020, down from 766 in 2017, according to the commissioner. The county will now add a problemoriented police officer to each of Nassau’s eight precincts, Curran and Ryder said. That means each station will have four of those officerss, compared with just one several years ago, Curran said. Additionally, Ryder said, the county’s “Too Good For Drugs” program, which educated youth about the dangers of drug addiction and dependency, is in 48 of the 56 school districts in Nassau. Representatives from the Police Department will be returning to schools in September to resume the

program as another way to “re-energize” Operation Natalie, he said. According to Family & Children’s Association President and CEO Jeﬀrey L. Reynolds, the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated already high levels of anxiety and depression throughout the nation and Long Island. Federal funding, he said, would aid the Island in boosting mental health programs, especially for those in at-risk communities. “Paradoxically, the steps we took to protect ourselves and our families from COVID also put many at risk for the anxiety and depression that comes from social isolation, uncertainty about the future and economic stress,” said Reynolds, who leads one of Long Island’s largest health and human organizations with 340 staﬀ members,

200 volunteers and more than 30 programs that help the underserved and at-risk populations. In May, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for the federal government to release $5 billion in funding to aid mental health disorders and drug addiction. On Long Island, Schumer said, there is a need for federal funding and programs to combat mental health issues before the conditions lead to “dangerous spirals that upend lives and families.” “Across the Island we need honed federal help and outreach so locals who know the needs can pay for creative solutions, like mobile units and program outreach to connect with more people,” Schumer said at the time.

36 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

PROFESSIONAL GUIDE ▼ COMPUTER / TECH SUPPORT ▼ (&)*+,-.% *.&/0-)12

<M=N$OPFCDIQRS$.CPEFOFCI$ .!BHGECP$PCHKFP$CTHCPEU

!"#$%$"&'()*'&+" !",-&./"&'0)*$1" " 2'%3)&4/"$56"7&-5%'&/" !"8-9"/'%:.7" !";'<.1$&"0$-5%'5$5(' BCDEF!D$.!GH!D$.!ICJ$=>?@A"KDI$LCE

!"#$##%&'' !"#$%&'()*&$#+,$"&&-.

READERS WRITE

LAW ▼

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

!"#$%&'#$()#$*"+,-$./""*%$0#$()#1$ &"$2*"3("2%&*"$4&%5$/",$*%5#6$2*(7 8*"$*6$*99#6-$!99#6$#:8&6#)$;<=>;=;?-$ @/+&1$ 9*6$ /",$ "#4$ )#6A&2#$ #:2#8%$ )(0)26&8%&*"$ 9##)-$ B()%$ '#"%&*"$ 2*(8*"$/%$%&'#$*9$)/+#-

!"##$%&'$(&)$"$*+,,$-."/%&0.0$12345$6768469:

HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT ▼

Your Trusts & Estates Attorney • Wills & Trusts • Estate Administration • Estate Planning • Asset Protection • Elder Law • Probate • Real Estate Nassau (516) 222-1122

Queens (718) 776-7475

901 Stewart Ave., Ste 230 • Garden City, NY 11530 www.DangeloLawAssociates.com

TUTOR ▼

MATH

ALL MATH

Grade 4 - First Year College, ACT, SAT, AP, GRE, ALL Placement Tests

VERY EXPERIENCED, specializing in all Private and Public schools (Chaminade, Kellenberg, Sacred Heart, etc.) !"#$%"&#'()*#)+)$&,-.#/&$0#"12"&,"-3"4#(-4#(5(&465,--,-.# teachers at very reasonable rates. !"#$%"&#'#()$*("#$+#$,-.*,"#/0#1*,23"#“homework help”#$&# 44#1*,23"#“test prep help”5#',6#.*1*3"6#+'("#3$#+'("#71'898:;

Richard 516-567-1512 educationtimeincrgs@outlook.com

TUTOR ▼

MATH • SAT • ACT

TI-84 TI-89

★ Algebra ★ Core Curriculum NYS Licensed ★ Geometry Grades 7-12 ★ Algebra 2 + Trig ★ Pre-Calc ★ AP Calculus

NORM: 516-625-3314

ENGLISH • ACT • SAT eading ★ Critical R ONLINE ★ Writing Tutoring ★ Grammar ★ Essays Also

LYNNE: 516-625-3314

PLACE YOUR AD ▼

Advertising on this page is only open to N.Y.S. licensed professionals. Call 516-307-1045 and let us begin listing you in our Professional Guide and Professional Services pages.

Praising Herricks’ COVID response During our son’s recent middle school graduation, one of the graduating students gave a moving speech about “Gratitude.” With this in mind and as we move toward a new academic year, we express our “Thank You” to the Herricks Union Free School District for their effort, motivation, dedication, fortitude and perseverance in helping our children navigate an incredibly difficult year. Our gratitude extends to the Board of Education, Dr. Celano, the entire administrative staff, principals, in sync with parents’ cooperation, through the maintenance personnel, bus drivers, crossing guards and security! Without an extensive effort from the entire school district family, our children would not have been able to reach their goals. We want to especially extend our gratitude to our incredibly gifted teachers, who delicately and creatively balanced in-person classes, hybrid models and fully remote students while managing evolving technological challenges and parental anxiety about their children’s academic, social and emotional development. As a community, we are obligated to remember our teachers’ incredibly deft balancing act during the roughest of pandemic seas! THANK YOU! Kostas and Chrissanthi Katsavdakis Williston Park

Of mice, men and ticks Continued from Page 16 into your socks. In this case, prevention is the best medicine. Wear whites so you can spot the ticks easily. Wear a hat, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and closed-toe shoes. Avoid walking in overgrown areas and stick to the center of trails when hiking or walking in wooded areas. Prepare vinegar and water mix (1:1) augmented with Rose Geranium oil and lavender essential oil and lather yourself and your dog in it. CDC recommends the use of insect repellent that has at least 20 percebt DEET, picaridin, or IR3535. Treat your clothes and gear with a product that contains 0.5% permethrin. Always inspect yourself, your pets, and your loved ones for ticks after spending time outdoors. Get in the habit of taking oﬀ your outdoor clothes at the door and give them a good 10-minute spin in the dryer. Excellent resources with experts discussing transmission, prevalence and prevention titled Ticked oﬀ: Everything you need to know about ticks is available in the video library at the Catskill Mountainkeeper website https:// www.catskillmountainkeeper.org Tips for how to avoid ticks:https://catskillcenter.org/ news/2018/6/7/its-tick-season-stay-informed-with-tips-toavoid-these-pests How to id a tick: https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/ fieldguide/ Submitting a tick for testing: https://redcap.upstate. edu/surveys/?s=RLDPJ7MJP7 Infographics and posters about ticks and tick safety from Cornell: https://nysipm.cornell.edu/whats-buggingyou/ticks/tick-infographic-posters Dr. Hildur PalsdottirSol CenterHildur@sol.center Letters Continued on Page 39

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

BUYER’S GUIDE ▼ ANTIQUES

BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS

$$ Top Cash Paid $$

!"#!$%&'(%)$**+&$!#(,$-

wanted

CALL JOSEPH OR RUTH

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

DETTAGLIO DETAILING “We clean and pamper your car”

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

HIGH END ANTIQUES HIGH CASH PAiD Oil Paintings, Mid-Century Accessories 1950s/60s, Porcelain, Costume Jewelry, Sterling Silver, Gold, Furniture, Objects of Art, etc. • 1 Pc.or entire estates • Premium prices paid for Tiffany, Damaged Quality Pieces Meissen Porcelain, Bronzes, Marble, etc. also

CAR DETAILING

!"#$%&'("%)*'"+",-./0$1'")2'3"456)-254")6")"7-8759"19-.5 !":5"193;-45"<3=-25"'59;-.5>?@*59"3159)654

:)'7"+":)N" #OMM59"#15.-)2

!"#$%&&

!'( /%+0#.-%1'2344' 56,"6'700'"%'(-6*&

L3M12565"H56)-2

!"#$"%&'%"('("')*'+",)-%*.

!"#$%"&'()*+)'?@*59>?159)639""!"#$!#%$&#'% #AB%CDE"AF#G"ADH("#$II?JK"+"DF##F$

-./012314156&15&'2789::;&$/.219<&=&>/2?< @-8:A/9&>/2?&!B./97<@ @#3C;D156&$/.219<&=&%13/&$/.219<@ @E9:C7156&@&-8//79:0?@&#2157156&@&#32<7/9156 @F/A&GC<7:;&'2789::;<@

!"#$"%#&""#%'(#")#*+,-."/0#123456780#9:2;<3=27345>?

CARPENTRY

!"##$#%&'()*+,&'-./#$*.% and&01234235

Crown Molding Window Molding Base Molding Picture Frame Molding

New Doors Old Plaster Removed New Drywall Installed Rotted Wood Replaced

516-884-4016

AntiqueAssets.com

";@A8B#CDEFGHHFECIJ#K#98//B#CDEFLEHFEMMN

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

-5A#O#PHMIINEIIII

CHIMNEY SPECIALISTS

CLEANING

PLACE YOUR AD

COMPUTER REPAIR

!"#$%&'($)"*+$,+"*-.-/

ADVERTISE WITH US

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

,&00"'1.*+$2$)"3.4"-5.*+

8()*+,-../+012()+3-*(41.5/06(7

7(4/08+3.9:;<<-*(=2-10/06(7 7(>+;.-9=+0.<*;?</+0(=2-10(@A(7

=122(BC=>CDE(F#&$''"$GHHG

8-2618+<5-I-.<?2-10/06J6K1/2L?+K

!""#$%&"'()(*$"+#",-.

Chimneykinginc.com

Lic# H0454870000

To advertise, call 516.307.1045 or fax 516.307.1046

/012$%32456578%059:;<=:605$%3245$>?

