Williston Park 2023_03_31

Second school official targeted by activists

Email signed by ‘parents’ calls for probe of Manhasset administrator

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

An email to Manhasset School District officials called for an investigation into the assistant superintendent for curriculum after he made statements to a journalist associated with the farright Project Veritas site about diversity, equity and inclusion.

The email, signed by “Manhasset Parents.” was sent from the email address “ManhassetParents@proton.me.” Efforts to reach the sender’s to verify their identity were unavailing.

Donald Gately, who was hired by the district in 2022 to also oversee instruction and personnel, is the cofounder of EdCamp Long Island, described on its website as “a grassroots, teacher-led event that brings together educators from across the region to share their ideas and expertise.”

In a Project Veritas video released March 13, Gately said teachers now have kids with some parents that are “extremely conservative and rightwing.”

“Now you’re gonna have people make — they’re gonna connect politics to DEI work,” Gately continued.

Project Veritas is a right-wing group that has gained notoriety for recording undercover videos and releasing deceptively edited versions of them. The organization’s founder, James O’Keefe,

SEARINGTOWN SLIDES

known for targeting left-wing officials and groups, left his post in February.

The email called for the school district to launch an investigation into Gately and for him to be placed on leave until the probe is finished.

“We request that the Board of Trustees promptly place Dr. Gately on leave until the investigation is complete,” according to the email. “As you know, the board has a legal and fiduciary obligation to investigate this matter and we therefore respectfully request your immediate attention.”

Superintendent Gaurav Passi, in a March 17 letter to the Manhasset community, said parental input about curriculum is welcomed by the school district and that classroom instruction is outlined in Board of Education meetings archived on the district’s YouTube page.

“The district’s commitment has been and always will be on partnering with parents to cultivate a safe learning environment where students become independent thinkers who employ critical reasoning skills, work collaboratively, respect each other’s individuality, and embody integrity, honesty, empathy and compassion,” Passi said.

Passi said a majority of conversations surrounding students’ education and instruction are resolved at the

Continued on Page 34

IDA chair, Nagler differ on residential project

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Nassau County Industrial Development Agency Chairman Richard Kessel said Mineola has grown by leaps and bounds during a Monday

afternoon hearing for The Royal Blue Residential Development on Searing Avenue.

But Mineola Superintendent Michael Nagler expressed reservations about the project because of the tax

breaks the developer is seeking.

“There’s been a lot of criticisms about Long Island and that we’re not doing enough for housing and I think the Village of Mineola should

Continued on Page 35

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Searingtown Elementary School recently unveiled its new playground.

Mineola High adding cybersecurity courses

Expanded STEM program responds to new threats

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Mineola High School will be offering a new cybersecurity program that focuses on providing a curriculum that will earn graduates industry certification, prepare students for top programs and impact the industry landscape.

The three-year program, starting in September, will consist of both classroom and cloud-based asynchronous courses, which allows students to learn on their own schedule within a certain timeframe.

“Cybersecurity is a growing field, and I love how this program focuses on practical applications such as certifications and internships, said Kuri DiFrede, computer science teacher, in a March newsletter from the district. “It’s a great addition to our current programming classes.”

Cybersecurity 1 will let learners acquire foundational knowledge and hands-on learning through cyber competitions. The next course, Cybersecurity 2, will develop skills for careers in both IT security and cybersecurity and get industry certification.

The second course will pair learners and mentors for real-world experience and allow students to enter competitions that reflect challenges in the workforce, according to the district.

“A learner should consider these courses if they enjoy solving challenges and like working with the latest technology. Whether planning to go to college or join the workforce, the cybersecurity industry offers high starting salaries and opportunities to advance,” the district said in the release.

The last course in the program would expand on areas of focus for learners and incorporate internship programs in the industry.

Fewer than 1% of students in America currently have access to a cybersecurity curriculum, according to the district.

District administrators and community leaders joined with technol-

Still no justice for acid attack victim

Renewed call to find student’s attacker

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

More than two years have passed since Sewanhaka alum Nafiah Ikram had acid thrown in her face, but the unknown assailant has not been arrested and still remains at large.

Ikram was the victim of an acid attack outside her Elmont home in March 2021. The acid caused Ikram to scream, which resulted in the liquid spreading to her mouth, according to a GoFundMe page to help pay for the various medical procedures she needed. Her tongue and throat were burned as a result of the attack, which also left her with burns and scars on her face, according to the page.

Ikram and her family last week renewed their calls for justice and implored the community to provide police with any information on the attacker.

“I constantly have this fear of this happening to me again or reliving it,” Ikram said in a news conference outside her house.

Ikram ran into the house, where her parents attempted to help her, but the acid burned her parents’ arms and hands as well, the page said. The acid caused “severe burning” on Ikram’s eyes, chest and arms, according to the post. She was also wearing contact

lenses, which were melted to her eyes as a result of the acid.

“Two years have passed by and, unfortunately, that’s why it feels like nothing has been done becuase it’s like my sight is still not there.”

Ikram’s mother, Sherina Mohamed, was walking into the house with her daughter that March night and urged anyone with information to “be a human being” and come forward to help bring the acid thrower to justice.

Ikram, who lost more than 10 pounds in 10 days after her eighth surgery, said she will not feel fully safe until the attacker is caught.

“I am a rock, but like all the rocks in the world, it’s gradually fading away,” Mohamed said last week. “That’s what is happening with us.”

The attacker, police said, was about 6-foot-2 with a skinny build who wore a black hooded sweatshirt and gloves before fleeing the area in a red 20132015 Nissan Altima.

Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages (D-Valley Stream), who pressed for a bigger reward, expressed his gratitude to the county and the FBI for helping to incentivize others to find the assailant and commended Ikram for her strength throughout the search.

Continued on Page 35

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

ogy teachers and representatives from the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, a national network that supports forward-thinking leaders in education, on Jan. 18 to go over the program.

The meeting featured a presentation from Digital Promise, an overview of the Cybersecurity 1 curriculum and benchmarks for the upcoming year.

The district currently offers separate courses in robotics, computer science and other technology-related classes.

From April 19-23, the Mineola robotics team will compete in the FIRST World Champion in Houston, Tx. They qualified for the competition after a win at the Finger Lakes Regional Competition in Rochester.

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

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

EDITORIAL:

Brandon Duffy 516-307-1045 x215 • bduffy@theisland360.com

Manhasset Times: Robert Pelaez 516-307-1045 x203 • rpelaez@theisland360.com

Roslyn Times: Cameryn Oakes 516-307-1045 x214 • coakes@theisland360.com

Williston Times: Brandon Duffy 516-307-1045 x215 • bduffy@theisland360.com

Port Washington Times: Cameryn Oakes 516-307-1045 x214 • coakes@theisland360.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF MINEOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT Mineola High School students works on their robot “Ghost” during the FIRST Robotics Competition, held Mar. 16-18 in Rochester, NY.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF THE NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE Nafiah Ikram speaks on her road to recovery after acid was thrown on her in March 2021.

Tuesday’s Children honors 2 veterans Group formed to aid children of 9/11 victims medical officers living in Manhasset, firefighters

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Tuesday’s Children, a Manhassetbased nonprofit formed in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, held its annual Plandome Benefit at the Plandome Country Club Tuesday night to honor medical officers Navin and Sylvia Arora and the Plandome Fire Department, which is currently in its 110th year of operation.

“Tuesday’s Children is all about making connections,” said Chairman John Cahalane. “Connections that bring hope and assurance that no one should walk alone on the path to healing and resilience.”

The evening started with a welcome and blessing from Rev. Kevin Smith, chaplain for the fire department and national anthem from Carys Hyland, a junior at Manhasset High School and probationary member for the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department Co. 1.

In comments to those in attendance, Navin Arora spoke on the phenomenal depth and profound impact Tuesday’s Children has on all levels of society.

“This is an organization you should be spending time with and makes a difference in what’s important in society, which is our children,” Arora said.

Arora, a native New Yorker that

moved to Manhasset with his wife seven years ago, spoke previously with Blank Slate Media on what it means to his family to be honored Tuesday night.

“Service is selfless and it’s important for self-growth,” Arora said. “Our freedoms are not given to us but they’re earned by our predecessors and I think remembering that and realizing everyone has a role to play and can play a

role at a variety of levels is really what’s important for us and the future generations.”

Arora is the founder of Borealis Dermatology with offices in Garden City and Syosset. He served as an Army physician for 12 years and has professional experience at both clinical and leadership levels with the Department of Defense and the private sector. He

and his wife are both members of the American Legion Post 304 in Manhasset.

Arora shared part of his service background from joining the Army on June 3, 2001, as a second-year medical student to hearing of the Sept. 11 attacks on the radio and later being deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was stationed with Sylvia.

“I bring this up to show a reflection of the impact that this event tonight has beyond the immediate impact it has on children,” Arora said. “It’s changed us as people and tonight helps spread the word on how these conflicts affect people and not just in a primary, secondary or tertiary way that still affects children.”

Continued on Page 34

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TUESDAY’S CHILDREN

The Arora family, left, and Plandome Fire Department, right, were honored Tuesday night during the annual Plandome Benefit.

Herricks eyes school budget windfall

Proposed 7.5% rise in spending called average among districts buoyed by increased state aid

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The Herricks Board of Education resumed discussions of the 2023-2024 budget by taking a deeper look at projected revenues during its meeting Thursday night.

On another front, Superintendent Tony Sinanis shared his takeaways from the first steps of his interviews with focus groups, which will be used to better understand the community’s goals and priorities moving forward.

The proposed $134.7 million 20232024 budget includes a nearly $9.5 million increase in spending from the current budget, or a 7.5% rise. Excluding pending claims and the associated legal fees, the budget represents only a 5.3% increase, Sinanis said.

During the previous budget presentation March 9, Sinanis said he had spoken informally with superintendents and business officials in other local districts and the 5.3% increase “is very much in the average range of where districts currently sit.”

The district is projected to raise the tax levy by 1.83%, which is equal to the tax cap determined by the state and falls below the 2% allowable growth factor limit.

Budget features include hiring assistant principals for Searingtown and Center Street Elementary Schools, funding for social-emotional learning programs, spe-

cial education services, English as a New Language programs, new musical and athletic equipment and additional sports, such as varsity girls’ flag football, among other things.

Additionally, the Herricks Public School District will be receiving state aid totaling $8 million more than was granted in the 2022-23 legislative budget. This is a 47% increase in state aid for the school district.

As of now, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget includes $25 million. State aid in the next school year is projected to account for 18% of total district revenue compared to 10% historically, Assistant Business Superintendent Lisa Rutkoske said.

The foundation aid formula, established in 2007, uses factors like pupil needs and regional costs to help determine how much state aid a school district should receive.

Foundation aid represents over 70% of total aid for the upcoming year, according to the district.

Sinanis said he interviewed different focus groups in the district for his entry plan.

Specifically, the superintendent spoke with each Board of Education trustee and different groups of parents, faculty, staff, coaches and students across each school in the district.

Sinais said he concentrated on find-

ing the strongest recurring themes among staff, students and families.

Highlights from staff include pride in working in Herricks and an affinity for working in the district, collaboration from the staff and dedication to providing strong academic programs.

Students said they feel comfortable, safe and seen in the school community, Sinanis said. Additionally, students think they have a voice and an abundance of resources to support their learning.

Themes from families include a strong sense of community and belonging in Herricks, strong support from the PTA and a robust elective program.

“It’s been exciting being able to speak with the different groups and having conversations on the district,” Sinanis said.

The next steps for Herricks will be to enhance and focus on communication, develop systems and structures and continue finding ways to amplify student and staff voices, Sinanis said, speaking about the common feedback when asked what can be improved upon.

Sinanis said he will be identifying specific priorities in the next three to five years to build on the Portrait of a Graduate and draw up a shared community vision, develop a Herricks Compact as a hub for said priorities and deepen community partnerships to ensure learning spaces are inclusive and culturally responsive.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Tony Sinanis, superintendent of Herricks Public Schools.