JUNK REMOVAL

Small Dumpster. Big Difference.

DEMOLITION AND JUNK REMOVAL

CUSTOM FRAMING

HOME IMPROVMENT

COMPLETE JUNK REMOVAL/DEMOLITION

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

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Quality Care & Workmanship Thousands of frames to choose from

516-775-9495 92 Covert Ave., Stewart Manor HOURS: Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 @jacks_custom_framing jackmccullough@me.com

Book Now and Save!

Summer projects made easy with Winters Bros. Our 5 Yard Dumpster is an affordable and convenient solution.

Seasonal cleaning Small room remodel Garage or basement cleanout

Save Time. Order Online. WintersBros.com/5Yard

516-937-0900 or 631-491-4923

516.472.0500

www.ComputerRepairForce.com 33 Great Neck Rd. Ste. #5 2nd Floor, Great Neck Open 7 Days • Patient & Friendly

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

STRONG ARM CONTRACTING, INC.

516-538-1125

HOME IMPROVEMENT

AMBIANCE

• Kitchen Installations • Furniture Assembly • Finish Carpentry • Minor Electrical & Plumbing 28 YEAR GC RESIDENT Lic & Ins H18E2170000

Call BOB 516-741-2154

PLACE YOUR AD

LAMPS FIXED $ 65

ADVERTISE WITH US

In Home Service Handy Howard 646-996-7628

To advertise, call 516.307.1045 or fax 516.307.1046

38 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

BUYER’S GUIDE ▼ HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Elegant Touch Remodeling

ISA

Deal direct with owner - Serving li over 25 years

• • • •

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

HOME IMPROVEMENT

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

631.281.7033

Free Estimates / 516-581-9146

LAWN SPRINKLERS

MASONRY

Licence #H18H2680000

Nass#HO444640000

• Suff#HI-61446 • Insured

FREE ESTIMATES LOU: 516 850-4886

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED

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

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

Contracting LLC

MASONRY • PAVING • CONCRETE

LIC: #H2219010000

PLACE YOUR AD

ADVERTISE WITH US!

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

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

MOVING & STORAGE INC.

Long Island and New York State Specialists

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

516-741-2657

114 Jericho Tpke. Mineola, NY 11501

ADVERTISE WITH US To advertise, call 516.307.1045 or fax 516.307.1046

ROOFING

Quality Workmanship FREE Estimates

Call Owner Direct At

516-983-0860 !"#$%&'()*+,-(+-.**

• Slate Roof Repairs • Caulking/Roof Maintenance • Copper Flashing Replacements • Shingle Roof Repairs • Snow Guards/ Roof Vents Licensed & Insured /01102'34$'56*78-89::::

• Residential • Commercial Construction Sites

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

516-541-1557

!"##$#%&'()*+,&-./$*/$0 and&'12-34526

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

Lic# H0454870000

ROOFING

Bob Cat Service

www.1866WEJUNKIT.com

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

PAINTING, POWERWASHING

516-884-4016

ALL SIZE DUMPSTERS Same Day Service, Fully Insured

ADVERTISE WITH US

FULLY INSURED

MOVING

ALL PHASES OF RUBBISH REMOVAL & DEMOLITION

PAINTING & WALLPAPER est. 1978

Interior and Exterior • Plaster/Spackle Light Carpentry • Decorative Moldings Power Washing 516-385-3132 New Hyde Park

www.MpaintingCo.com

516-328-7499 Licensed & Insured

RUBBISH REMOVAL

!"!#$%&'())*+,&'-"$.!/

.%%!/012343%5/673%!2389/647 .%%:37;<394;82%=%!/003>?;82 .%%@6>9;46>3%=%"112;89?37%:30/A3< .%%"44;?7 .%%B87303947%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% .%%C8>8D37 .%%E748437 .%%"18>403947%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% .%%F8><7 .%%G8>3H/6737%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% .%%I4/>37%% .%%@;>3%J3K>;7%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

!"##$%!%0-/$&&'()('*)+,,-

!"#$%&'($!)%*#+',-,$.,/."

“Quality Construction with a Personal Touch”

JUNK REMOVAL

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

BUYER’S GUIDE ▼

READERS WRITE

Berkowitz should quit G.N. school board

TREE SERVICE

OLD VILLAGE TREE SERVICE

am writing this in response to the letter to the editor titled: “School elections should be conducted by independent group” which appeared on June 23. The author was very clear that Ms. Berkowitz’s public statement: “… Personally, I even chose to vote by absentee ballot in order to avoid being seen at my specific polling place as any conflict of interest” and her sworn statement given for voting by absentee are contradictory and in violation of the election laws. Furthermore, the author called for the school’s superintendent to get involved and consult with the school’s counsel. I hope that both the superintendent and the school council act duly and independently and would not cause more damage to the school’s name and its rank.

24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE Owner Operated Since 1989 Licensed & Insured

FREE ESTIMATES

Member L.I. Arborist Assoc.

516-466-9220

631-385-7975

WINDOW REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS

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

ALL BRANDS

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

WINDOW TREATMENTS

WE BRING THE SHOWROOM TO YOU FREE CONSULTATION

516-426-2890

WWW.MADEINTHESHADENSLI.COM

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED

The reputation of the school is stained if the laws of election are violated by the school board’s president. The students do not need such a role model. The taxpayers deserve better than that. Barbara Berkowitz must resign as a school board member. In the interest of their own reputation, the other board of education members should not push the issue under the rug. It is a challenge to be forthright but it is the right thing to do. If Ms. Berkowitz still persists to stay and does not resign, the board should vote her out and decide on the proper means for her replacement diligently. Eli Hematian Great Neck

What was Williston Park’s AT&T thinking?

WINDOW REPAIRS

*CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS TOP BRANDS AT DISCOUNT PRICES*

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

irst I’d like to say that I am an AT&T retiree. I also own AT&T Stock that nets about $22 a year in dividends. So I have no skin in the game so to speak. I’m also a resident for over 40 plus years and did not attend the meetings when the AT&T application was discussed. Shame on me. Your article states that one of the reasons that the trustees voted down the application was due to strong pushback from residents. I’m curious- were there 5,100,500 residents at the meeting who pushed back? Also, as per the village attorney, AT&T basically did not file the necessary paperwork, applications or permits required by the village. It seems that they did not have Mayor Ehrbar’s advance OK to file their paperwork if my interpretation is correct. And, the village agrees that the tower would not have any detrimental eﬀect on the environment and furthermore, the frequencies would fall well below Federal/FCC guidelines. In other words, not harmful to plants, animals or people. So basically, all of the village trustees voted down the proposal due to the objections of how many residents? Also, the fact that Mayor Ehrbar was not consulted in advance and some paperwork was not correctly filled out. Is that about right? Balance that against gaining a $50,000 signing bonus, $5,000 per month in rent with a 3 percent escalator clause every year that will potentially earn the village over $2.854 million over the life of the lease. I’m wondering if the residents will thank the Mayor and the Trustees when their village taxes go up, the potholes don’t get filled and the cost of pool membership goes up if not enough people sign up, to name a few? I think not. I suggest the following. Call back AT&T and ask them to send a nice letter to the mayor asking him if it’s OK for them to re-file.

A pretty please from AT&T would be a nice touch. Second, announce a special village meeting asking all residents to attend and give AT&T the opportunity to present their proposal to a substantially larger number of residents. I’d like to hear why residents object and replies from both the village leadership and AT&T. Third, have AT&T prepare a document available to all residents stating their case and a like document from the village leadership stating why they object if they do so a second time. I’m sure this publication would be happy to publish this information in its entirety. Fourth, call a village-wide vote where ALL residents have the opportunity to vote on the proposal. It’s that an important issue. The majority vote wins. Fifth, if the village leadership fails to follow the above recommendations, they attest that they will not raise any village taxes, fees, etc., for a period of at least five years. This resolution will be binding on all future mayors and trustees elected within this timeframe. The seven village trustees and the mayor were extremely shortsighted in voting down the AT&T proposal and the opportunity to gain substantial revenue for the village with no risk to resident health simply because of a few resident objections and some t’s not crossed and i’s not dotted. Not worth $2.854 Million, really? Let’s do this right for all residents in the village before AT&T negotiates with a neighboring town or village to use their facilities or sues the village. Perhaps I’ll invite AT&T to erect a tower in my backyard- I sure could use the $2.854 million. Vic Oliveri Williston Park Letters Continued on Page 43

nassau

40 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

COMMUNITY CLASSIFIEDS To advertise here call:516.307.1045

▼ EMPLOYMENT To Place Your Ad Call Phone:

516.307.1045 x 218

Fax:

516.307.1046

e-mail:

DFlynn@theislandnow.com

EMPLOYMENT

Design Project Manager (Baldwin, NY) Develop strategic & econ. plans addressing org. issues for long & short term growth strategy, logistics, delivery & market intel for project dev program. Manage design & construction process from concept design to buildout.

In Person:

Reqs: Bachelor’s Degree/foreign equiv. + 6 mths progressive experience in position/Audio Visual Technician.

We’re Open:

Mail CV to: Moore Group Corp. 1 Jefferson Pl, Baldwin, NY 11510 Attn: J. Moore, President.

22 Planting Field Road Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 Mon–Thurs: 9am-5:30pm Fri: 9am-6pm

Deadlines

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

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

RECEPTIONIST Part Time

PORT WASHINGTON ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Must love animals. Excellent opening for experienced person. (Will train right indiv.) Responsible individual to work Evenings, Weekends. Busy & friendly environment. Call: 516-883-2005

ASSISTANT PART TIME in Port Washington. Quickbooks a plus. Good communication skills & dependable. Send resume to: Joseph@plastics-exchange.com

SITUATION WANTED LIVE IN CAREGIVER/HOME HEALTH AIDE Experienced Caregiver/Home Health Aide is looking for a job for live-in position. Excellent references available. For more information Call: 929-245-1744 MATURE LADY SEEKS employment as CNA. Home health aide, very reliable, hard working, willing to do background checks, 15 yrs nursing home experience. Please call 516-477-1225 or 917-244-3714

CAREER TRAINING

Help Wanted $18.50 NYC$17 LI $13.50 UPSTATE NY! If you need care from your relative, friend or neighbor and you have Medicaid, they may be eligible to start taking care of you as a personal assistant under NYS Medicaid CDPA program. No Certificates needed. Phone: 347-713-3553

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! (844) 947-0192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

HOME HEALTH AIDE WANTED for permanent part-time position Saturday-Sunday. Additional hours available. Must have car. Speak English. Nassau County. Call: 516-299-6331

TRAIN AT HOME TO DO MEDICAL BILLING Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get trained, certified & ready to work in months! Call 855-5436440 (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

NOW HIRING!!! DRIVERS, BUS MONITORS & MECHANICS. Bus terminal locations throughout Nassau & Suffolk Counties. Earn While you learn. FREE TRAINING to obtain CDL. Apply at: www.wetransport.com OR CALL 516-349-8200

SITUATION WANTED

Certified HHA

• Experienced • Excellent references.

We will provide you the best caregivers in America. Filipino men and women. Kind, loving and caring at this very difficult time.

Call Gertrude

347–444–0960 HOME HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL Over 30 years experience caring for elderly including patients with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. All long term assignments. Available immediately days, nights or weekends. Excellent references. Call Monica 516-325-5774

ADVERTISE HERE CALL 516.307.1045

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ADOPTION Family Oriented single woman looking to welcome a child into her life. Any ethnicity welcome, expenses paid. Please call 347-470-5228 or my attorney: 800-582-3678 for information.

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

EMPLOYMENT

NASSAU COUNTY NEEDS CERTIFIED HHA’S, COMPANIONS AND HOMEMAKERS. ★★★ HIRING IMMEDIATELY★★★ “A Special thank you to all the Nurse Aides and all who Save Lives.” • Competitive Pay Rate • Flexible Scheduling • All Shifts & Locations available

718-850-3400

MARKETPLACE

A.T. STEWART EXCHANGE CONSIGNMENT SHOP 516-746-8900 Antiques-Furniture-Jewelry-SilverMirrors-Lamps-Artwork Come to Consign & Stay to Shop Visit... Our Shop 109 Eleventh St. Garden City Tues-Fri 10-4 (Wed till 6) Saturday 12-4 Shop Our Online Store ATStewartExchange.org Items to Consign? Email photos (with sizing info) to: store@atstewartexchange. org All proceeds benefit The Garden City Historical Society Like us on Facebook & Instagram

AUCTIONS

LOOKING TO BUY! Estates, Oriental items, Gold, Silver, Costume Jewelry, Dishes, Flatware, Watches, Clothing, Old Photos, Coins, Stamps, Records, Toys, Action Figures, Comics, Art and Furniture. Immediate Cash Paid Call George 917-775-3048 or 718-386-1104 TOP CASH PAID: ESTATE CONTENTSALL OBJECTS OF ARTJEWELRY, ETC. Please call 718-598-3045 or 516-270-2128 www.antiqueassets.com

TAG SALE

!"#$"%&' (!"'&")*%"+

!"#$%&'()%*+)',%-./().0#% 1/*),#)%',2%3'*45.6",27% 86+95.':&%',2%2."5%$)#$% .);"/.)27%<&6"+2%3)%'3+)%$6% =6.4%',9%2'9%',2%$/>)#7 8+)'#)%#),2%.)#">)%',2% *6,$'*$%/,?6.>'$/6,%$6@ !"#$%&'()*+','%$-($#./0(-

MARKETPLACE

WANTED TO BUY

EMPLOYMENT

Cool Old Stuff in Glen Cove Vintage Shop. WINNER OF BEST OF NORTH SHORE 2020. GREAT PRICED items for Boat and Home. See ALL online: Wilsonsdrydock.com. For info / appt Please call 516-662-2821

AUTOMOTIVE

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

AUTOS WANTED ***AAA*** AUTO BUYERS $Highest$ Ca$h Paid$ All Years/ Conditions! WE VISIT YOU! Or Donate, Tax Deduct Ca$h. DMV 10#1303199 Call LUKE 516-VANCARS 516-297-2277

AUTOS WANTED

JUNK CARS BOUGHT Auto Wrecking Frank & Sons

516-997-5736

Drive out Breast Cancer: Donate a car today! The benefits of donating your car or boat: Fast Free Pickup 24hr response Tax deductionEasy to do! Call 24/7: 855-905-4755

REAL ESTATE FOR RENT

APARTMENT FOR RENT ALBERTSON Senior Building. Spacious 1 BR apartment rental. 1 1/2 bath, terrace, washer/dryer, closets galore! Asking $2,250 Rummel Real Estate Call Mary Ann 516-606-3790

LIST YOUR PROPERTY FOR RENT/SALE 516.307. 1045

ESTATE/TAG SALE GARDEN CITY Indoor & Outdoor Friday July 2, 10:00am-4:00pm Saturday July 3, 9:30am-3:00pm 11 Transverse Road Furniture, Bedroom Sets, Family Room Furniture Antiques, Custom Entertainment Center, Surround Sound Equipment, Leather Sofa w/Queen pull out bed Dishes, Glassware, Clothing, Authentic Thomas Kinkade Framed Wall Pictures, Holiday Decor, Office Accessories, Golf Clubs, Garage Contents. ALL MUST GO!

2/3/14156378291:15;<=291 6>?916@<6A2>!AB11C>A>2=6315;2686A<B1 ;<<>D1!CC>D6B1:1D;71E;7;E6B1 F!GAE1;HHI>;AD62B11 H7>AD>H;I21!AIF/

LIST YOUR ITEMS FOR SALE: 516.307.1045

)9(%)(:",47;<=)+*>2"=

!"#$%&'"(&$)*%& +,&-+**+$.",&/)(011!%((+20$&

2)**&345678564473&

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

▼ HELP WANTED, REAL ESTATE, HOME IMPROVEMENT

Immediate Hiring

“Agents of Change”

Referral of a Friend Collects $500 after 3months of employment

• • • • •

Immediate Work PCA, HHA/CNA

Sick Days Vacation Days Bonus after 3 months ($300) Rate increase after 4 monthss Health Insurance

Starting

$15

Per Hour

718-255-5946

BRONX NX X – BR BROOKLYN B ROOKLYN – M MANHATTAN ANHATT TAN – QUEENS QUEENS NS - NASSAU 118-35 Queens Boulevard, Tower Suite 400, Forest Hills, NY 11375 250 Fulton Ave, Suite 212 Hempstead, NY 11550 1650 Eastern Parkway, Suite 400-403 Brooklyn, NY 11233 260 E. 138th Street, 4Fl Bronx, NY 10451 75 Clinton Street, Staten Island, NY 10304

SERVICE DIRECTORY ** EVON’S SERVICES **HOME HEALTH AIDES ELDER CARE CHILD CARE AND MORE! We offer the following services: Companions, Home Health Aides/Elder Care Child Care and Housekeeping Laborers Days / Nights Live In or Live Out NO FEE TO EMPLOYERS Call: 516-505-5510 BEST SATELLITE TV with 2 Year Price Guarantee! $59.99/mo with 190 channels and 3 months free premium movie channels! Free next day installation! CALL 888-508-5313 JACK’S CUSTOM FRAMING We can frame anything! Quality Care & Workmanship Thousands of frames to choose from!! Over 30 years in business! 92 Covert Ave, Stewart Manor 516-775-9495 WE HAVE THE HELP YOU NEED HHA, LPN, Nurse’s Aide, Childcare, Housekeeping & Day Workers. No Fees to Employers. Call Evons Services 516-505-5510

AMBIANCE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES *Handyman & Remodeling *Kitchen Installations *Furniture Assembly *Finish Carpentry *Minor Electrical & Plumbing 28 year GC Resident Lic & Ins H18E2170000 Call BOB 516-741-2154 AQUATEC LAWN SPRINKLERS SPRING TURN ONS Backflow Device Tests Free Estimates Installation Service/Repairs Joe Barbato 516-775-1199 CHIMNEY KING ENT. INC. FREE ESTIMATES Stainless steel liners cleaning & repair specialists. Masonry specialist. FULLY licensed & insured. NYC NASSAU SUFFOLK 516-766-1666 or 631-225-2600 Since 1982 chimneykinginc.com Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off and 0% financing for those who qualify. PLUS Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-877-763-2379 FREE ESTIMATES Extensions, Kitchens, Baths, Basements, Carpentry Work, Porticos, Siding, Dormers, Stone, New Construction & Conversions, Mason Work, Stone. Insured. Please Call 516-581-9146

CLOG-FREE GUARANTEE

MASONRY All types of stonework Pavers, Retaining Walls, Belgium Block Patios, Foundations, Seal coating, Concrete and Asphalt driveways, Sidewalks, Steps. Free Estimates Fully Licensed & Insured #H2219010000 Boceski Masonry Louie 516-850-4886 Never Pay For Covered Home Repairs Again! Complete Care Home Warranty COVERS ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. 30 DAY RISK FREE. $200.00 OFF + 2 FREE MONTHS! 866-440-6501 PAULIE THE ROOFER STOPPING LEAKS IS MY SPECIALTY! Slate & Tile Specialists All types of Roofing Local References Licensed & Insured 516-621-3869 ROOF LEAKS REPAIRED Slate Roof Repairs Caulking/Roof Maintenance Copper Flashing Replacements Shingle Roof Repairs Snow Guards/Roof Vents Nassau Lic#H1859520000 B.C. Roofing Call 631-496-9711 (Office) or 516-983-0860 (Owner direct) THE GENERAC PWRcell a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services available. $0 Down Financing Option. Request a FREE, no obligation, quote today. Call 1-888-871-0194 LAMPS FIXED $65 In home service. Handy Howard. 646-996-7628

EXCLUSIVE LIMITED TIME OFFER!