Grand Central service brings cuts to Penn

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Metropolitan Transit Authority CEO Janno Lieber touted the implementation of LIRR service to Grand Central Madison during a Wednesday press conference, sharing the positive results of the newly established Eastside access.

But Port Washington residents say there are changes needed to fully serve their community and address the negative results of the schedule change.

During the press conference about “reimagining Grand Central,” Lieber said the opening of Grand Central Madison has led to a 40% increase in LIRR services due to increased tunnel capacity. This includes almost 300 LIRR trains running daily into Grand Central, Lieber said during the press conference.

He said the Grand Central Madison terminal and the broader efforts to revitalize the surrounding neighborhood through business growth and the expansion of public spaces are an attempt to draw people back into the city.

“It brings Long Island and the center of our business district closer together for so many people and that is in the long run going to have great benefits,” Lieber said.

Grand Central, which now houses the LIRR, Metro North and subway at a single station, began full service Feb. 27 with a changed schedule that added trains running into Grand Central to its regular Penn Station service.

Overall, fewer trains will be servicing Penn Station than before the new schedule.

While the LIRR now services Grand Central Station, the Gothamist reported that about 20% of THE LIRR trains cannot go through the East River Tunnel to the station, limiting the trains that can access the terminal. This is because the tunnel is too small for the MTA’s diesel trains.

Port Washington resident and local commuter activist Ian Rasmussen said there are many negative effects residents are experiencing due to the schedule changes.

“There’s no way around the fact that if you ask people in our town, ‘did you seriously consider the train service when you moved here?’ The answer would be universally ‘yes,’” Rasmussen said. “So an assault on the train service is really like an existential attack.”

Rasmussen, a commuter to Penn Station, said one of the issues is the number of evening train departures from Penn being cut in half.

During peak p.m. times, 10 trains depart from Penn Station, some with upwards of 45-minute gaps between trains.

One of the largest gaps between trains exists between the 5:10 departure and the 5:52 departure. Rasmussen said having a 42-minute-long wait time between trains, especially during a peak time when people are getting off work, can have great negative impacts.

He said that if you were to miss the 5:10 train, sometimes due to uncontrollable factors like a delayed subway, your arrival time in Port Washington is extended extraneously. He expressed concerns for people who have evening schedules to abide by, such as picking up a child from daycare, who then have to endure a long wait time for the next train and possibly be late to their next location.

Rasmussen said that prior to the current schedule, trains came about every 20 minutes.

“The trains out of Penn Station are absolutely packed, standing in the aisles,” Rasmussen said. “And the trains at Grand Central are half empty.”

Another issue that Rasmussen said was the original plan to exclude express trains. Due to efforts in September, in which Rasmussen was involved, local government officials were able to negotiate six express trains to run along the Port Washington branch, three in the morning and three in the evening.

Rasmussen said that prior to his advocacy for express LIRR services, he had never been involved with his local government. For the first time, he worked with his local state senator and assemblywoman to create a collection of government officials to push for their community’s needs.

“Your whole routine is largely informed by how you get around, particularly Long Island, which is essentially a satellite place to New York City,” Rasmussen said. “There needs to be a much more broad realization of the fact that schedules, decisions on where to live decisions on where to work, all of this is the result of sort of decades of living.”

Continued on Page 34

PHOTO BY CAMERYN OAKES

Port Washington resident Ian Rasmussen’s LIRR commute to Manhattan has become worse since the schedule change, he said, and he wants the old schedule to be reinstated with transfers to Grand Central only at Woodside and Jamaica stations.

Northwell drops most mask mandates Requirements for staff, patients and hospital visitors lifted except in limited instances

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Northwell Health dropped most of the mask-wearing requirements for staff, patients and hospital visitors on Wednesday.

While the three groups are still required to wear protective face coverings when interacting with a patient suspected or confirmed of having a viral respiratory infection, the main guidelines in place for nearly three years have been lifted, according to a statement from the organization.

Northwell’s announcement follows new guidelines from the state Department of Health in February that allowed healthcare entities to develop mask-wearing procedures with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Should COVID-19 rates spike, Northwell officials said, the traditional mask-wearing policies will be reinstated.

“This month marks the third anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and lifting the mask mandate reflects an important milestone in our fight against this deadly disease,” Northwell said in the statement.

Long Island’s COVID-19 rates are

listed as “moderate” by the CDC, with 44 people testing positive for the virus in Nassau County on Monday, the most up-to-date figures reported by the state’s Department of Health.

The 11042 ZIP code of New Hyde Park, as of Tuesday, had the secondlowest primary vaccination series in Nassau County, according to statistics from the state’s Department of Health. That area consists primarily of businesses south of Northern State Parkway and along Marcus Avenue.

The next lowest rate on the North Shore is the 76.2% in the 11024 ZIP code of the Great Neck peninsula, which includes the Village of Kings Point. The next lowest one is also in Great Neck, with the 11023 ZIP code at an 81.7% rate, according to the figures. This area incorporates parts of the villages of Great Neck and Saddle Rock, along with Great Neck Gardens and Harbor Hills.

The statistics also show rates of 100% in Great Neck’s 11020 zip cod, 96.3% in Roslyn, 94% in Albertson, 93.9% in New Hyde Park’s 11040 ZIP code, 93.5% in Williston Park, 93.3% in Mineola, 92.5% in Port Washington, 90.1% in Roslyn Heights, 88.9% in Great Neck’s 11021 ZIP code, 86.7% in Manhasset and 84.5% in Floral Park.

PHOTO COURTESY OF METROCREATIVECONNECTION.COM

Northwell Health’s masking requirements were dropped last week.

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Uninsured car, loaded gun, teenager nabbed

BY BRANDON DUFFY

A 16-year-old boy was charged Tuesday with possessing a fully loaded handgun, driving without a license and a fake registration following a traffic stop in Williston Park, police said.

Officers conducted a traffic stop at 1:53 a.m. after noticing a juvenile driving a black 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee westbound on Hillside Avenue near Willis Avenue and commit-

ting multiple traffic infractions.

Upon investigation, officers found a loaded Taurus G2C 9-millimeter firearm in the juvenile’s jacket pocket and a false Texas vehicle registration. The car was also uninsured, uninspected and impounded following the traffic stop, they said.

The juvenile was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm and numerous vehicle and traffic law infractions, according to the police.

Anti-Chinese writing blasted by officials

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Local officials gathered at the Village of Great Neck Plaza Thursday to condemn racist vandalism of a Great Neck Chinese Association banner, which is currently under investigation by the Nassau County Police Department.

The organization’s welcome banner was on display above the Great Neck Long Island Rail Road station, officials said, and had a “racial slur” written at the bottom last week. Dorothy Feng, co-president of the Great Neck Chinese Association, called on the individual(s) who committed the vandalism to step forward and accept responsibility for their actions.

“The attack on the banner is not a simple act of vandalism,” Feng said. “But it is an attack on a group of residents based on our ethnicity. More importantly, this is an attack on the ideas of tolerance, acceptance and the celebration of diversity.”

Feng, on behalf of the organization, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of community support and urged others who witness any attack against any other religious or ethnic group to speak out against it. Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Ted Rosen said that an act of hatred against any one person or group is an act of hatred against the entire Great Neck and Nassau County community.

“This act cannot stand unchallenged,” Rosen

said. “It is an act that requires a strong, decisive response by people of goodwill from all backgrounds.”

Rosen praised the mixture of cultures, races and religions in Great Neck Plaza and the entire peninsula, noting that the village recently received an “A” rating for its diversity by Niche. com.

Continued on Page 35

PHOTO BY ROBERT PELAEZ Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NASSAU COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

A Taurus G2C 9-millimeter firearm.

3rd annual Pinwheels for Prevention

Event promotes child abuse prevention, honors Manhasset girl, 2, killed by her father

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The third Pinwheels for Prevention in the Park, which marks the beginning of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, will begin this Sunday and run for two weeks in Manhasset and Port Washington.

The event, which includes an influx of 748 blue pinwheels at Blumenfeld Family Park in Port Washington and Mary Jane Davies Green in Manhasset, will be held by Kyra’s Champions, the child safety advocacy group founded by Manhasset Resident Jacqueline Franchetti in response to a personal tragedy.

“This event is about much more than pinwheels — it is about a court system that has harmed our community for decades and how we are working together to make changes,” Franchetti said in a statement to Blank Slate Media.

On July 27, 2016, 2-year-old Kyra Franchetti’s father shot her twice in the back while she was sleeping at his Fairfax, Va., home on an unsupervised, court-sanctioned visit. He then set the house on fire and shot himself to death.

Kyra’s ninth birthday would have been on April 4 and the additional

significance for the two parks Sunday comes from where she liked to play, Franchetti said.

“It’s about students, parents, citizens, and politicians who have come together to put pinwheels on their lawns, send emails to lawmakers, who

show up at our rallies and advocacy days,” Franchetti said.

The 748 pinwheels honor 23 children, who like Kyra were murdered by a parent during a child custody case, divorce or separation since 2016 and the 725 deaths of New York children in

Est.

the last decade who were kept hidden by Child Protection Services, according to the Albany Times Union.

Shayna Blumenfeld, a Kyra’s Champions Youth Ambassador who is co-running the event, said the event brings the entire community together

for a common cause.

“This is an event that is FOR kids, and BY kids. We can’t see our peers getting hurt, so we are taking a stand,” Blumenfeld said in a statement. “The pinwheel events raise awareness and bring our community together to truly stand up for what is right.”

Franchetti’s advocacy has led to legislative action. There are currently seven total bills inspired by Kyra’s death introduced in the New York State Legislature that take aim at protecting children from abusive parents.

The bills, with the centerpiece of Kyra’s Law, make child safety the top priority in Family Court, increase judicial training on family violence and eliminate the use of forensic evaluators.

Franchetti also thanked Print Station N.Y. located in New Hyde Park for its continued generosity and support in donating the signs for both parks all three years.

“Champions from our community, and all around the state and nation, have come together to make changes in Kyra’s memory and in the memories of far too many children who were murdered by an abusive parent,” Franchetti said.

Port’s Harborside files for bankruptcy again

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Port Washington’s retirement community, The Harborside, has filed for bankruptcy protection from its creditors under Chapter 11 for the third time in nine years because of a a decline in residents.

The company blamed the lower occupancy numbers, which has reduced needed revenues

to pay the facility’s bills, on the stigma associated with its earlier bankruptcy filings and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The list of creditors who have the 30 largest unsecured claims and are not insiders are all residents, whose names have been redacted, for entrance fee refunds, according to documents filed in federal bankruptcy court Wednesday.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSAN AURIEMMA

Pinwheels for Prevention in the Park in Manhasset in 2022.

PHOTO BY CAMERYN OAKES

Port Washington senior living community The Harborside filed for bankruptcy last week.

Continued on Page 34

OUR VIEWS Editorial Cartoon

Nassau legislators in GOP do right thing

In approving new district lines, Republican Nassau County legislators have done the unexpected – the right thing.

The new map, approved in an 11-7 partly-line vote two weeks ago, gives Democrats a 15-4 advantage over Republicans in districts with a majority of voters registered as Democrats

The map, approved by Republicans, also gives Democrats a 14-5 edge in county legislative districts carried by President Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Let’s repeat that for a moment. Eleven Republican legislators voted on revised districts that give Democrats a 15-4 edge in registered voters. And all seven Democrats voted against the map.

The new map reflects the latest numbers for registered voters in Nassau County. According to the state Board of Elections, Democrats lead countywide by nearly 100,000 people – 412,178 to 315,741.

But for Nassau County, this is the political equivalent of dogs and cats living together to borrow a phrase from “Ghostbusters.”

The new map is in stark contrast to 10 years ago when Republicans in the county Legislature, holding a 10-9 advantage, voted for a map that gave them a 12-7 advantage in districts based on registered voters.

At the time, Democrats held a 30,000 edge in registered voters over Republicans in Nassau County.

The county Republicans’ new-found fairness in drawing district lines still did not satisfy Democrats, who said the latest map was illegal and favored their GOP counterparts.

Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) criticized the Republican legislators for working in “secrecy.”