NATIO

15% & 10 %

ER GUA

MADE IN THE SHADE CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS Blinds, Shades, Shutters, Draperies Top Brands at Discount Prices! Family owned & operated www.madeintheshadensli.com 516-426-2890

’S

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND Best selection of full/partial week rentals. FREE Color Brochure. Holiday Real Estate, Inc: 1-800-6382102. Online reservations: www. holidayoc.com $75 discountnew rentals Code “ToTheOcean2021” (Expires 08-01-2021)

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

BACKED BY A YEAR-ROUND

HOME IMPROVEMENTS N

VACATION RENTAL

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

Garden City Border Apartment Huge, bright 2Br, 2 bath apt. $2250 +electric. Gated parking. Laundry room, air conditioning, Dishwasher, Hardwood floors, LIRR. NO BROKER FEE www.gcbapts.com Voice or text: 516-524-6965

ATTORNEY

APARTMENT FOR RENT

OFF

FINANCING THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET!

Promo Code: 285

Subject to credit approval. Call for details.

CALL US TODAY FOR

A FREE ESTIMATE

YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE *

5% OFF

TO THE FIRST 50 CALLERS ONLY! **

SENIORS & MILITARY!

OFF

WE INSTALL

YEAR-ROUND! LIFETIME WARRANTY

1-855-478-9473

Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST

!"#$%&'#()%*'#%+,-./012%34)%5#,6#4%6)$%'#,()'#.72%8#%#9./:-&/#4%)(&/;-&)%<-./7%0#$%=%1)-$2%%!!3>%)$%<-./7%-&%&/;)%#0%)(&/;-&)%#4.1%% 2The leading consumer reporting agency conducted a 16 month outdoor test of gutter guards in 2010 and recognized LeafFilter as the “#1 rated professionally installed gutter guard system in America.” CSLB# 1035795 DOPL #10783658-5501 License# 7656 License# 50145 License# 41354 License# 99338 License# 128344 License# 218294 WA UBI# 603 233 977 License# 2102212986 License# 2106212946 License# 2705132153A License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912 License# WC-29998-H17 Nassau HIC License# H01067000 Registration# 176447 Registration# HIC.0649905 Registration# C127229 Registration# C127230 Registration# 366920918 Registration# PC6475 Registra&/#4?%@ABC=DEF%%A):/(&$-&/#4?%=CGHEIIJCIEE%%A):/(&$-&/#4?%KLEMICDC%%N,>%#.O%H@P% License# 52229-H License# 2705169445 License# 262000022 License# 262000403 License# 0086990 Registration# H-19114

DECORATOR

!"##$%&'(&$)"*'+,-'+$,.,/#,0#"$ 1'+$/&$2'3"$*'&45#-,-/'&6

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

<$='#'+$4*2"3" <$?#''+/&A$ <$>,/&-$*'#'+4$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ <$B+",$+5A4$ <$?5+&/-5+"$@#,*"3"&-$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 7""*2('')89:;2'-3,/#6*'3$$$$$$$$$$

!"#$%&'()*"+"%%%%%% PAINTING & CLEANING PAPERHANGING MICHELANGELO PAINTING & WALLPAPER Interior, Exterior, Plaster/Spackle, Light Carpentry, Decorative Moldings & Power Washing. Call: 516-328-7499

CLEANING CLEANING AVAILABLE EXPERIENCED POLISH HOUSE CLEANER Good references, ability. Very honest, reliable, responsible and hard working. Own transportation. English speaking. Flexible days and hours. Reasonable rates. I will do a good job. Call or text 516-589-5640

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

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

SERVICES DISH TV $64.99 for 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo expires 7/21/21 Call 1-888-609-9405 LEAK REPAIRS Plumbing Repairs Bathrooms, Showers, Kitchens 24 HOUR SERVICE Call 516-668-5624 Passion for Seniors. Certified HHA’s, Companions & Homemakers. 24 hour care available. Also Nassau locations. Trained in Dementia and Alzheimer’s care. Call 718-850-3400

TUTORING ELA TUTOR Available to assist your child with summer reading assignments, build and develop general reading and writing skills, guide your child in ELA summer enrichment, reading for pleasure, vocabulary building, study skills and journal writing. NY State certified with 20 plus years experience. Please text: 516-458-2136

42 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

▼ HOME IMPROVEMENT, CLEANING, SERVICES Saving a Life EVERY 11 MINUTES

Prepare for power outages with a Generac home standby generator

alone I’m never

Life Alert® is always here for me.

REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!

877-516-1160

One touch of a button / sends help fast,, 24/7.

FREE

with

GPS !

7-Year Extended Warranty* A $695 Value!

!"#$%&'%!()" !"#$%*+,'-",.(

Limited Time Offer - Call for Details

Special Financing Available

!"##$%&$'()$*$%()$$+(,-"%.&/.0

For a FREE brochure call:

Subject to Credit Approval

1-800-404-9776

*To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions.

TUTORING GARDEN CITY TUTORING Garden City High School rising Sophmore with two years of experience available to tutor grades K-8 in Math, Science and Italian. Tutoing rate is $40/hr Contact Jack at: gardencitytutor@gmail.com for information and availability. TUTOR AVAILABLE Certified NYS Teacher Available for Tutoring. All Levels: Math, German, English Chaminade High School/ Fordham University/ Fullbright Scholar. Call/ Text 516-965-4722

HEALTH SERVICES FAMILY CARE CONNECTIONS, LLC Dr. Ann Marie D’Angelo PMHCNS-BC Doctor of Nursing Practice Advanced Practice Nurse Care Manager Assistance with Aging at Home/Care Coordintion Nursing Home & Assisted Living Placement PRI / Screens / Mini Mental Status Exams Medicaid Eligibility and Apllications 516-248-9323 www.familycareconnections.com 901 Stewart Ave, Ste 230 Garden City, NY 11530

!"#$%$&%'#(%"%)&*+ !"#$%$&%',,%"%)&*+

-&.%/"#%0,"/1%2&.3%"(%4#%034#$%"#(%&#,4#1% 54$6%$61%7,"#8%9,"$1%:1(4"%"#(% ;4$<&3%=.*,4/"$4&#>%?(@13$4>4#A%A3&.0B

!"#$%&'%()**%&++,&$%)-%&**%..%"/%"#$%01+,$2*"3&*4%&(&$'%()--)-5%3"66#-)71% -,(8+&+,$8%9:;%"-*)-,%/"$%<=>>?%@"87%1"#$%&'%1"#$8,*/%A1%5")-5%7"% (((?70,)8*&-'-"(?3"6B3*&88)C,'8?

C&#$"/$% D1**41%E,2##

!"#$$%&'( )(*'+,%$%-./0#-#.'+ FGHIJKLIGKMF%N%OGP 821 Franklin Avenue, Suite 208 Garden City, NY 11530 (516) 294-8900 www.gcnews.com

25 Red Ground Road Roslyn Heights, New York 11577 www.theislandnow.com (516) 307-1045 NEW HYDE PARK HERALD COURIER • GREAT NECK NEWS MANHASSET TIMES • ROSLYN TIMES • WILLISTON TIMES PORT WASHINGTON TIMES

MID-ISLAND TIMES / GARDEN CITY NEWS BETHPAGE NEWSGRAM • JERICHO SYOSSET NEWS JOURNAL SYOSSET ADVANCE •

DENTAL Insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company.

Call to get your FREE Information Kit

1-855-225-1434 dental50plus.com/nypress

COMMUNITY NEWS

NSTV airs Mayor Brian Herrington Check out the latest “From The Source” program with Host/ Producer Elizabeth Johnson and Brian Herrington, mayor of the Village of Flower Hill that airs

on NSTV Channels 20 (Altice/ Optimum) and 37 (Verizon/ Fios),Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 pm and on Wednesdays at 9 pm EST.

Includes the Participating (in GA: Designated) Providers and Preventive Benefits Rider. Product not available in all states. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/certificate of this type. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO; call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150 (GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN); Rider kinds B438/B439 (GA: B439B). 6255

LIST YOUR PROPERTIES FOR RENT HERE

CALL TO LIST NOW 516.307.1045

Pictured (L to R): Brian Herrington, Mayor, Village of Flower Hill with Elizabeth Johnson, Host/Producer