Abrahams also criticized the new lines for not reflecting the more than 40% of the county population that is non-white.

The new map does increase the number of minority-majority districts from three to five but at 26% of the Legislature falls three seats short of reaching 40%.

“It is not surprising that such a deeply flawed, self-serving process would produce an extreme partisan gerrymander that disenfranchises Nassau’s minority communities and violates numerous federal, state, and local laws,” Abrahams said in a statement. “By passing this illegal map, the Republican Majority has recklessly placed Nassau County on a collision course towards numerous lawsuits that will ultimately cost taxpayers millions of dollars.”

Abrahams has a fair point about minority representation not being equal. And it is important. Non-white Democrats in the county Legislature have split from white Democrats on occasion in votes and emphasis on such issues as police accountability.

But Nassau County is, by design, one of the most segregated counties in the country. This makes it difficult to create districts that are both geographically together and reflect the county’s ethnicity.

The county map is also a far cry from the district lines recently created by Town of Hempstead Republicans.

With nearly half the town comprised of non-whites, the Hempstead Town Council approved a map that maintains the current 5-1 advantage of majoritywhite districts.

Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park), who has announced he will not seek re-election, seemed to get it right in discussing the county map.

“Is this map perfect?” Nicolello asked during a press conference. “No. But perfection is impossible in redistricting. This map is a fair map, it provides equal representation for all our residents and protects community interests as much as possible.”

Other Democrats have complained about changes to their particular district, including county Legislator Arnold Drucker, who is currently one of four legislators whose district includes Roslyn.

Drucker expressed his displeasure with changes that among other things split Plainview with fellow Democratic Legislator Josh Lafazan.

“The current proposal is an extreme partisan gerrymander that carves apart Plainview and other communities across

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the 16th Legislative District,” Drucker said. “This is not about the political fate of one person over another – it is much more significant. This is a brazen attempt to dilute and render irrelevant the voices of all Democrats residing in the 16th District and it must not stand.”

Drucker is correct that redistricting should not be about the fate of one person over another. For many years this was common practice with Democrat and Republican officeholders who routinely worked together to help each other stay in office. We are happy to see that end.

We also believe that even in trying to create district maps injustices may happen.

But it is also true that to revise a gerrymandered map created in 2013 to give Republicans an undeserved advantage there would be changes that affected many legislators. Some not to their liking. That’s just a matter of mathematics.

You have to break some eggs to make an omelet, as it is said.

Democrats might be better served by trying to turn their 15-4 advantage in registered voters to a majority in the county Legislature.

Democrats should now be considered heavy favorites to win control of the Legislature, but that is by no means

guaranteed.

In addition to Republicans and Democrats, elections are decided in Nassau County by members of the Conservative and Working Families Party as well as those with no party affiliation. The so-called blanks number 274,253, just 41,000 less than Republicans’ 315,741 registered voters.

It’s also true that blacks vote for whites. Whites vote for blacks. Democrats vote for Republicans and Republicans vote for Democrats.

And in some elections, one group or another of registered voters will lack the motivation to show up to vote in the numbers expected of them. This is what is known as election turnout.

For proof that there are no guarantees in elections just take a look at the 2022 election when Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for governor, received more than 55% of the vote in Nassau County – despite the county’s nearly 100,000 advantage in registered voters.

And much to our shame Republican George Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman in the race for Congress in the 3rd District, where Democrats also held an edge in party registration.

Or take a look at 2021, when Democrats lost 13 of 45 city, town and county races, including county executive, district

attorney, county comptroller and county clerk.

In both years, Republicans won in large part on a rise in crime statewide that they blamed on reforms to New York’s bail laws approved by the Democratic-controlled state Legislature.

The claim that the reforms are responsible for the increase in violent crime in the state wasn’t true.

But it was an effective message that Democrats failed to counter. Two years in a row.

Many have blamed Jay Jacobs, who is both the party’s state and Nassau County chair. Others have pointed the finger at the strength of candidates such as Gov. Kathy Hochul and then County Executive Laura Curran and how they conducted their campaigns.

Nassau Republicans also seem to have the advantage of a deeper bench in no small part due to their control of the Town of Hempstead for more than 100 years.

The good news is that if Republicans maintain control of the county Legislature going forward, it will not be because they have stacked the deck and subverted the will of the people through gerrymandering.

For that, we thank Republican Nassau County legislators led by Nicolello.

DIRECTOR Yvonne Farley

‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord’

Back in the day my boys loved playing with action figures.

Memorable among them were a pair of two-inch soldiers of fortune that delivered oneliners when you pressed a button on their backs. One of them cautioned, “No escape for the guilty!” The other avowed, “Vengeance is mine!”

Given my intractable state of arrested development, the soldiers issuing their warnings made me laugh. Over time their one-liners became an enduring in-joke between my boys and me. I have always tried to include my wife in the merriment, but she isn’t having any of it. She just rolls her eyes.

When I first heard the soldiers issue their ultimatums, I had no idea that the Bible was their source; more precisely, Romans 12: 19-21 King James Version, which reads: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is

written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

Recently, a friend gave me a Trump action figure as a gag gift. As my boys’ soldiers did, the Trump toy delivers fabulous one-liners. When you press the lever on his back, he says things like: “My IQ is huge” and “Good people don’t go into government.”

If they upgrade the Trump toy, I hope the manufacturer adds a few of the classic lines he debuted at the Conservative Political Action Conference Feb. 7 when he made this pledge to his adoring fans: “In 2016 I declared: I am your voice. Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution.”

I was surprised he didn’t end with “saith the Lord.”

The ex-president’s messianic missive is the most recent point in a straight line that extends back to his

September 2020 “stand back and stand by” command to the far-right, neo-fascist Proud Boys. Trump is a “wink and a nod” kind of boss, a master at finding untraceable pathways for plausible deniability of criminal

activity, contributing to upending the rule of law in our democratic system. Sadly, it’s working.

“For the first time since 1860, a major American political party does not believe we live in a democracy. The line is between those who believe in democracy and those who believe in democracy only when their side wins,” writes Stuart Stevens, author of “It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump.”

“I am your justice. I am your retribution” comes from the same deep well of personal grievance that brought the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Despite the Fox propaganda channel’s ongoing falsehoods about election fraud and its efforts to whitewash the attempt to overturn the election on Jan. 6, the storming of the Capitol Building could have been a dress rehearsal for the mayhem that Trump has been foreshadowing if indicted for crimes he has been implicated in.

In fact, on March 18 in anticipation of being indicted in the hush money arrangement involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels, he has called on his supporters to take action. He said, “Protest, take our nation back.” He conveniently left out the word “peacefully.” It was not an oversight. Political violence is part and parcel of the authoritarian’s playbook. And it appears from past performance, the ex-president has acquired a taste for blood (and soil).

The ex-president said the quiet part out loud at CPAC. He confirmed that he is cornered, desperate and dangerous and, clearly intent on prolonging the “Big Lie” through any means necessary.

In the final analysis, the only oneliner delivered by my boys’ action figures that applies is the little soldier’s unqualified call for equal justice under the law:

“No escape for the guilty!”

GOP will not pick Donald Trump again

For as long as I can remember, I have been deeply involved in politics. I started out as a speechwriter for candidates when I was 15 years old. I served in local government as a corporation counsel and then went on to serve in the state Assembly for 23 years. I travel to Albany frequently representing clients. Does this make me an expert? Probably not, but from time to time, my instincts tell me that something is going to happen in our business and sometimes I am right. I should add I have made my share of mistakes.

Each day the media is dominated by stories about pending legal actions against former President Donald Trump. Whether it’s the Manhattan grand jury or the Georgia grand jury or Special Counsel Rice, it is a constant drip-drip of accusations. Little has been said about the grand jury investigating the Jan. 6insurrection, but it is all part of the big ugly picture.

Trump like any person is entitled to the presumption of innocence, but there is some serious gravity attached to this docket of cases, anyone of which could sink the average person and lead to a jail sentence.

Most possible defendants listen to their counsel and measure their words in defense of their case, making it a point not to inflame their tormentors.

Mr. Trump is totally incapable of keeping quiet each day and his responses are getting uglier by the moment. Calling the Manhattan District Attorney an “animal” and raising the antisemitic trope of George Soros, is another way of getting some fair-minded voter to dismiss Mr. Trump from their future political considerations.

As an attorney, I am not inclined to comment on pending cases, but it is obvious that the possible Georgia election interference matter is pretty serious, considering there are recordings of Trump calls to elected officials

asking them to overturn the voting results. When your own words can be used against you in front of a jury, the battle for exoneration is probably an impossible dream.

The second case of heavy weight is the matter involving retention of classified documents. The special counsel handling that case has told federal judges that there may be “criminal law violations.” That means that there are possible facts that could sink the former president.

Mr. Trump will have no problem raising funds for his defense, unlike the average Jane or Joe, because his every utterance is part of a sophisticated campaign to raise money. To date, in mostly small contributions, he is said to have over $80 million on hand. That enables him to hire any lawyer who is willing to risk their law license to represent him. But the question of the moment is whether the torrent of court cases will at the end of the process sink his hopes to get back into the White House?

Weighing all of these factors and many more, I have come to the conclusion that when the Republicans choose their standard-bearer in 2024, it will not be Donald Trump. I believe that the

procession of serious charges will cause the millions of suburban voters to send a message that they will support anyone but Trump.

Mr. Trump can claim that he is prepared to seek another term, even if he is under indictment. In that case he is speaking for himself and not the voters that the party needs. There may be a group of hard-core Trump voters out there, but you can’t win a general election with 30 percent of the vote.

Because Mr. Trump may be prepared to burn the house down, it is possible he will run anyway, which would help re-elect President Biden. But a series of charges with heavy criminal overtones might be enough to drive him out of the race.

I have my own views about who the Republican designee will be, but I leave that to the party to pick their own candidates. For now it is my gut instinct that Donald Trump will not be the candidate of his party come 2024.

JERRY KREMER Kremer’s Corner

Back to the future with Sigmund Freud

Iwas surprised to read a feature story by Joseph Bernstein in this Sunday’s New York Times entitled “Back to the Couch with Freud.” Bernstein’s piece announced a resurgence of interest in psychoanalysis as people have slowly grown aware that positive self-talk, relaxation therapy, goal setting, mindfulness and visualization tips are of little value.

As a psychoanalyst, I have been treating professional athletes over the last 25 years and I by now am con-

vinced that all those quick fix, positive psychology mantras like “relax” Just do it” or “Think positive!” are useless. There is no such thing as a free lunch, a quick fix or a magic pill. Quick fix solutions have been promoted by insurance companies for many years due to the promise of cost-savings and big pharma has also encouraged quick easy fixes to complex problems. Welcome to this brave new world.

Cognitive behavioral quick fixes are touted as being based upon scientific research, but the truth is that the data does not support its claims of a cure. So when I read Joseph Bernstein’s discussion of the re-emergence of Freudian therapy, I was delighted. This is a needed paradigm shift that I have been writing about for many years.

The history of clinical psychology really started with Freud in about 1900 and for 50 years it was the treatment of choice for neurosis and human anguish. But at mid-century all this shifted and voila we started to hear about B.F. Skinner, Pavlovian conditioning, Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck, and the magic power of positive reinforcement to alter mood and behavior.

The behavior modifiers and cognitive therapists suggested that Freud was a quack and that notions like the unconscious, the id, and the super ego were all nonsense.

However, a listing of Freud’s numerous concepts reveals just how deeply he has penetrated the minds of most sentient humans. He was the guy who discovered the talking cure, the unconscious, resistance, transference, libido, the influence of sex, the death wish, guilt feelings, slips of the tongue, repression, rationalization,

EARTH MATTERS

dream analysis, denial, dissociation, the function of humor and the value of asceticism and sublimation. He wrote over 60 books in his career.

People have grown tired of therapists telling them to think more positively and take a tranquilizer. This trivializes human nature, human complexity and human suffering.

The Bernstein piece featured Ilan Zechory, a guy who once ran a big digital tech company, stepped down and undertook the five years, five days a week on the couch training it took to become a psychoanalyst. Zechory was quoted as saying, “I always had a sense that there was no free lunch, psychologically.” This is a true statement.

Most of my patients come to my office with an unconscious fantasy that the cure will be quick and easy. And I always respond to this fantasy by saying, “If I could provide you a cure to suffering in three sessions, I would be charging $100,000 per session and I would be getting it.” They smile and usually agree.

Human suffering is great, the human mind is complex and it resists change. But that doesn’t mean that the cause is hopeless or that there is no

path to happiness. “The Divine Comedy” was about a man who was lost in the woods, depressed at mid-life and wanted to go straight up the mountain to heaven. But when he tried to do so, the path was blocked by two beasts.

He rushed back into the woods where he met the poet Virgil, who told him if you want to find happiness and heaven, you must first follow me down through hell, then purgatory. “The Divine Comedy” is considered one of the greatest epic poems ever written because it contains that profound piece of wisdom.

Freud was also like Virgil. He informed the world that the only way to get to heaven and to get to your fair measure of joy is to first face the hell of your own past, buried within your unconscious.

This is a bitter pill to swallow and the culture has been resisting this truth for over 70 years since the promise of the quick fixes. I am pleased to see that finally the world is coming around to this mature realization expressed in the Bernstein piece.

There is no free lunch, quick fix or magic pill. That happens only in the movies.

The buzz about spring is in the air again

Spring officially arrived when we passed the vernal equinox March 20. As this seems to have been the winter that wasn’t, this year it’s easier to believe that we are heading into warmer days. All the predictable harbingers are following their appointed schedule. the snowdrops came in February and are now clumps of grassy foliage. Small species crocus were welcomed by honey bees foraging on warm days. On their heels came the giant crocus

and the early daffodils. Tulips and iris are pushing green shoots out of the ground. The buds and flowers of maple and birch trees are popping out in shades of scarlet and lime. Pussy willows are showing their fuzzy catkins beside open streams. Those of us with pollen allergies are beginning to sniffle and wonder where we stashed the antihistamines last fall.

It’s not too late to think about making changes to your garden to improve it as a habitat for birds and

JENNIFER WILSON-PINES

Matters

wildlife, and even more importantly, for insects. Insect decline might seem like a good thing when you’re swatting at mosquitoes or fishing a yellow jacket out of your drink, but they along with plants are the base of the terrestrial food web. A full 96% of songbirds feed insects to their young, with that high protein diet allowing them to grow to adult size in a few weeks.

Roughly 35% of crops grown worldwide and three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants depend on insect pollination. And that pollination is not just by honeybees, but also by solitary bees, wasps, flies, butter-

flies, moths and beetles. Diversity is a good thing, both in plants and insects. The bigger the buffet provided, the more guests can arrive and thrive. Most of the plants I mentioned above are non-native and while welcomed by the European honey bees that are active earlier than the native pollinators, it’s native plants that give the best resource value to the vast majority of our insect population.

There are a wealth of resources to help you make decisions to up your pollinator game. These are the basics rules to follow; Provide habitat for pollinators. Nesting and sheltering sites are needed as much as pollen rich plants. Offer pollinators a drink with a bug bath — a shallow saucer with pebbles and a little dirt- butterflies need minerals from the soil. Leave the leaves in spring and fall — just rake them under your shrubs or into a pile to compost. That’s where insects are overwintering as adults and larvae. They’re also helping to decompose the remnants of last season’s plants. Let’s say that again- LEAVE THE LEAVES. Shredding, blowing and filling black plastic bags for dumping are BAD in so many ways. Limit the use of pesticides unless there are no other options – try to be organic. Best management practices mean you start

with the least damaging method first. And first means checking to see if a pest’s natural predator is doing the job for you. Then spray with a hose, or a mild soapy water concoction. Use a box fan to keep off insects when relaxing outside. Be vigilant about standing water where mosquitoes can breed – prevention is better than warfare. Pesticides are mostly indiscriminate – they kill the good bugs along with the pests. And most of them are toxic to you, your kids and pets, but they just won’t kill you right away. Offer a variety of plants, perennials, shrubs and trees. They provide different value as food and shelter at different times of the year. Remember that a few holes in some leaves is a small price to pay for preserving diversity and abundance.

Some good resources to guide you in planning and planting for pollinators and their kin.

National Parks Service https:// www.nps.gov/subjects/pollinators/ index.htm

The Xerces Society https://www. xerces.org/pollinator-conservation

The Pollinator Partnership https://www.pollinator.org/pollinators

The National Environmental Education Foundation https://www. neefusa.org/nature/land/protectingpollinators

DR. TOM FERRARO Our Town

Earth

America is witnessing the resurgence of Freud and psychoanalytic thinking.

Reimagining Great Neck the greater

Ican remember when Great Neck was regarded as the Long Island destination. People came from all over for our trendy shopping, dining. It was when the famous actor-comedian Alan King lived in the Kings Point mansion once owned by Oscar Hammerstein II and when the sense of community was so strong (there used to be a United Community Fund), that he would lend his name to the annual UCF tennis fund-raiser, even hand out the trophies.

Ah, the good ol’ days. Nostalgia is a warm and fuzzy thing.

Destination Great Neck, a grassroots nonprofit organization formed in 2021 to promote the revitalization of Great Neck, wants us to reimagine Great Neck. Our peninsula of nine villages and unincorporated areas needs a new lease on life. But a reimagined Great Neck should not and cannot be the Great Neck of old.

The group held its second major forum event to create a dialogue of ideas – starting with experts from Elisa Kyle of Vision Long Island; Frank Camarano of the Nassau County Chambers of Commerce; Victor Dadras, an architect and urban designer intimately aware of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative projects; and local merchant Marni Ives of Kron Chocolate.

Kyle, the placemaking director for Vision Long Island, provided numerous photo examples of what revitalization – of storefronts, streetscapes, architecture, landscaping, lighting, events and activities – look like. She also showed

how drab, dead downtowns can be transformed, not just visually and aesthetically, but creating happier, more healthful environments, imbued with vitality and community spirit. “Placemaking” is about creating a sense of place and a place where people want to come, be, gather.

What Great Neck used to have going for it, and other small villages from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to Grass Valley and Nevada City, Calif., that I have visited have gone through magnificent transformations. They are filled with small (unique) boutiques and shops, restaurants, cafes and bakeries, candy makers, delis, ethical and cultural that offer ambiance and experience. As for offices: why not capitalize on the twin trends of remote work and entrepreneurism and the state’s incentives and offer We Work-style office co-ops and business incubators, tutoring-style services, crafts (like the music store)?

They can compete with the higher rents in Manhattan and the too-large spaces of malls, with the sheer convenience of being nearby for local shoppers and attract people from farther away – provided they also provide the welcoming ambiance and the raison d’etre.

In fact, villages can capitalize on their unique advantage of offering mixed-use development (malls can’t, online shopping can’t), which makes for a sustainably profitable business model because of the synergy of the uses.

Other Long island villages, towns

KAREN RUBIN View Point

and cities have done it – several getting their act together enough to take advantage of the state’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grants (you don’t even need to have a finished plan – funds go toward the planning process). Ten are awarded each year.

A visionary village leadership might see their way to introduce funding for a Middle Neck Road trolley that would let the Old Village, Kensington and Great Neck Estates benefit from proximity to the LIRR; it could improve Middle Neck Road to promote safe travel for pedestrians and cyclists, it could seek partnerships for mixed-use and affordable housing rather than the contentious projects the board has pushed through that residents and neighboring villages resent, and even repurpose some of those vacant (obsolete) retail store-

fronts into new service businesses.

Such a trolley would also go far to unifying the Peninsula into a real community – something that has really been lost over the years. Instead of a United Community, there are tiny fiefdoms which make the absurd claim that they don’t want to “lose” their individual character (autonomy).

And instead of fighting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s NY Housing Compact plan – mandating a 3% increase in housing units over three years (arguably a village like Great Neck Plaza that has already been adding density would get credit) we should be embracing it and the resources that come with it to overcome inevitable opposition to any development proposal.

Indeed, development is universally attacked as exacerbating traffic, but that can and should be overcome by requiring every multi-family project, instead of providing parking for two cars per unit, to operate or cooperate on a shuttle van. As for the other complaint about “overcrowding schools” – Great Neck should worry about the opposite: too few students if families can’t afford to live her.

Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral has been pushing for new residential development as the only way his village residents can avoid crippling increases in property taxes and address the woebegone condition of his “downtown.” But he has done it horribly wrong, ramming through spot-zoning without a cohesive (appealing) plan, and not

FROM THE DESK OF MARIANN DALIMONTE

engaging residents and stakeholders in a meaningful, productive fashion. As a result, his concept of “development” has been suspect and unlikely to achieve the ultimate goal of a beautiful downtown people want to visit, work and live.

The advantage of a revitalized Great Neck – and I mean Great Neck the Greater – is that it brings in people from outside who provide the cash infusion into businesses (after all, the peninsula has only 45,000 residents, not 200,000 like Huntington). This achieves the goal of expanding the tax base and lowering each property-owner’s taxes (by expanding the tax pie).

Towards this end:

Employ Complete Streets strategies to beautify and make Great Neck Peninsula more pedestrian, bike friendly.

Work with the Great Neck Historical Society to create interesting historical markers that keep pedestrians interested, pay attention, linger, and show the importance (the Plaza has created a historic walking tour of the village). Create an online walking/biking tour (the Historical Society has much of this already.)

Restore the Stepping Stones lighthouse (Town of North Hempstead) and the Saddle Rock Grist Mill (Village of Saddle Rock) two significant historic sites that would draw visitors to the Peninsula and also give our Great Neck the Greater a sense of pride and purpose.

Create a Great Neck the Greater website.

Amend your housing plan, Gov. Hochul

An open letter to Gov. Hochul: I am writing to you today on behalf of the residents of North Hempstead’s 6th District, urging you to revisit the mandates set forth in the New York Housing Compact. I am frankly alarmed at your willingness to strip away local control from municipalities, which will significantly hamper our capacity to represent the residents who elected us. During my tenure as council member for North Hempstead’s 6th District, I have heard time and again from my residents that major development projects such as those implied in the New York Housing Compact are not viable in our communities, and I agree.

The 3% home growth and transitoriented local rezoning mandates outlined in the Housing Compact offer limited options for a suburban town that is already highly developed like North Hempstead. I am concerned that our unique and beloved downtowns would be profoundly altered to fit the guidelines set forth in the Housing Compact. Furthermore, it is difficult to comprehend how the New York Housing Compact was created without significant regard for our local environment. Preserving the ecological systems that make North Hempstead so special has always been a critical priority for me as a leader in government. The Housing Compact, which

ostensibly emphasizes development for the sake of development, asks municipalities to cede environmental preservation efforts, and that is simply unacceptable.

Residents and community leaders across New York State have been adamantly against the New York Housing Compact as it currently stands, and I am one of them. It is my hope that you will work diligently to amend your plan to consider the many concerns you have heard since the Housing Compact’s announcement.

Council Member Mariann Dalimonte North Hempstead

Awakenings

I’ve been thinking about how sheets rise and fall on waves of wind, though have no wings or feathers. I religiously hang clothes outside. Even winter, when the air is dry and temperatures are above freezing. It’s perfectly balanced and clean, conserving energy—quite a lot over the years.

The bright white and colored motifs are like blossoms ready to be picked before they fully open to release tethers and stream away, as is time like a river.

We do the same, holding what happiness we can, vacillating back and forth because life depends on it. The road we take does not just lay down the miles— our imagination is how we reach the world across the distances.

The thoughts and gestures by which we are ourselves, certainly. That’s the thing, perspicuity. When our wings touch down on the next shore the way we are… sky… sun shadow… cloud.

This place feels like that. Everything reaches skyward on precious waves, there’s no turning back.

More and more it all seems related, finally. And I in the gale steady myself a little while longer however inconceivable.

Lest I forget myself, the way pain leads to happiness by connecting, which is of course the true miracle, before it frees itself, slips away.