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

READERS WRITE

Critical race theory undermines equity

he scourge of critical race theory is permeating our educational system from college right down to kindergarten. American parents are waking up to this perversion and beginning to take a stand against this evil, racist Ideology. You heard me, racist ideology. Anyone who disagrees with it is then called racist themselves. This academic discipline was formulated in the 1990s and is built on the intellectual framework of identity-based Marxism. The left adopts these destructive ideas and then expects sane, well-adjusted citizens to accept their twisted plans for America and we are saying hell no! White children in schools are being taught that to be white is to be an oppressor and Black children are taught that they are victims of these oppressors. Racism is in the DNA of all white people and they need to experience white guilt. In Cupertino, Calif., an elementary school forced first-graders to deconstruct their racial and sexual identities and rank themselves according to their “power and privilege.” In Springfield, Mo., a middle school forced teachers to locate themselves on an “oppression matrix,”based on the idea that straight, white, Englishspeaking, Christian males are members

of the oppressor class and must atone for their privilege and “covert white supremacy.” I say baloney to this and as far as I am concerned, anyone who pushes this evil has serious emotional problems. America is not going to take this sitting down. An elementary school in Philadelphia forced fifth-graders to celebrate “Black communism” and simulate a Black Power rally. This is sick stuﬀ, my fellow Americans. Research CRT, I have only scraped the surface. It is toxic and seeks to separate all of us from each other instead of bringing us together. This poison is being spoon-fed to employees of Corporate America all over the country. It has now invaded the military and is being taught at West Point of all places. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staﬀ, was interviewed recently and denied that the army is “woke.” Why is the military brainwashing our troops with the openly racist ideas behind critical race theory that pushes the wicked claims that people with white skin are inherently evil and racist oppressors? The military, where our troops fight side by side with men and women of all races and ethnicities, have each other’s backs in time

of danger. These men form emotional bonds that last a lifetime in many cases and consider their fellow soldiers their brothers. Are there racists in the services, without a doubt, but in today’s world, soldiers who I have seen interviewed on television recently have denied that this is a problem. With all of the dangers from hostile forces around the globe, the armed services should be focused on protecting America and not causing strife, resentment and inventing racist propaganda to alienate and divide our soldiers. Equity sounds like such a nice word, but it is not the same as equality. It means that we all end up with the same result in life no matter how smart we are, how hard we work or how strong our qualifications are. It is based in the context of today on your race. With equality, we all have the same opportunity to succeed at the start but with equity your race determines who is given the advantage. President Biden demonstrated a perfect example of this recently, when he said that Black farmers would be eligible for post-Covid financial assistance from the federal government and whites need not apply no matter how much they needed help. A federal judge

put a stop on this action as it is blatantly racist and discriminatory and against the law. Equity is being practiced by Harvard when it comes to admissions. Whites and Asians are discriminated against in the name of equity. These twisted thinkers have even labeled math as racist. Fox News reported the Oregon Department of Education recently encouraged teachers to register for training that encourages “ethnomathematics” and argues, among other things, that white supremacy manifests itself in the focus on finding the right answer. There is a toolkit that middle-school teachers are encouraged to make use of for “dismantling racism in mathematics,” Fox said. Minorities are not less endowed, they are blessed with equal brain power but many live in disadvantaged environments. They need tutoring not lowering of standards. California is another state that is “reimagining math.” Wake up, Americans. The destruction of your country is in full swing by the radical left and it is up to you to end the insanity. Gayle Palmer Williston Park

Wheatley School fails an important test Continued from Page 14 Or did he in fact read the final version and miss Ayaz’s controversial comments? Or did he not have a problem with them until the furor erupted after the speech? The district also owes an explanation for why it did not defend Ayaz from the vitriol that followed the speech. “You would think that if an adult tells a student to ‘go back to Pakistan,’ that would be a pretty easy situation for the school district to step in and say, ‘that’s not appropriate, we don’t allow that, we condemn it in the strongest harshest terms possible,” Mohamed said. “It’s really unfortunate to see that there’s a heavy hand when it comes to students, a minor, and this isn’t even a slap on the wrist for

the adults.” We agree. The closest the district has come in addressing the heated response faced by Ayaz came from East Williston School Superintendent Elaine Kanas in an email sent to parents after Ayaz’s speech. “As a school district, it is important for us to always provide a safe and supportive environment for all our students and families,” Kanas said. She then went on to say she and Feeney were discussing the “necessary steps that must be taken to prevent such an upsetting occurrence ever happening again and the importance of swiftly addressing any inappropriate comments, hurtful to others, immediately in the moment.”

This raises the question of what constitutes “inappropriate comments” and what is the problem with upsetting people if that results in persuading them to right a wrong. Is it wrong for a high school student to call on her classmates to stand up for issues of social justice such as the plight of the Uighur Muslims? Isn’t that something we would like to see from young people? Isn’t that something that is routinely asked for by elected oﬃcials and others at commencement speeches? Or is it just necessary to steer clear of controversial issues like Israel and the Palestinians? And just who gets to decide what’s controversial?

At some point in our country’s history, the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, gay rights and climate change were controversial. And at least in the case of gay rights and climate change, they still are. The district should also clarify if it thinks that the commencement ceremony is as Feeney said, “solely intended to acknowledge our seniors and their many achievements and accomplishments as members of our Wheatley School community.” We’d prefer a commencement ceremony that inspires graduates as they go out into the world to think of others as well as themselves. Even at the risk of offending some people.

Who are the true patriots in this country? Continued from Page 17 Of all the so-called natural human rights that have ever been invented, liberty is least likely to be cheap and is never free of cost,” wrote Robert A. Heinlein in “Starship Troopers,” upset because the U.S. was suspending nuclear tests. But then there are other observations of the meaning of “patriotism”: “Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate above principles,” wrote George Jean Nathan.

“One of the great attractions of patriotism — it fulfills our worst wishes. In the person of our nation we are able, vicariously, to bully and cheat. Bully and cheat, what’s more, with a feeling that we are profoundly virtuous,” said author Aldous Huxley. And this: “A patriot is not someone who condones the conduct of our country whatever it does. It is someone who fights every day for the ideals of the country, whatever it takes.” – Kamala

Harris, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey.” President Barack Obama sums up best the spirit of July 4th: “We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what’s in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in

their defense.” On this July 4th, this is my declaration of what it means to be patriotic: pay your taxes, serve on jury duty, vote, protest for civil rights, equality, justice and to defend American ideals and work for the betterment of society. “A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works,” said journalist Bill Vaughan. Letters Continued on Page 46

44 The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

COMMUNITY NEWS 5V[PJL VM -VYTH[PVU VM )` 4LSH (Y[PJSLZ VM 6YNHUPaH[PVU MPSLK ^P[O :LJYL[HY` VM :[H[L VM 5@ ::5@ VU 6MMPJL SVJH[PVU! 5HZZH\ *V\U[` ::5@ KLZPNUH[LK HZ HNLU[ VM 33* \WVU ^OVT WYVJLZZ HNHPUZ[ P[ TH` IL ZLY]LK ::5@ ZOV\SK THPS WYVJLZZ [V" )LUUL[[ H]L /LTWZ[LHK 5@ 7\YWVZL! (U` SH^M\S W\YWVZL 2+-'2 45:/)+fffffffff ff f 73,(:, ;(2, 56;0*, [OH[ [OL )VHYK VM (WWLHSZ VM [OL =PSSHNL VM >PSSPZ[VU 7HYR ^PSS OVSK H W\ISPJ OLHYPUN HZ MVSSV^Z! +(;,! f >LKULZKH` f f f f f f f f1\S` ;04,! f f ! W T 73(*,! =PSSHNL /HSS fffffffffff f >PSSPZ (]LU\L fffffffffffff>PSSPZ[VU 7HYR f f f f f f f f5L^ @VYR f :<)1,*;! ;V JVUZPKLY HU HWWSPJH[PVU MPSLK I` AOLU *OLU HUK 3P AOLU AOLUN MVY [OL JVUZ[Y\J[PVU VM H UK Z[VY` HKKP[PVU V]LY [OL L_PZ[PUN Z[VY` K^LSSPUN MVY [OL W\YWVZL VM HKKP[PVUHS SP]PUN ZWHJL ^P[OPU [OL L_PZ[PUN 3LNHS -HTPS` +^LSSPUN [OL K^LSSPUN JVUZ[Y\J[LK PU HZ H 3LNHS -HTPS` <ZL H[ [OL WYVWLY[` SVJH[LK H[ *HTWILSS (]LU\L >PSSPZ[VU 7HYR 5L^ @VYR HSZV RUV^U HZ :LJ[PVU )SVJR 3V[ VU [OL =PSSHNL ;H_ 9VSS [OL MVSSV^PUN =HYPHUJLZ VM [OL =PSSHNL AVUPUN *VKL! * ‫; ڗ‬OL L_[LUZPVU VM 3LNHS 5VU *VUMVYTPUN -HTPS` +^LSSPUN ZOHSS UV[ IL L_[LUKLK ^P[OV\[ OH]PUN MPYZ[ VI[HPULK H ]HYPHUJL ILMVYL [OL )VHYK VM (WWLHSZ MVY Z\JO L_[LUZPVU [V [OL 5VU *VUMVYTPUN \ZL 'RR /TZKXKYZKJ VGXZOKY SG_ NKGX GTJ HK NKGXJ GZ ZNK GLUXKYGOJ ZOSK GTJ VRGIK GTJ GRR JUI[SKTZY XKMGXJOTM YGOJ GVVROIGZOUT IGT HK XK\OK]KJ J[XOTM ZNK TUXSGR H[YOTKYY NU[XY UL ZNK ([ORJOTM *KVGXZSKTZ )` 6YKLY VM [OL )VHYK VM (WWLHSZ )YPHU *\UUPUNOHT *OHPYTHUfff f +H[LK! 1\UL