Stephen Cipot

City Park

READERS WRITE

George Santos backs a book ban bill

If you think that reading a book will turn a kid gay, you might as well think that you were the star player on Baruch College’s championship volleyball team.

So it makes sense that our congressman, George Santos, is a co-sponsor of recently introduced book censorship legislation in the House of Representatives. Book banning is rooted in a disdain for facts, truth and reason, and who better represents that disdain than George Santos?

The congressional bill that Santos has chosen to add his name to as a co-sponsor would make it a federal crime for a publisher to furnish a school with printed or digital material “containing a sexually explicit visual depiction of any kind,” punishable by five years in prison and a $500,000 fine. It does not define “sexually explicit,” which in the iconography of the book ban movement might mean as little as the corner of a single panel in a page of panels in a graphic novel glimpsing half a topless woman (e.g., Maus, the holocaust memoir and graphic novel banned last year in a Tennessee school district).

The bill allows for an exception for “material with serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value,” at least nodding to one prong of the Supreme Court’s three-prong obscenity test. Yeah, the bill is likely unconstitutional on its face. But for its supporters, that’s besides the point.

The real point is to terrify publish-

ers into avoiding the risk and expense of prosecution, prison and bankruptcy using tactics whose effectiveness school teachers and librarians across the country can attest to, most recently in Florida. The larger goals served by such strategies and tactics are to demonize LGBTQ individuals, families and communities; to deny, and thus dodge fixing, the racial and other inequalities that exist in our society; and to channel expression and thought into narrow lanes that comport with their ideological views.

Anti-freedom advocates have a long list of books that need banning and thinking that needs blocking. LGBTQ themed books and programming top their charts, but I’ve also seen cited “Zahra’s Paradise,” a graphic novel about political oppression in Iran, for its brief depictions of nudity and sexual content to highlight the Islamic regime’s hypocrisy, and a graphic novel version of George Orwell’s 1984 (irony is not a topic book banners like to read about either apparently), for nude silhouettes and dialogue of Winston’s and Julia’s romp in the woods.

Yes, you’ve seen this movie before in our region. As recently as 1982, the Supreme Court found that the Island Trees School District in Nassau County violated the First Amendment rights of students when it removed books from school libraries that it determined were “antiAmerican, anti-Christian, anti-Semetic [sic], and just plain filthy.” The school

board had declared that “[i]t is our duty, our moral obligation, to protect the children in our schools from this moral danger as surely as from physical and medical dangers.” Sound familiar?

But Great Neck is an odd place to wage war against the freedom to read, to learn, and to think. Great Neck schools are among the best in the country, let alone the state. Its library — a main branch and three satellite branches — is equally impressive. Learning is revered here, both for its own sake and for the opportunities for advancement it provides, and Great Neck’s taxpayers put their money where their mouths are.

Facts, truth and reason are clear. Books with LGBTQ themes or characters are not grooming kids to be transgender. Teaching that black lives matter isn’t teaching that white lives don’t. Suppressing conversations about sexuality won’t suppress a teen’s curiosity about sex (or, with a smartphone in their hand, their access to many worse places to learn about sexual health than through books at the library).

And you have to actually attend Baruch College before you can star on its volleyball team.

Rory Lancman Great Neck

Lancman is president of the Great Neck Library Board of Trustees, but the opinions expressed in the letter are his own.

Thank feds for new NYC transit subway cars

Let us give thanks to Washington via the Federal Transit Administration providing the critical funding to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This paid for the latest new subway cars purchased on behalf of New York City Transit. The first 10-car train set went into service on March 10 on the A line for a 30-day in service test period. Upon successful completion of this test, additional cars will go into passenger service.

A series of FTA grants to the MTA, over several years, will pay for most of the base bid of $1.44 billion awarded to Kawasaki to purchase 535new state-of-the art R211 subway cars. They will primarily replace a similar number of subway cars currently operating on the A and C lines along with the Staten Island Railway that have reached their useful life. The delivery of all 535 cars, including 75 for the

Staten Island Railway, is anticipated to be completed before the end of 2024.

This assumes there are no additional project delays. There will be a total of 1,175 new subway cars purchased at a cost of $3.2 billion. The balance of 640 cars is anticipated to be delivered by December 2026. Future FTA funding will also pay for many of these cars as well. Previous subway car procurements suffered from delays of several years during plant production, inspection, acceptance, testing, and delivery before riders could reap the benefits.

Both the MTA and FTA have their own respective Project Management Oversight independent engineering consulting firms to supplement in-house staff. They are monitoring and providing oversight on this car procurement.

They also provide technical assistance to NYC Transit staff managing the

project. These engineering firms prepare monthly reports which provide detailed information on the progress of this subway car procurement.NYC Transit has a fleet of 6,500 subway cars with 471 stations serving 5.5 million pre- COVID-19 riders. Close to 4 million daily riders have returned.

Service is provided on 28 routes spanning four of five boroughs comprising NYC, including Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan and Queens. Only the 500,000 residents of Staten Island have no direct subway connection to the rest of NYC.

Larry Penner Great Neck

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

Garden

PHOTO PROVIDED BY STEPHEN CIPOT OF ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY DOROTHY ZEIDMAN

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YOUR GUIDE TO THE ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING

GOLD COAST JOINS EDUCATION ALLIANCE

Gold Coast Arts has announced its participation in the newly formed Long Island Arts Education Coalition, an initiative of Long Island Arts Alliance.

LIAEC is comprised of a network of individuals from Nassau and Suffolk Counties dedicated to advancing arts education on Long Island and in New York State.

Gold Coast Arts is an impressive group of arts administrators, arts educators, college and university leaders, and state agency representatives aimed at building capacity within and across the arts education field.

Chaired by Regent Roger Tilles, LIAEC will advocate to advance policy change in ways that benefit all youth on Long Island.

The LIAEC has been established to join the growing number of regional and statewide coalitions designed to ensure that our legislators and Governor are aware of the essential need for every school to provide opportunities for kids to

express themselves through study in the arts.

Where arts programs thrive, students are learning in the arts with high engagement, expressing ideas in a variety of arts languages, and engaging in creative and reflective work.

We also see students learning through the arts—meeting objectives in both an art form and another subject area and constructing and demonstrating understanding in highly creative and personal ways. But quality arts programs don’t thrive on their own.

One of the keys to their success has been the active involvement of arts advocates with a powerful and strategic message.

“I believe in grass roots advocacy” says Hon. Roger Tilles, Long Island’s representative on the Board of Regents, Founder of Long Island Arts Alliance, and Chairman of LIAEC. “The most effective tool for action is to galvanize leading citizens to affect

change as advocates of a common mission. And I have seen in Albany that the loudest voices are those best positioned to win the day. At this crucial time, when our representatives are setting educational policy with long term implications, it is our intent to join with counties across New York to guarantee that children will continue to enjoy the peace and fulfillment that the arts can bring to their lives. We can do no less”.

The LIAEC will work to develop systems and infrastructure that expand and sustain accessible arts education for all students, of all ages, within all 125 public school districts. It will focus on building and strengthening partnerships and collaborations between schools and arts and culture programs led by local arts organizations and artists.

“For over 25 years, Gold Coast Arts has been dedicated to promoting and supporting the arts and artists through education, exhibition, performance, and outreach” says Regina Gil, executive director,

and founder of Gold Coast Arts. “We have seen first-hand the positive impact that quality exposure to and education in the arts has had on the lives of thousands of children and adults of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities – including an increase in self-confidence, creative problem-solving skills, and the ability to work cooperatively with others. Engagement in the arts helps prepare students for jobs that have yet to be imagined. But due to cutbacks in funding and diminished respect for arts education in too many schools, not every child has access to a quality education in the arts. We look forward to working with so many influential arts leaders throughout our region to ensure that the arts remain a priority in the classrooms for all students throughout New York State.”

For more information and a current list of coalition members and their affiliated organizations, visit www.longislandartsalliance.org/liaec

Fri 3/31

Michelle Jameson

@ 6am

Paddy Power Pub, 70 Merrick Ave, Merrick ART DRIVES SOCIAL

ACTION: "THE PLANT A ROW STORY"

@ 9am

AT THE HEART OF PLANT A ROW'S SUC‐CESS IS ART! Port Washington Public Li‐brary, 1 Library Drive, Port Washington. marv‐@plant-a-row.org, 516510-8408

Guster @ 6:30pm The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Huntington

Opening Day at Old Westbury Gardens!

@ 10am

The 90's Band @ 9pm Tap Room, 47-51 N Village Ave, Rockville Centre

Port Washington chapter of CancerCare Red Stocking Revue @ 8pm / $25 Mar 31st - Apr 2nd

It’s time for the Port Washington Chapter of CancerCare to host their annual fundraiser show “The Red Stock‐ing Revue”. Paul D. Schreiber High School, 101 Campus Drive, Port Washington. Rgennarelli@cancer carepw.org, 800-8134673

Sat 4/01

Zac N Fried: Zac N' fried DEBUTS @ Plattsduetache

"Celebrating Meat Loaf"

@ 8pm / $30-$45

The Space at Westbury Theater, 250 Post Av‐enue, Westbury

Nate Charlie Music

@ 9pm Dark Horse Tavern, 273 Main St, Farmingdale

@ 7pm Plattduetsche Park, 1132 Hempstead Turnpike, Franklin Square

Mike Delguidice and Big Shot

@ 9pm / $20

Mulcahy's Pub and Concert Hall, 3232 Railroad Avenue, Wantagh

The Gardens are now open to the public! Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury. tickets@ oldwestburygar dens.org, 516-333-0048

Thursday Apr 6th

Seth Meyers

@ 8pm / $39.50-$89.50

The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Huntington Meyers is an Emmy Award-winning writer, New York Times best‐selling author and host of NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Meyers began his TV career with “Saturday Night Live” in 2001, where he was a cast member for 13 seasons. He served as head writer for nine seasons and “Weekend Update” anchor for eight.

The 3rd Rail Bar & Grille, 216 Pettit Ave, Bellmore

"Using our Voices" Mental Health Run

Series- North Babylon @ 8:45am / $10-$25

Shine Phelps Lane Park, 281 Phelps Ln, North Babylon

North Merrick Public LIbrary Presents: Deni Bonet & Chris Flynn @ 2pm North Merrick Public Library, 1691 Meadowbrook Rd, North Merrick

FREE COMMUNITY

EASTER EGG HUNT

@ 10am

A FREE community Easter Egg Hunt Event! Will feature bounce houses, games, crafts, snacks, and more! Bea‐con Church, 201 I U Willets Road, Albert‐son. heidi@bea con.church

Bangers and Mash Acoustic Show @ 4pm

Johnny McGorey's Pub, 131 Front St, Massapequa Park

After School ProgramsSousa Elementary - K2nd Grade - 4pm-4:45pm - 9 Classes @ 4pm / $225

Apr 3rd - Jun 12th

Sousa Elementary School, 101 Sands Point Road, Port Wash‐ington. 516-801-3533

George Harrison @ 7pm Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave, Huntington

Roger Street Friedman/ Annie Mark/Toby Tobias at Sea Cliff Arts Council @ 7pm

Barnyard Egg Hunt

@ 11am / $15

Bring your baskets for a farm-wide scavenger hunt, enjoy Bunny Hop dancing and outdoor kids's games, and take photos with Whiskers the Bunny. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Park‐way, Queens. hello@ queensfarm.org, 718347-3276

Sea Cliff Arts Council, 86 Roslyn Ave, Sea Cliff

Wed

After School ProgramsSalem Elementary - K2nd Grade - 4:00pm4:45pm - 10 Classes @ 4pm / $250

Apr 5th - Jun 14th

Salem Elementary School, 10 Newbury Road, Port Washing‐ton. 516-801-3533

Bobcat Live at 3rd Rail Bellmore NY @ 7pm

AEW Presents

Dynamite @ 7pm / $29-$100

UBS Arena, 2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Belmont Park - Long Is‐land

An Evening with Rick Wakeman: His Music and Stories @ 8pm / $29.50-$79.50

The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Huntington

New York Mets vs. Miami Marlins @ 1:10pm

Citi Field, 120-01 Roo‐sevelt Avenue, Flushing

Fri 4/07

SMLI Edible Science Holiday Workshop @ 10am / $80-$90

Explore the yummier side of science in a day �lled with edible exper‐iments! We’ll use food to explore all areas of science and go home with lots of tasty treats. Science Museum of Long Island, 1526 North Plandome Road, Manhasset. corellana@ SMLI.org, 516-5642274

New York Islanders vs. Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:30pm / $31-$1000

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

SMLI EGGcellent Experiments Holiday Workshop @ 10am / $80-$90 Spring is here and what better way to celebrate than with a workshop devoted to eggs! Meet our egg-laying animals, compete in our famous egg drop challenge, and more! It's sure to be eggciting! Science Museum of Long Is‐land, 1526 North Plan‐dome Road, Manhas‐set. corellana@ SMLI.org, 516-5642274

Dionne Warwick @ 7pm / $44.50

NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury

Misty Mountain debuts at the Metropolitan @ 8pm

The Metropolitan Restaurant & Bar, 3 Pratt Blvd, Glen Cove

Warped Tour Band @ 9pm / $15

Mulcahy's Pub and Concert Hall, 3232 Railroad Avenue, Wantagh

The best place to promote your events online and in print. Visit us @ https://theisland360.com/local-events/ powered by

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Business&RealEstate

Dealing with impact of credit card debt

Credit card debt as of the fourth quarter of 2022 was a record $986 billion after it jumped by $61 billion from the third quarter. Residents of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey had the top three spots for the largest amounts owed.

It is obvious that members of Gen X have the highest, followed by Baby Boomers and then millennials; and the smallest credit card debt holders are GenZs. However, many are in some type of financial stress and difficulty and between their student loans ($1.6 trillion owed) and credit card debt things do not look very promising.

It is so easy to get into debt today as the insatiable appetite for what some may call “free and easy money” has truly ruined many young people who have a real problem paying their bills and dealing with credit card companies. The companies seem to provide their cards to almost anyone, especially on college campuses where they have a captive audience to get everyone qualified and provide that alluring plastic to almost 99.9% of the students who apply.

Do they think that their parents will pay the bill every month if the children don’t? Maybe in some cases that may be true. However, the vast majority of students are in somewhat of a quandary and do not have the funds to make at least their monthly minimum payment (and

there are those parents who might be closer to retirement, and don’t have the funds to help their kids either!). This becomes a vicious cycle where interest compounds monthly. When you add their student loans to the mix, this becomes a catastrophic and deadly situation that will potentially stay with them for the rest or their lives if it isn’t dealt with in a logical, pragmatic and well thought-out plan.

When paying on time becomes a problem, the best way to handle these tenuous and stressful situations is to deal with them head-on by communicating with your credit card issuers on a regular basis. This will have an adverse effect on your credit scores and history if you are late on your monthly payments or if you don’t consistently pay the minimum monthly payment.

Most important will be to always ask the credit card representative for their name and I.D. number to keep accurate records of whom you speak with as the majority of banks are required to have their employees provide their identification. However, there are times when they do not have an ID number, but will provide their last names if asked. Some refuse and I have had that happen to me and when I ask for a supervisor, then all of a sudden they provide me their information.

It is extremely important to take notes, as some reps may say that they will, but don’t as you find this out when you call back the next time and the next representative says “there are no notes.” Unfortunately, when you are consistently late, those notes give you more credibility. Do this each and every time that you are on the phone with your credit card companies.

Most companies do offer hardship programs, whereby they will provide a smaller payment over a 3-5 year period. But you will most likely not be able to use your card going forward as it will be

canceled. Also there are times when you can negotiate for no further interest to be accrued as long as your payments are made on time. The worst case scenario is declaring Chapter 7, 11 or 13 personal/ business bankruptcies to either wipe out your debts or settle for pennies on the dollar.

There will be an expense to hire an attorney to handle this task (we can assist with professional and knowledgeable attorneys to help). I personally do not recommend this action unless there is no other way out of your situation and your back is against the wall. By taking this path, you will have this on your record for at least seven years. However, after two years or less you can apply for a secured credit card, whereby you would send whatever dollar amount that you want as a credit line directly to the bank as security. This can be the quickest way to re-establish your credit and credit history.

We have helped some re-establish their credit, enabling them to purchase a home and condo in a very reasonable time period. However, co-ops will look more intensely and be more intrusive with respect to your credit, unless it is fairly pristine. There are credit-fixing companies (we have what I believe to be one of the best in the industry) that can raise your credit scores by removing

derogatory remarks from your credit history.

They usually charge per item removed or a flat rate, depending on how poor your credit history and length of time. If you want to purchase, we have some creative methods that we use to enable you to become a homeowner. However, the simplest way is not to abuse your credit and to use no more than 10-25% of your credit line, so as to keep your credit scores as high as possible, so you will qualify for a mortgage.

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 40 years of experience in the Real Estate industry and has earned designations as a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (G.R.I.) and also as a Certified International Property Specialist (C.I.P.S) as well as the new “Green Industry” Certification for eco-friendly construction and upgrades. For a “FREE” 15-minute consultation, value analysis of your home, or to answer any of your questions or concerns he can be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email: Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate.Com or via https://WWW. Li-RealEstate.Com Just email or snail mail (regular mail) him with your ideas or suggestions on future columns with your name, email and cell number and he will call or email you back.

PHILIP A. RAICES Real Estate Watch

nassau COMMUNITY CLASSIFIEDS

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Phone: 516.307.1045 x 218 e-mail: dflynn@theisland360.com In Person: 22 Planting Field Road Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 We’re Open:

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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

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EMPLOYMENT

HELP WANTED

ASSISTANT ACCOUNT MANAGER

(Hicksville, NY) Check company accounts on daily basis and update all systems according to account’s current status. Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration and 12 months of work experience required. Mail resume to: Tangent EHR, LLC Attn: HR 385 W. John St. 2nd Floor Hicksville, NY 11801

ERRANDS RUNNER NEEDED

MINEOLA Minimal, flexible hours. Food shopping, trash disposal, etc. Call Jeff 516-782-4990

HELP WANTED HICKSVILLE! Sanitation /Warehouse Worker. Must be able to lift at least 40 lbs. $15/hr Direct Deposit only, no check, no cash. 40hrs/week. Text 929-405-4564

LAW OFFICE Administrative Assistants Clerks Busy Hicksville Law Firm seeking detailed oriented individuals with strong interpersonal & organizational skills. Computer proficient. Comfortable and professional work environment. Full & Part-time positions available. Reply to: awobig@marcotelaw.com

Wheatley Hills Golf Club East Williston

SITUATION WANTED

Certified HHA

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CAREER TRAINING

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) Computer with internet is required.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOVENAS/PRAYERS

3 Day Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Never Known to Fail) Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven. Blessed Mother of the Son of God; Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (say three times).Sweet Mary I place this cause in your hands (say three times). Thank you for your mercy to me and mine. Amen If your request is granted, please publish the Novena. (MAK)

NOVENA TO THE BLESSED MOTHER

Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven. Oh, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea, help me herein and show me here you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (say three times). Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands (say three times). Amen. This prayer is never known to fail and is to be said for 3 consecutive days. In Gratitude (M.T.F.)

MARKETPLACE

A.T. STEWART EXCHANGE CONSIGNMENT SHOP 516-746-8900 AntiquesFurniture-Jewelry-Silver-Mirrors-LampsArtwork Come to Consign & Stay to Shop Visit.... Our Shop 109 Eleventh St. Garden City Mon-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

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!

WANTED TO BUY

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

AUTOMOTIVE

AUTOS WANTED

AUTOMOTIVE

DRIVE OUT BREAST CANCER: Donate a car today! The benefits of donating your car or boat: Fast Free Pickup24hr response Tax deductionEasy to do! Call 24/7: 855-905-4755

WHEELS FOR WISHES benefitting

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We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not. 100% Tax Deductible. Minimal To No Human Contact.Call: 877-798-9474

Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. www.wheelsforwishes.org

REAL ESTATE FOR RENT

APARTMENT FOR RENT

GARDEN CITY BORDER APARTMENT. NO BROKER FEE. Huge, bright 1BR, 1 bath apt. $1,785 + electric. Gated parking. Laundry room, air conditioning, hardwood floors. Near LIRR. www.gcbapts. com Voice or text: 516-524-6965

ROOM FOR RENT

Room for rent in Mineola Includes Refrigerator, cable tv, microwave, a/c. No smoking. Private entrance. Street parking. $725/month. One month security. Call 516-747-3463 or 516-554-4835

COMMERCIAL FOR RENT

GREENPORT Prime Main Street location. Suitable for retail/professional. 875 sq.ft. Original floors and architectural details. Excellent exposure. Owner 516-241-8135

VACATION RENTAL

OCEAN BEACH FIRE ISLAND RENTAL

5 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 2 Kitchen house that is just 6 houses from the beach w/all the amenities. Weekly rentals available MaySept $8,000/week Monthly rentals available - May, June, Sept $20,000/month Rental fee does not include cleaning, taxes & utilities Call 516-978-6842

SOUTH JAMESPORT Newly renovated Ranch on quiet street. 3 BR, 2 Baths on Peconic Bay. WiFi, Central Air, all amenities. Single family, no pets, no smoking $3,500/week. Call 516-456-8808

SERVICE DIRECTORY SERVICES

ARE YOU BEHIND 10K OR MORE on your taxes? Stop wage and bank levies, liens and audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues, and resolve tax debt FAST. Call 888-869-5361 (Hours: Mon-Fri 7am5pm PST)

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

ATTORNEY

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

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable pricesNo payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 866-393-3636

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

DON’T PAY FOR COVERED HOME REPAIR AGAIN! American Residential Warranty covers ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. 30 DAY RISK FREE/$100 OFF POPULAR PLANS. 833-398-0526

HANDYMAN Careful & Reliable Serving GARDEN CITY and surrounding area since 2003 Repairs & Installations of all types Carpentry, Moldings, Lighting and More 35-yr Nassau Resident References Lic#170101 Phone/Text Friendly Frank: 516-238-2112 Email: Frankcav@optonline.net

AQUATEC LAWN SPRINKLERS SPRING TURN ONS Backflow Device Tests Free Estimates Installation Service /Repairs Joe Barbato 516-775-1199

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

Advance

NOW HIRING: Waitstaff & Bussers, Front Desk Receptionist, Clubhouse Maintenance, Valet Parker, Pantry-Prep Position. Competitive Hourly Wage Email: Frontdesk@wheatleyhills.com

SITUATION WANTED

A HOME HEALTH CARE AIDE Irish trained woman with 10 years experience and excellent checkable references available. Honest and reliable. Licensed driver with own transportation. Please call 516-383-7150

Get DIRECTV FOR $64.99/month for 12 months with CHOICE Package. Save an additional $120 over 1st year. First 3 months of HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz and Epix included! Directv is #1 in Customer Satisfaction (JD Power & Assoc.). Some restrictions apply. Call 1-888-534-6918

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

DONATE YOUR CAR TO BREAST CANCER RESEARCH RECOVERY! Tax Deduction Receipt Given Upon PickUp, Free Towing. 501C Charity. 631-988-9043 breastcancerresearchrecovery.org

Antoinette Biordi News 12 Long Island Anchor and Reporter

COME NETWORK WITH NASSAU COUNTY’S TOP BUSINESS LEADERS

Bill Corbett, Jr. President

Corbett Public Relations

Ed D’Ambrosio

Senior Managing Director Compass Real Estate

Jim Denburg

Franchisee/Owner

Jersey Mikes

Mary Ellen Diver

CEO

Advantage Care Health Centers

Tom Dunn

Executive Director Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post

Peter J. Elkowitz, Jr.

President and CEO

Long Island Housing Partnership

Ronald Fatoullah, Esq. Principal and Founder Ronald Fatoullah & Associates

James A. Garner President and CEO

Garner Group International, LLC

Joel Harris NY State District Governor Kiwannis International

Marc Herbst Executive Director Long Island Contractors’ Association, Inc.