ADVERTISE HERE

516.307.1045

/4) </22'-+ 5, +'9: =/22/9:54 2+-'2 45:/)+ '4* 45:/)+ 5, 6;(2/) .+'8/4- 54 685659+* 25)'2 2'= f 73,(:, ;(2, 56;0*, [OH[ [OL )VHYK VM ;Y\Z[LLZ VM [OL 0UJ =PSSHNL VM ,HZ[ >PSSPZ[VU ^PSS OVSK H W\ISPJ OLHYPUN VU 4VUKH` 1\S` H[ ! WT [V JVUZPKLY [OL HKVW[PVU VM ‫ڠ‬3VJHS 3H^Z‫ ڡ‬ [OH[ ^LYL WYL]PV\ZS` HKVW[LK HUK ÔPJO HYL [V IL HKVW[LK PU PKLU[PJHS MVYTH[ MVY [OL W\YWVZL VM L_WLKP[PV\ZS` THRPUN HYYHUNLTLU[Z MVY [OL *VKL [V IL H]HPSHISL VU [OL PU[LYUL[ f )` 6YKLY VM [OL )VHYK VM ;Y\Z[LLZ 0UJ =PSSHNL VM ,HZ[ >PSSPZ[VU 4HYPL 3 /H\ZULY =PSSHNL *SLYR 2+-'2 45:/)+ 62+'9+ :'1+ 45:/)+e [OH[ [OL )VHYK VM ;Y\Z[LLZ VM [OL =PSSHNL VM >PSSPZ[VU 7HYR ^PSS OVSK H W\ISPJ OLHYPUN HZ MVSSV^Z! +(;,! f 4VUKH` 1\S` f f f f f f f f ;04,! f f ! W T 73(*,! =PSSHNL /HSS ffffffffff f f >PSSPZ (]LU\L fffffffffff f >PSSPZ[VU 7HYR 5@ :<)1,*;!f ;V JVUZPKLY [OL MVSSV^PUN HWWSPJH[PVU THKL I` 2HYLU HUK (SL_HUKLY 9VZPLY ^P[O YLZWLJ[ [V [OL WYLTPZLZ RUVÛ HZ +HY[TV\[O :[YLL[ =PSSHNL VM >PSSPZ[VU 7HYR [OL WYLTPZLZ SVJH[LK ^P[OPU [OL 9LZPKLU[PHS ‫ ڡ)ڠ‬+PZ[YPJ[ HSZV RUVÛ HZ :LJ[PVU )SVJR 3V[Z VU [OL 5HZZH\ *V\U[` 3HUK HUK ;H_ 4HW W\YZ\HU[ [V [OL 4\UPJPWHS AVUPUN 6YKPUHUJL YLX\LZ[PUN H ZWLJPHS L_JLW[PVU WLYTP[ [OLYLMYVT [OL )VHYK VM ;Y\Z[LLZ W\YZ\HU[ [V =PSSHNL *VKL m + H [V HSSV^ MVY [OL PUZ[HSSH[PVU VM H ZLTP PU NYV\UK Z^PTTPUN WVVS ‫^ ڝ _ڝ‬P[OPU [OL YLHY `HYK VM [OL WYLTPZLZ (SS PU[LYLZ[LK WLYZVUZ TH` OLHY HUK IL OLHYK H[ [OL HMVYLZHPK [PTL HUK WSHJL f (SS KVJ\TLU[Z YLNHYKPUN ZHPK HWWSPJH[PVU JHU IL YL]PL^LK K\YPUN [OL UVYTHS I\ZPULZZ OV\YZ VM [OL )\PSKPUN +LWHY[TLU[ (? 58*+8 5, :.+ (5'8* 5, :8;9:++9 0[ROK 1GOT <ORRGMK )RKXQ +H[LK!f 1\UL

!"#!$%&#'()*+,-()*(!),%)( %'$'&.&/0(-*"%($*1-(*2 !"##"$%&'(%")*$ 3(4445)6'&!7,/+/*45$*8

Island Harvest to honor Nussbaum Island Harvest Food Bank will host its Silver Anniversary Golf Classic at one of the region’s top golf courses, The Creek Club, in Locust Valley, on Thursday, July 29. The hugely popular fundraising event will honor Sandi Nussbaum, who has selflessly served on Island Harvest Food Bank’s board for the past 28 years. Nussbaum is being recognized for her eﬀorts and support of Island Harvest Food Bank’s mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island and for her support of other organizations dedicated to enriching the lives of others. She has been active with leading nonprofits, including Northwell Hospital, the Sid Jacobsen JCC, the Schechter School of Long Island, Autism Speaks, and other philanthropic and community-based causes. Although she and her husband David reside in Highland Beach, Fla., the former resident of Roslyn Heights continues to support Island Harvest Food Bank. The Classic will begin at 9 a.m. with “grab and go” breakfast and registration, followed by an 11 a.m. shotgun start. Lunch and beverages will be served on the course. The awards ceremony and reception will be held on Thursday, Aug. 5, at The Heritage Club at Bethpage, 99 Quaker Meeting House Road, Farmingdale.

Golf registration, which includes the awards ceremony and reception, is $1,000 per individual golfer and $5,000 for a foursome. For those wishing to attend just the awards ceremony and reception, tickets are $200 per person. At the awards’ dinner, there will be some great prizes auctioned off, including rounds of golf at some of the area’s most exclusive golf courses; New York-area sports teams’ memorabilia, and sporting and event tickets; gift certificates from some of the area’s leading restaurants; vacation trips; great merchandise; and more. “Sandi’s longtime and selfless efforts on behalf of Island Harvest Food Bank helped countless food-insecure Long Islanders,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president, and CEO, Island Harvest Food Bank. “Her devotion to the organization and its mission have made an indelible impression and spurred our tremendous growth. We honor Sandi for the positive impact she has made and offer our heartfelt appreciation for her immeasurable devotion to helping enrich the lives of her fellow Long Islanders.” To register for the Golf Classic at The Creek or inquire about numerous sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ryan Haugstatter at 631-873-4775 or ryan@islandharvest. org.

Ra honors outstanding students, crowns champion of civics Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) has honored the semifinalists and winner of his annual civics competition, “There Ought To Be A Law,” at a ceremony in Mineola Memorial Park. Over 175 members of our community attended. Students from nine schools across Ra’s district built on their state government lessons this year by crafting legislative proposals for consideration. Ra presented 30 semi-finalists with congratulatory certificates. Sofia Klocek’s proposal to combat food insecurity by investing in free, nutritious meals for all students enrolled in school won the competition. Ra noted Klocek’s legislation was especially timely, as many families across the state found themselves in diﬃcult circumstances beyond their control due to COVID-19. “I want to thank each and every student who participated this year. Certainly, we hope this contest teaches students about civics and government. We hope it promotes problem-solving and collaboration. We’re also encouraging our kids to simply imagine a better world. We want them to be inspired by that,” said Ra. Ra also expressed his appreciation for all of the teachers who were instrumental to this year’s contest. The honored semifinalists include: Hebrew Academy Of Nassau County: David Alper, Jasmine Brand, Dovi Lemel Manor Oaks School: Alish Cidrone, Ella Fagan, Dylan Imperatore, Nailah Islam, Vedant Patel, Vihaan Puri, Robby Spina Notre Dame: Amelia Pietruszka, Mireille Richards Stratford School: Margot Hearon, Sofia Klocek John Street School: Joseph Grippaldi, Sophia Sanchez, Ellie Spantopanagos Mineola Middle School: Paige Accardi, Andrew Bertrand, Alyssa Gillen, Olivia LaBarbera, Sarah Martin, Zalen Parekh, Madison Santos, Maxwell Troche Stewart School: Chloe McCormack St. Anne’s School: Margaret Guder, Avery McDevitt Washington Street School: Angelina Balducci, Joseph Colatorti

Assemblyman Ra with contest winner Sofia Klocek and her plaque.

The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

COMMUNITY NEWS

Glen Cove Hospital earns top designation Glen Cove Hospital has been recognized as an Age-Friendly Center of Excellence by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The hospital recently achieved Committed to Care Excellence recognition, which is the initiative’s highest designation. The number of Americans aged 65 years and older is expected to nearly double over the next 30 years, from 43.1 million in 2012 to an estimated 83.7 million in 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Age-Friendly Health Systems is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the IHI, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, designed to help hospitals and other facilities implement a set of evidence-based interventions specifically designed to improve care

for older adults across care settings. “With our initial Age-Friendly Center of Excellence recognition the hospital earned last December, we are building on our efforts to care for older patients holistically,” said Dr. Usman Khan, director of geriatric medicine at Glen Cove Hospital. “Our aim is to not only treat patients’ diseases but to address each patient’s goals and preferences, which took a shift in our entire hospital culture.” Khan explained IHI’s initiative is based on a series of practices focused on addressing four essential elements of care for older patients known as the 4Ms: What Matters Most: Know and align care with patient-specific goals and care preferences, including but not limited to end-of-life care.Medication: Use of age-

friendly medication that does not interfere with what matters most to patients, mobility or mentation.Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat and manage dementia, depression and delirium.Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely to maintain and function. “Glen Cove Hospital has always been at the forefront of patient care and we are proud to be part of this vital eﬀort to provide every older adult with the best care possible,” said Kerri Anne Scanlon,the hospital’s executive director. “The future of health care requires innovative approaches that value older adults, address their unique needs and provide them with high quality care. Improving the way we care for older adults can help us achieve fewer avoidable hospital readmissions, better outcomes and

more satisfied patients and families. To provide the highest level of care to older adults, Khan said nurses and nurse practitioner took part in an online education program geared towards honing knowledge and skills for taking care of elder adults. Staﬀ took coursework during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and learning eﬀorts are ongoing. “We want the community to feel comfortable bringing loved ones to the hospital,” said Khan. “Future plans include opening a Caregiver Center and developing a Mindful Unit to treat patients with a cognitive disorder as well as a medical issue.” For more information about the program, call the hospital at: 516-674-7300.

Herricks Association of Girl Scouts ceremony On Friday, June 18 The Herricks Association of Girl Scouts had their recognition ceremony for their 2020 and 2021 gold and silver award recipients. The outdoor ceremony was held at Christ Lutheran Church in New Hyde Park. The dignitaries that came was Town Clerk Wayne Wink, Assemblyman Ed Ra, Legislator Ellen Birnbaum, Jennifer Desena on behalf of Presiding Oﬃcer Rich Nicolello, Dennis Walsh Mineola Trustee on behalf of Andrew Ferrara, Town Council, Mayor of Williston Park Paul Ehrbar, Juleigh Chin from the Herricks Board of Ed Trustee and Herricks Superintendent of School, Dr. Fino Celano. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable proof that not only can she make a diﬀerence, but that she already has. Seniors and Ambassadors who earn the Gold Award tackle issues that are dear to them and drive lasting change in their communities. The 2020 Gold Award Recipients were: Kate Anne Baranello, Welcome to the Board (Troop 1501), Amanda Fishkin, Volley ball Clinic (Troop 1856),

Isabella Schneiderman, Creating opportunities (Troop 1501) The 2021 Gold Award Recipients were: Valerie Calandra, Learning Fun (Troop 1506), Mary Fernandez, “Not Me Too” (Troop 1505), Kayla Huang The Reality of Human Traﬃcking (Troop 1505), Amber Joneleit, Langue Immersion Volunteers (Troop 1506), Jessica Kopping, You Got a Friend in Me (Troop 1501), Jacqueline Manetta, Gluten Free Lunch-

es in School Cafeterias (Troop 1501), Briana Ranallo, Confidence in Young Dances (Troop 1505), Charlotte Santosus, CHEC-Charlotte’s Horse Education Club (Troop 1501) Audrey Santosus, Always Prepared (Troop 1501), Jennifer Schmidt, Stress Less (Troop 1501), Kristal Soo, Hydroponic Gardening (Troop 1505), Emma Theodoropoulos, Healthy Dental Hygiene-Village in Peru (Troop 1501).

The Girl Scout Silver Award: When Girl Scout Cadettes focus on an issue that they care about, learn the facts, and take action to make a diﬀerence, they gain the confidence and skills that will help catapult them to lifelong success. It all adds up to the Girl Scout Silver Award-the highest honor a Cadette can achieve. The 2020 Silver Award Recipients all from Troop 1106 Aieshah Asher, Drishti Patel, Yasmine Janda (Free Library at Herricks Community Center) Aishia Azekraoui, Elisabeth Baranello,Tiara Leo,Brianna Matthews, Madison Rizzo, (Bethany House bookcase and reading club) Anya Chen, Stephanie Crocevera,Serena Mei (Refurbishing the Girl Scout display at the Herricks Community Center) Melina Helgeson, Angelina Lasorsa, Katherine Murphy, Celine Yong (Painting house numbers on curbs in the Village of Williston Park) Katherine Piscopia, (Helping Seniors with memory loss and comfort items)

Northwell Health lecture on spinal tumors NSTV-Long Island, your community media center, in conjunction with Northwell Health’s director of Community Outreach and their esteemed physicians and surgeons, have created a very comprehensive series of free health presentations which will air on NSTV’s Channels 20, Altice/Optimum and 37 Verizon/Fios, streaming from nstv.org. The latest program being aired on NSTV will be: “Spinal Tumors: What Everyone Should Know!” with Dr. Daniel M. Sciubba, MBA, senior vice

president of Neurosurgery at Northwell Health, co-director of the Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Northwell Health and Chair of Neurosciences at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Watch this program starting on July 7 at 10:30 a.m. and on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. on NSTV’s Channels 20 Optimum and 37 Fios, streaming at nstv.org. Sciubba has received numerous recognitions for his clinical excellence. In 2015, he

was inducted into the MillerCoulson Academy of Clinical Excellence, the highest clinical distinction at John Hopkins University. He is ranked in the Top 10 Spine Surgeons and Spinal Oncology clinicians in the world and has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor for 4 consecutive years. NSTV-Long Island is grateful that a physician of such renown and high standing in his field has participated in the Northwell Health Lecture Series to empower others with his knowledge.

Pictured is Daniel M. Sciubba, MD, MBA, Senior V.P. of Neurosurgery at Northwell Health, Co-Director of the Institute for Neurology & Neurosurgery at Northwell Health & Chair of Neurosciences at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

46 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 2, 2021

READERS WRITE

A school district’s words matter

ords matter. The message they send by their selection is crucial for understanding someone’s perspective. The message they send by their placement is also quite telling. The Port Washington School District has been promoting a film on what it calls the “free play movement.” District resources are endorsing and advertising the perspective advocated by this production, explicitly saying that “every family, teacher, administrator, school board member and policymaker should watch it.” Such use of government authority in pitching a special interest group borders on the propagandistic, but that’s not even the top concern here. Included in the district’s promotion is a quotation, presumably from the film’s producers. This reads in part that “In a world of structure, stranger danger, helicopter parenting and a focus on accomplishment, the fundamental learning of today is nearly being erased.”

Now, honestly, that “In a world” makes me smile. It’s so laughably cliché as a movie trailer that I truly appreciate the chuckle. Everything that follows is considerably less amusing. “[S]tructure, stranger danger, helicopter parenting and a focus on accomplishment,” is the dark cloud descending on idyllic childhood. I assume this because “stranger danger” is the term we all use with our kids to warn them of pedophiles and serial killers. So that’s the level of dread these other specters are presumably meant to invoke. This level of melodrama makes “In a world” seem positively whimsical. Look at those other words, however. Alongside the pedophile and serial killer scare, this lists “structure,” “helicopter parenting,” and “accomplishment” as parallel bogeymen. Let’s take those one at a time. “Structure” seems relatively harmless. Any parent who has set a bedtime or mealtime has imposed structure upon a child.

Yet the word’s direct positioning next to “stranger danger pedophile serial killer” suggests something nefarious. I suppose any parent who has set a bedtime or mealtime is complicit. “Helicopter parenting” has a similarly negative connotation. Its singularity as a noted kind of parenting, moreover, implies a broader scope. No other kind of parenting earns notice. Perhaps it’s not a subset. The worrisome conclusion is that all parenting is unfortunately susceptible to the helicopter epithet. Ergo, parenting is evil on a level with, and underscored by its syntactical proximity to, stranger danger pedophile serial killer. Finally, having rhetorically built through these various evils, the peroration reaches its climax in the ultimate evil, “accomplishment.” This is the dread. This is the apex. This is the cataclysm to which stranger danger pedophile serial killer is only a spark. This is what Port Washington Schools appears dead set on preventing at all costs. Parenting is evil. Accom-

plishment is bad. School officials will be the arbiters of these facts. Got it. Any school district official is perfectly within free speech rights to advocate for any philosophy they please. Any policymaking official is duty-bound to explore a liberal scope of philosophies in developing a plan for the school district to pursue. But any government official, of any level, who uses the authority of public office to push a single personal agenda hostile to the public itself demeans that office. Any school district that equates the most elemental acts of parenting with violence against children is guilty of more than just a gross misuse of language. Words matter. The context in which they’re used matters. We should all be more careful with our speech. We should all take care that our words don’t destroy the schools that some claim to protect. Douglas Parker Port Washington

A peaceful attack, truth! 2 sides of story

watched a CNN two-hour Special Report that covered a reporter who conducted interviews with the so-called rioters who broke into the Capitol on January 6th and heard their sides of the story. Frankly, I have to agree with them. As they say, everything was peaceful. They were invited inside the Capitol by the Capitol police and walked around as if they were tourists. The staﬀ members of the senators and congressional representatives simply misread and overreacted to the noises that were coming from the halls. There was absolutely no reason for them to blockade doors to prevent the visitors from entering. All the visitors wanted to do was to tell them what good jobs they were doing. Chanting names such as “Nancy” and “Pence reflected that very same

intention. Actually, the so-called rioters were there to protect the representatives from others based upon information that they had actually received from the FBI. They were simply doing what all good patriotic Americans should do; protecting the Capitol from those who were looking to destroy it and, they were doing it peacefully. According to reports from Fox News, there were 3 million in attendance and the fact that so little damage was done is a tribute to those who came to protect the Capitol More kudos to them based upon the fact that these Republican patriots handled themselves so well considering that the presidential election was stolen from right under their own noses. Those who label this as an insurrection should rightfully refer to

it as doing one’s patriotic duty. Since “equality” is the name of America, I propose that on July 4th, millions of people from the opposing side, namely those liberal socialist democrats, should gather and protest in the same civil manner as their Republican friends outside the winter White House, the national historic landmark in Palm Beach Fla. known as Mar-a- Lago, currently owned and resided in by our real president, Donald Trump. These Democratic protesters should be afforded the same opportunity given to their Republican counterparts. In reality, since the “former” president receives an annual pension, an office staff and round the clock Secret Service personal protection, all paid for by we the people, these protesters should be allowed to check out the residence, both inside and out, ques-

LETTERS POLICY Letters should be typed or neatly handwritten, and those longer than 750 words may be edited for brevity and clarity. All letters must include the writer’s name and phone number for verification. Anonymously sent letters will not be printed. Letters must be received by Monday noon to appear in the next week’s paper. All letters become the property of Blank Slate Media LLC and may be republished in any format. Letters can be e-mailed to news@theislandnow.com or mailed to Blank Slate Media, 22 Planting Field Road, Roslyn Heights, NY 11577.

tion the office staff and ensure that the members of the Secret Service are doing their jobs and these protesters should check it out in the same manner as the Republican protesters did in protecting the Capitol. Trump, of course, will join in and participate in this form of this getting-even-type celebration. Others attending this protest will include Andrews S. Clyde, the Republican congressman from Georgia, who refused to shake hands with Washington, D.C. police officer, Michael Fanone, who was supposedly assaulted by the peaceful protesters at the Capitol. Guest speakers will include former Vice President, Mike Pence, who suggested that he speak from gallows specially built for this occasion, and House Majority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, who for security reasons will speak to the crowd from the inside of a tank, in control of large-caliber high-velocity guns, capable of firing kinetic energy penetrators, high explosive anti-tank and cannon-launched guided projectiles, just in case she hears her name being chanted from inside Mara-Lago.

Of course, the Capitol Police singing choir will be on hand to perform a medley of songs celebrating the recovery of the 81 Capitol Police oﬃcers who were assaulted accidentally during the peaceful protest and the 65 D.C. police oﬃcers who were also injured coming to their rescue. Putting everything in perspective will be the filmed remarks made by the Senate Minority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky who said “the mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6th was “fed lies” and provoked by the president’ and others into violence”. Demanding equal time, House GOP leader, Kevin McCarthy, will present what he said on the House floor as recorded, that called on President Donald Trump to “immediately denouncethe mob when he saw what was unfolding,accept his share of responsibility for the violence that overtook the U.S. Capitol” andurged Republicans to “accept that Joe Biden is the next leader of the nation” A Peaceful Attack, The truth! Two sides of the story. Alvin Goldberg Great Neck

The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

COMMUNITY NEWS

Transgender women NUMC doctor gets make plea for acceptance top fellowship Three transgender women joined their plastic surgeon at Northwell Health’s corporate oﬃces to plea for an end to the bullying and violent attacks against members of the Asian trans community. Dr. James Bradley, vice chair of Plastic Surgery at Northwell, had already performed facial feminization surgery on Mila Chaniago, who originally hails from Indonesia. Giselle Moore, also from Indonesia, and Morisane “Sunny” Shiroma (from Japan) are slated for their respective surgeries later this year. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic only served to intensify antiAsian sentiment, further alienating the Asian trans community. During his presentation, Dr. Bradley noted that 44 transgender people in the United States were murdered in 2020. “Asian trans women, already victims of Asian hate, suﬀer disproportionately from bullying and ridicule,” he said. “Attacks against members of this community became so prevalent that the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act was recently passed to address this violence. These brave women will describe how FFS brings them not only a sense of

self-confidence and self-actualization, but a chance to protect themselves from this terrible violence.” Chaniago, 46, began her transition 10 years ago. During years of hormone therapy, she experienced episodes of bullying, ridicule and racial slurs. “I was frequently misgendered in public, and was often the victim of violence,” said Chaniago. “I decided to undergo FFS in March so that people would accept me. Now, I have more confidence. I feel diﬀerently about myself. My hope is that trans people can stop being afraid. Be who you are…it’s time.” During her 7 ½ hour surgery, Bradley reshaped Chaniago’s forehead, jawline and nose, and performed a laryngotracheoplasty, which is a tracheal shave, or removal of the “Adam’s apple.” Moore, a freelance makeup artist, arrived in the U.S. in 2001. Her transition began in 2010, when she began hormone therapy and had breast implants. For her, the key issue is discrimination against members of the trans community in the workplace. “Most people can’t imagine the type of prejudice we experi-

ence,” said Moore. “I’m speaking out now because I want people to be judged for who they are and for the skills they bring to the workplace. When I was a gay boy, it was fashionable and I could easily get hired. It’s much harder to get work during the transition period. I want businesses to view us as people with real skills.” Shiroma, 64, of Japanese descent, enjoyed a lucrative Paris fashion career during the 1980s. When she arrived in the U.S., her clothing line was displayed in many of the most prestigious stores on New York’s 5th Avenue. “I decided to transition in 2001 after working with trans women I met through my involvement with the Asian-Pacific Islander Coalition, HIV/AIDS,” said Shiroma. “I want to have this surgery so I can be accepted, finally, for who I really am. I don’t want to identify as a man. I want people to know that we are Asian, we are proud, we are strong, and we are beautiful.” All three women hoped that their messages of peace and acceptance would be heard during Pride Month. As Ms. Shiroma concluded, “For the next generation, the future is bright.”

Nassau Health Care Corporation has announced that Dr. Ulziibat “Uzi” Person, of NUMC’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, has been awarded the APASAMHSA Minority Fellowship for 2021. This competitive fellowship is funded by the American Psychiatric Association and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Person is the first NUMC physician to receive this prestigious award. The APA- SAMHSA Minority Fellowship provides funding to psychiatry residents that are committed to addressing minority psychiatric metal health issues, including substance use disorders. Person’s research will focus on reducing health disparities and improving behavioral health care outcomes for racial and ethnic populations, ensuring humane care and effective treatment for all persons with mental illness.

Following her award and her continued contributions to the field of psychiatry, Person has been promoted to Chief of Research for the Addiction Services at NUMC. All treatment facilities housed under the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Nassau University Medical Center accept uninsured patients and patients insured by Medicare or Medicaid, with limited spots available for those with private insurance. Any community members in need of mental health services are encouraged to call the outpatient clinic to schedule a consultation at (516)-572-6822. Further, anyone in need of detoxification services should call (516) 572-6740, while those in need of rehabilitation should call (516) 772-9402. For more information on services provided at Nassau University Medical Center, please visit their website at www.numc. edu.

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

www.theislandnow.com

Town celebrates Women’s Roll of Honor North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth and Town Clerk Wayne Wink have recognized the honorees for the 28th Annual May W. Newburger Women’s Roll of Honor. The gathering was held to celebrate the achievements of this year’s extraordinary women. Event chairpersonWink said, “The town is proud to honor these outstanding women for their incredible service to North Hempstead. Each of these women reflects the best that our communities have to oﬀer, and we are proud to honor them for their work.” “North Hempstead has no shortage of inspirational women who have made a tremendous impact on our communities,” said Bosworth. “We are fortunate to induct this new class into the Women’s Roll of Honor and celebrate their achievements as part of our North Hempstead family.” Since 1994, North Hempstead has held the Women’s Roll of Honor breakfast to honor women who have contributed to their community or have accomplished a significant achievement

through public or private eﬀorts. The Women’s Roll of Honor is named after the late May W. Newburger

who served as North Hempstead Supervisor from 1994 to 2003. This year the event was held out-

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD

North Hempstead Town officials along with New York State and Nassau County representatives honor the inductees for the 2021 Women’s Roll of Honor.

doors under a tent at a socially distanced ceremony and was limited to guests and their families to keep everyone safe. Video footage from the event will premiere on NHTV channel 18 or 63 on Cablevision and channel 46 on Verizon FIOS beginning on Monday, June 28, and air daily at 4 p.m. that week. The event can also be watched online by visiting: www.mynhtv.com or the Town’s YouTube page. The 2021 Honorees Margaret Ballantyne-Mannion, Mineola Kira Bryant, Westbury Traci Caines, Westbury Lynn Capuano, Port Washington Ellen Fox, Sands Point Carolina Guardado, Westbury Diane Harragan, Manhasset Ann Marie Hradek, Albertson Farhana Islam, New Hyde Park Dianne Karl, Williston Park Pam O’Connell, Port Washington Rosa Stein, Manhasset Ann Tountas, Manhasset Hills

48 The Williston Times, Friday, July 2, 2021

+, $)%*

!"#$%&'()*+#$,-.# /0110*,23#4'&5 ##6+7#82&5#99:;<# =:;;.;;;# !"#"$%&#'(')*+, -')&./,' 01##')&2*3*$.' 0"43&#'+%$%$5' &$+'#%6%$5'4""3' 7*8')"%#*4' 9:4%$;#*4'2<2.*3

+, $)%*

#:>#99,?#@A+.# B03+21'.#6+7#82&5###=:;:.>>>##

@II#!!!#N+#B2,,#$,.# B03+21'.#=<J;.>>>.'

='>*+,'-'>&./,'*&.'%$';%.?/*$,'@1##')&2*3*$.,')1%#.'%$' 6&?113'2<2.*3,'A1%*.'2.4**.,'B%$*"#&'2?/""#'+%2.4%?.C

$& "&'(

!"#$%

!9#C?+*,3),#D011.#E2*1%3F#=<";.>>>.#

D')*+,'DCE')*+,'D'?&4'5&4&5*,'."8$/"12*'?"331$%.<,' :#&<54"1$+,'%$+""4'&$+'"1.+""4':""#,'5<3,'.*$$%2'?"14.,' )&2;*.)&##'?"14.

(')*+,'D')&./,'@1##'F$%2/*+')&2*3*$.,' ?#"2*'."'4&%#'4"&+'&$+'2?/""#C

!"#$%

#G!9#/+1103H,23#EI.#B03+21'-#=JK;.>>>.# =')*+,'D')&./,'@1##')&2*3*$.,'B%$*"#&'9?/""#2,' 3"6*'%$'4*&+<C

K;#6+,L#41'(+.# @1M+&,*23.#68#99:>" =')*+2,'-CE')&./2,'01##')&2*3*$.,'/15*' )&?;<&4+,'D'?&4'5&4&5*C

($&

"&' !"#$%

KG:#6'**')#O1AI.# /0110*,23#4'&5F# ="K;.>>>-#

D')*+,'D')&./,'B%$*"#&' 2?/""#2C'9**'./*':/"."' %$'./*'&..&?/3*$.C

;<#/#9;,?#$,.#N++&#4'&5F#=K<>.>>>.# =')*+,'-CE')&./,'9:#&$?/,'/15*')&?;<&4+,' 2:&?%"12'-'?&4'5&4&5*C

K<9#/+1103H,23#EI.#B03+21'F#="K;.>>>,' E')*+,'-CE')&./,'@1##')&2*3*$.,'!"#"$%&#,'#"?&.*+'"$'&' A1%*.'2.4**.C

Mike Fink Licensed Associate Broker

193 Hillside Avenue, Williston Park, NY 11596

A Division Of

Office: 516-743-9953 | Cell: 516-647-3737 | mfink@bhhslaffey.com

If your home is currently listed with another broker, this is not meant as a solicitation of that listing. All figures approximate. All information furnished regarding sole property sale, rental or financing is form sources deemed responsible. No representation is made to the accuracy thereof and it is submitted subject to errors,omissions, change of price, rental. commission or other conditions, prior sale, lease or financing or withdrawal without notice.