Steven Krieger, Esq. President B2K Development

Brian Lally Sr. Vice President Chief Development Officer Northwell Health

Jason Lipiec Long Island Regional President M&T Bank

Rich Lisk Executive Vice President GF Sports & Entertainment/ New York Riptide

Robert Londin Partner

Jaspan Schlesinger Narendran LLP

Lori A. Marano, Esq.

Senior Trial/Appellate and Managing Partner at Gabriele Marano, LLP

Christopher H. Palmer

Managing Partner Cullen and Dykman LLP

Andrew Parton President

Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center

Susan Poser

President Hofstra University

Catherine Rinaldi

Interim President

Long Island Rail Road

President

MTA Metro-North Railroad

Dr. Chris Rosa

President and CEO The Viscardi Center

Michael N. Rosenblut

President and CEO

Michael H. Sahn

Founder Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz

PLLCDr. Timothy E. Sams President SUNY Old Westbury

David G. Schieren CEO EmPower Solar

Steven Schneider

CEO

Professional Physical Therapy

Dan Siegel

President Lifetime Brands, Inc.

Jack Weidinger

President Weidinger Auto Group

Sharon Wyman COO

Discover Long Island

Island, Inc.

Robert Ciatto, MS President and CEO Adults and Children with Learning Disabilities

Erik Gershwind President and CEO MSC Industrial Supply Co.

Adam Haber CEO and Co-Founder

Trellus Same Day Delivery and Marketplace

Bert Lurch CEO and Co-Founder

ECM Management

Bernard Macias

Associate State DirectorLong Island AARP New York

Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation

Chairman, Board of Managers

Agewell New York

Bina Sabapathy

President India Association of Long Island, Inc.

Butch Yamali President and Owner The Dover Group

Recent Real Estate Sales in the

149

Emory Road, Mineola

3 bd, 2 ba, 1,344 sqft, Sold On: 12/23/22, Sold Price: $605,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: Mineola

105 Brown Street,

Mineola

3 bd, 1 ba, Sold On: 12/27/22, Sold Price: $705,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: East Williston

141 Cornwell Avenue, Williston Park

4 bd, 4 ba, 2,290 sqft, Sold On: 11/15/22, Sold Price: $1,150,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: Herricks

139 Hughes Place, Albertson

4 bd, 2 ba, Sold On: 1/5/23, Sold Price: $700,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: Herricks

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.

2nd school official targeted by activist group

Continued from Page 1

classroom level, occasionally being escalated to the administrative level.

The email also expressed concerns about the district’s hiring practices after the Project Veritas video showed Gately saying he is a “Catholic in recovery.”

Other videos from Project Veritas allege that school districts discriminate in hiring of individuals based on political and religious beliefs.

Passi said this would be a cause for concern in the Manhasset School District if the organization’s claims had any validity but it doesn’t.

“The district does not utilize a rubric for the interview committee,” Passi said in the letter. “Nor do we ask questions to assess, in particular, a candidate’s political leanings or religious background. Because our district does not discriminate in our hiring process, committee members are instructed not to ask questions about a long list of items such as religion, marital status [or] organization memberships.”

Public concerns were addressed at an East Williston Board of Education meeting last week, where Gately’s

wife, Danielle, serves as superintendent, about another Project Veritas video with statements made by David Casameto. Casameto is an assistant superintendent for the East Meadow school district who served as a director of technology in East Williston before

leaving in 2017. Comments made by Casamento include: “I think I said this before, but people don’t give up power, you have to take it from them…you stop hiring those types of people [conservatives]…

we created a whole rubric for hiring in

light of DEI.”

The video continues, showing him saying: “It’s all secret. So, I would rank them [conservatives] so low [in their interview process] that their score couldn’t possibly raise them up to the level of moving on to the cabinet.”

Some teachers and parents contended that Project Veritas’ video had been edited and highlighted the most revealing comments.

Project Veritas videos have also cited alleged attempts to indoctrinate school-age children with inappropriate reading materials, an allegation brought up at the East Williston meeting.

In responding to critical commentsfrom parents about inappropriate library materials, East Williston Board of Education President Mark Kamberg said library texts are chosen based on “age-appropriate recommendations from a variety of professional organizations, including the American Library Association, School Library Journal, and Common Sense Media.”

The Great Neck Library’s most recent election included candidates dis-

cussing the hotly contested topic of banning books, specifically those with sexual and LGBTQ+ content.

Then-candidate Jessica Hughes said the question of whether or not to ban books did not center around censorship, but rather “promoting content that is divisive and exclusionary.”

Parental engagement, she said, should be welcomed by the board. Hughes touted the need to have community stakeholders be informed about what children will find in the libraries’ stacks of books.

Board members Mimi Hu and Rory Lancman opposed the idea of banning books as a whole in the Great Neck Library system.

“There is no place in the Great Neck Library or any other library to restrict content based on a topic if it makes you uncomfortable – LGBTQ, civil rights,” Lancman, who now serves as president, said during a candidate interview in October. “There is a long history in this country, unfortunately to this day, of people trying to ban, restrict, remove books from our libraries.”

Tuesday’s Children honors Manhasset vets, F.D.

Continued from Page 3

Sylvia served in the U.S. Navy for four years before transferring to the Army after getting married. She graduated from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, the only military medical school in the country, before completing her pediatric residency at Walter Reed Medical Center. She previously worked at Manhasset Pediatrics before stepping away for

her children and currently works for a nonprofit that supports the state Department of Health’s Office of School Health.

Sylvia spoke of what she called her first experience of terror as an eighth grader in Los Angeles during the L.A. Riots in 1992. She recalled the thankfulness she had for the National Guard members that made her feel safe.

“I remember in that moment

thinking when my parents left the house I would never see them again and that still impacts me today in how I take care of my patients,” Arora said. “Seeing the National Guard and what they did for us was my first exposure to how thankful I was to this country for making me feel safe again.”

Chief Sean Byrne accepted the honor on behalf of the fire department, reiterating the volunteers’ mis-

sion has remained the same over a century later.

“Although much has changed in the community over the last 110 years, the primary purpose of the fire department was and always will be to protect the lives and property of the residents and our neighboring communities,” Byrne said. “That has not changed and continues to be our main purpose.”

The organization has approxi-

mately 90 members, Byrne said, and has a juniors program for teens aged 14 to 17 that are interested in joining the fire service.

“The primary reason our members join is for civic duty,” Byrne said. “Similar to when I joined 20 years ago on the invitation of my neighbors, it’s a commitment to help my neighbors and protect their families, as they would mine.”

LIRR’s Grand Central service poses problems for Port

Continued from Page 5

Rasmussen added that friends of his who commute to Grand Central, previously commuting to Penn and then taking the subway, have sometimes experienced longer commute times.

He said another issue is that riders who want to transfer trains along their route have to wait sometimes 15 minutes for their connection, making commute times longer.

Rasmussen suggested that a solution

to this would be to implement the original schedule of trains running to Penn Station and add additional trains running to Grand Central from Jamaica or Woodside.

The schedule implemented before the change on Feb. 27 was the reduced

schedule in response to the pandemic and fewer people commuting into the city, and Rasmussen said that it worked well for people.

While Rasmussen said the LIRR schedule changes have posed problems

for the community, he still thinks the Grand Central Madison terminal is a beneficial implementation. He said he doesn’t have an issue with the new terminal, but rather an issue with the schedule for the new terminal.

Port’s Harborside files for bankruptcy again

Continued from Page 12

Overall, the 30 unsecured claims add up to approximately $29 million.

The Harborside, previously known as The Amsterdam at Harborside, recognized 1,000-5,000 creditors in its bankruptcy filing, with estimated assets and liabilities ranging from $100 million to $500 million.

At a March 21 board of directors special meeting, The Harborside leadership said in a resolution that the company has entered into a loan agreement of $9 million “to support The Harborside’s operations and restructuring efforts dur-

ing its Chapter 11 case.”

The board’s resolution also said the retirement facility has “engaged in arm’s length, good faith negotiations” for a possible sale to New England Life Plan Communities Corp., a nonprofit from Lincoln, Ma., established in 2021.

Blank Slate reached out to The Harborside President and CEO Brooke Navarre and Senior Vice President and General Counsel Pamela Landman, but neither responded for comment by the time of publication.

The nonprofit retirement community at 300 East Overlook last filed for

bankruptcy protection June 14, 2021. This case has concluded, according to documents. The Harborside had filed for bankruptcy in 2014 as well.

The Harborside is located on 8.9 acres, providing 329 residential units and a diversity of care and amenities.

Units are either one or two bedrooms, including weekly housekeeping services. The community includes a library, fitness center, art studio and beauty salon and barbershop.

The senior facility’s care services include assisted living, memory support, skilled nursing, hospice care and reha-

bilitation.

“For many seniors, moving into a [continuing care retirement community] is an attractive option because it minimizes the burdens and costs associated with the aging process and ensures that they can remain in place if their medical needs change,” Michael Morton, chief restructuring officer of Amsterdam House Continuing Care Retirement Community, which operates The Harborside, said. “These seniors will often liquidate their homes, liquidate significant assets and/or invest a significant portion of their life savings to become a

part of a CCRC like The Harborside.”

For The Harborside to meet its operational, financial and regulatory obligations, the facility relies on its revenues from residents, which have decreased with the shrinking occupancy level, Morton said in the bankruptcy declaration.

Morton also explained that the facility’s 2021 bankruptcy filing was fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Harborside has continued to experience “the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic” coupled with rising labor costs and inflation, he said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE EAST WILLISTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Donald Gately, Manhasset assistant superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Personnel, left, and his wife, Danielle Gately, who serves as East Williston superintendent.

IDA chair, Nagler differ on application

Continued from Page 1

be complimented for the efforts they are making for creating housing and affordable housing,” Kessel told the hearing held at Mineola’s Community Center.

Searing Group LLC has filed an application for the project, which would take two currently vacant lots at 101 and 105 Searing Ave. and develop them into a six-story, 101,600-square-foot building with 54 residential rental units. Six would be affordable housing units.

The ground floor of the building would include an enclosed parking garage for residents consisting of 54 spaces, one per residential unit, lobby space and other residential amenities. Floors two through six would contain 54 units, with 46 of them being one-bedroom units and eight being two-bedroom, according to Searing’s application. Also included is a business center, multi-purpose event space, fitness center and rooftop deck with a pool and outdoor patio space, according to the application.

Searing is seeking an abatement of real property taxes, or payment in lieu of taxes known as a PILOT Program, for 20 years totaling $5.8 million on the property that has projected capital costs of $33.54 million.

Nagler said during the hearing he does not have a problem with the project itself but with the structure of the PILOT program, calling it a detriment to the school district in the near future.

“Because of the tax cap in New York State, we cannot raise taxes to the equivalent of the revenue lost,” Nagler said.

The superintendent said one or two PILOT programs would not be an issue, but 11 overlapping programs would be an issue for the district, beginning in the school year 2035-2036 and being most detrimental in 2038-2039.

Nagler said the PILOT program for the Royal Blue development would be No. 11 in Mineola if and when approved on top of the 10 that are currently active.

Projects with PILOTs do not impact a district’s growth factor, a component of the tax cap formula intended to reflect new development in a jurisdiction. Any revenue received under PILOT agreements is subtracted from the tax levy that a district can raise.

Nagler said in his 14 years as superintendent, he or a representative has appeared at every PILOT hearing possible in the village.

“I continue to be optimistic that we will be able to avoid the school district’s problem that this is creating in future years,” Nagler said. “There has

to be some sort of give-and-ake that allows us not to run off this cliff.”

The Nassau County IDA will be holding a board meeting on Thursday, March 30, when they will vote on a resolution granting Searing Group’s PILOT application.

Renewed calls for justice 2 years after acid attack

Continued from Page 2

“Nafiah Ikram has inspired all of us with the determination, dignity and courage she has demonstrated throughout this unthinkable ordeal,” Solages said. “I am very thankful for the cooperation and strong support from the Nas-

sau County Police Department and the FBI, and I believe that together, we’re going to make justice happen for Nafiah.”

The reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect was increased from $40,000 to $50,000, officials announced in Feb-

ruary. The county will pay $30,000 in reward money while the FBI, which is aiding the county in its search, will pay the other $20,000.

The GoFundMe page has raised more than $570,000 for Ikram since being launched fol-

lowing the attack. Ikram occasionally posts updates on her surgeries and the road to recovery.

In a January update, she said she remains grateful for friends, family, medical professionals and others who have aided her in the recovery journey.

Leaders blast anti-Chinese vandalism in G.N.

Continued from Page 11

“We are here today united and strong,” Rosen said, “condemning bigotry and racial prejudice here, wherever and whenever hatred and prejudice raise their ugly heads.”

The village and the Great Neck Chinese Association released a joint statement that formally condemned the act and committed to promoting diversity and the acceptance of tolerance of people from all backgrounds.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said he, county officials and the Nassau County Police Department will be putting their entire effort into finding those responsible for the act. Hate crimes, Blakeman said, have not been on the rise in Nassau due to the work of the police department.

“Our hate crimes are way down and the reason for that is we have zero-tolerance for these types of acts that are done to create fear and terror in people of various ethnic

groups, religions and races,” Blakeman said. “Dorothy, we will not stand for this.”

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said Blakeman urged him to put “all the resources” into the investigation last week. At this time last year, Ryder said, there were 15 hate crimes in Nassau against the Asian community. This year that number has dropped to eight, he said.

“We’re doing everything we can because of the cooperation we get from the community,” Ryder said.

Police are currently monitoring surveillance videos in the community and running license plate readers to try to identify any suspects, Ryder said. Having individuals in the community report any information about who may have committed the vandalism, he said, is the best help that concerned citizens can provide to the police.

Rabbi Robert S. Widom of Temple Emanuel said this

act of hatred proves there is more work to be done, despite having the peninsula and nation flooded with diverse individuals.

“You have to root out [hatred] from wherever we find it,” Widom said. “We have to be unified against what these haters represent. And we must show them how powerful we can be in opposing the vile behavior that they represent.”

Other officials present to express their support for the Great Neck Chinese Association and stood against the vandalism included Nassau Legislator Mazi Pilip, North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, North Hempstead Councilwoman Veronica Lurvey, Great Neck Plaza Deputy Mayor Pamela Marksheid, former Congressional candidate and Great Neck resident Robert Zimmerman, Great Neck Board of Education President Rebecca Sassouni along with representatives from the offices of state Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti and state Sen. Jack Martins.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS

101-105 Searing Ave. in Mineola.

Happening at the Williston Park Library

From the Director

Are you new to Williston Park? Don’t forget to apply for a library card. Just bring proof of residence in the village such as an updated driver’s license, credit card statement or any bill sent by the Village. Staff will be happy to help you.

If you’ve borrowed a museum pass, we ask that it be returned in the library by 10 a.m. on the due date to ensure timely pick up for the next patron on the waiting list. If you wish to return the pass prior to the due date and the library is closed, please put in the book drop. We appreciate your cooperation.

The library is distributing Covid-19 self-test kits while supplies last.

New titles added to the collection:

Dressmaker of Prospect Heights—Kitty Zeldis

Someone Else’s Shoes—JoJo Moyes

Heart that Works—Rob Delaney

Unnatural History—Jonathan Kellerman

Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart, or is it Just Me?—Jen Mann

More Than Meets the Eye—Iris Johansen

Your Table is Ready: Tales of a NYC Maitre’d— Michael Cecchi-Azzolina

Encore in Death—JD Robb

Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre—Natasha Lester

One Last Letter from Greece—Emma Cowell

Heart Bones—Colleen Hoover

Secretly Yours—Tessa Bailey

Murder Book—Thomas Perry

Adult Programs

First Time Homebuyer Workshop—NEW DATE—Tuesday— April 4—6:30-8 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. A senior mortgage loan officer and realtor will guide you through the process of home ownership. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Book Discussion—Wednesday—April 5—7 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall and via Zoom. Copies of Personal Librarian will be available at the Circulation Desk. https://adelphiuniversity.zoom.us/j/96885670102?pwd=VGtSYnkyUW9ac VJyV0tyNUtUZnMyZz09 Meeting ID: 968 8567 0102 Passcode: WPBookClub Or just call1-929-205-6099on your phone and it will ask for the meeting id and password above.

Reiki Circle—Thursdays—April 6 & 20; May 4 & 18—6 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. $10 p/person, p/session. Call the library (742-1820), email willistonparkprograms@gmail. com or stop by the library to register.

Basic Origami—Saturday—April 22—10:30-11:30 am in the library for all ages. $5 p/person material fee. Per vendor, limited to 10 participants. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Empire Safety Defensive Driving—Thursday—April 27—10 a.m. — 4 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. Limited to 25 people. $30 p/person. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Bracelet Workshop—Wednesday—May 10—6 p.m. in the Library for ages 16+. $12 material fee. Per the vendor, limited to 12 participants. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Book Discussion—Wednesday—May 10—7 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall and via Zoom. Copies of The Maid will

be available at the Circulation Desk. https://adelphiuniversity. zoom.us/j/96885670102?pwd=VGtSYnkyUW9acVJyV0tyNUtU

ZnMyZz09 Meeting ID: 968 8567 0102 Passcode: WPBookClub Or just call1-929-205-6099on your phoneand it will ask for the meeting id and password above.

Children’s Programs

Story Time for Tots—Tuesdays—March 28; April 4; April 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30—11-11:45 a.m. in the library for children ages 1-4 with a parent or caregiver. Call the library (742-1820), email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com or ask at the Circulation Desk to register. Maximum of 15 children. No walk-ins! Mad Science Workshop—Under Pressure—Tuesday—April 11—11 a.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall for grades 1-6. See the science behind aerodynamics and the properties of air. Per the vendor—Limited to 18 participants. Call the library (7421820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Minecraft—Two Part Series—Thursday & Friday—April 13 & 14—1-3 p.m. in the Library for children ages 7+. Join in games & challenges in Big Bad Wolf and Jack & the Beanstalk. Per vendor, limited to 15 participants. You must bring your own device compatible with Minecraft. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Basic Origami—Saturday—April 22—10:30-11:30 a.m. in the library for all ages. $5 p/person material fee. Per vendor, limited to 10 participants. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Chery Blossom Lattice—Monday—May 8—4:00-5:00 p.m. in the library for ages 5+. Perfect for Mother’s Day. Per vendor, limited to 20 participants. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTION AND PUBLIC HEARING on the 2023 - 2024 School Budget in the HERRICKS UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, New York

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual election of qualified voters of the Herricks Union Free School District, Town of North Hempstead, County of Nassau, New York will be held on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 in the Gymnasium of the Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, New York between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. for the purpose of voting, on voting machines, on the following matters:

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

PROPOSITION NO 1

RESOLVED that the 2023-2024 annual school budget for the Herricks Union Free School District and the appropriation of the necessary funds therefore and the levy of taxes necessary to meet the expenditures in said budget be authorized.

B. to elect two board members for a three-year term commencing July 1, 2023 to fill the vacancy occasioned by the expiration of the term of James Gounaris and Henry R. Zanetti.

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

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Board of Education will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, 2023 at the Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, New York for the purpose of discussing the expenditure of funds for school district purposes and the budgeting thereof for the school year beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2024 (the 2023-2024 annual school budget). At said hearing all persons in interest will be given an opportunity to be heard.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a copy of said 2023-2024 Annual School Budget for the Herricks Union Free School District containing a statement of the amount of money needed to meet the estimated expenses for school purposes for the 2023-2024 school year, exclusive of public monies, together with the text of any propositions, questions and resolutions which will be presented to the voters, will be made available upon request and may be obtained by any district resident at the following offices of the school houses, at the Herricks Community Center, on the District’s internet website (www.Herricks.org), the Williston Park Library and at the Shelter Rock Library during the fourteen days immediately preceding the day of the budget vote and election, except Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Center Street School, Center Street, Williston Park, NY

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

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

Herricks Middle School, Hilldale Drive, Albertson, NY

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

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

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

Williston Park Library, Willis Avenue, Williston Park, NY

Shelter Rock Library, Searingtown Road, Albertson, NY

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

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that each candidate for the office of a member of the Board of Education shall be nominated by petition and a separate petition for each such candidate shall be directed to and filed in the Office of the Clerk of said School District located in the Herricks Community Center between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., and no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, April 17, 2023. Each such nominating petition shall be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of said school district, and shall state the residence of each signer, and shall state the name and residence of the candidate, and shall describe the specific vacancy on said Board of Education for which the candidate is nominated, which description shall include at least the length of the term of office and name of the last incumbent. No person shall be nominated by petition for more than one specific office.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that Herricks School District has personal registration of voters and that the Board of Registration for the School District shall meet in the Herricks Community Center, Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, New York, on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. for the purpose of preparing a register of the qualified voters of the School District who are entitled to vote. In addition, registration can be accomplished on any school day from 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the District Clerk’s Office through May 11, 2023 The register so prepared will be filed in the Office of the Clerk of said School District in said Herricks Community Center and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of said School District between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on each of the five days prior to and the day set for such vote, including Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. by appointment only, except Sunday.

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

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that said Board of Registration will meet during the hours of voting and at said annual election on May 16, 2023, at the Herricks Community Center for the purpose of preparing a register for school meetings and elections held subsequent to said annual election. Any person shall be entitled to have his or her name placed on register provided at such meeting of the Board of Registration he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of such Board of Registration to be entitled to vote at school meetings and elections for which the register is being prepared.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that all propositions and questions, which qualified voters of the school district desire placed upon the voting machines at said election, shall be made by petitions subscribed by not less than one hundred (100) qualified voters of the district and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the School District between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 17, 2023 thirty (30) days prior to said election, except as to propositions and questions required by law to be stated in the published or posted notice of the annual election which shall be filed not later than sixty (60) days prior to said election. When the last day for filing a petition falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the petition may be filed on the Monday following the last day for filing. Upon the filing of such a petition the Board of Education shall determine by resolution whether or not to place such questions or propositions on the voting machines. In the event that the Board of Education shall determine that it is not proper, feasible or practicable to place such proposition or propositions, question or questions, upon a voting machine, then such proposition or propositions, question or questions, as the Board of Education may resolve to place before the voters at said election shall be voted upon by the use of paper ballots.

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

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the school district. Military voters who are qualified voters of the school district may submit an application for a military ballot. Military voters may designate a preference to receive a military voter registration, military ballot application or military ballot by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail in their request for such registration, ballot application or ballot. Military voter registration forms must be received in the Office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 PM on April 20, 2023 and military ballot application forms must be received in the Office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 20, 2023. No military ballot will be canvassed unless it is returned by mail or in person and (1) received in the Office of the District Clerk before the close of the polls on election day and showing a cancellation mark of the United States postal service or a foreign country’s postal service, or showing a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States government; or (2) received by the Office of the District Clerk by no later than 5:00 p.m. on election day and signed and dated by the military voter and one witness thereto, with a date which is associated to be not later than the day before the election.

DATED: March 10, 2023

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

New Hyde Park, New York

Lisa Rutkoske, Clerk

Herricks Union Free School District

Town of North Hempstead

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF COMPLETION OF ANNUAL ASSESSMENT ROLL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Assessment Roll for the Village of Williston Park, NY, for the year 2023-2024 has been completed as of April 1, 2023, and is on file in my office at 494 Willis Avenue, Williston Park, NY where the same will remain open to public inspection for fifteen (15) days after the date of this notice.

VILLAGE OF WILLISTON PARK

Kain

Julie

Village Clerk/Treasurer

Dated: March 31, 2023 Williston Park, NY

LEGAL NOTICE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Appeals of the Village of Williston Park will hold a public hearing as follows:

DATE:  Wednesday, April 19, 2023

TIME:  7:30 p.m.

PUBLIC HEARING BOARD OF APPEALS INC. VILLAGE OF  EAST WILLISTON

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Board of Appeals of the Incorporated Village of East Williston will convene to hold a public hearing on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 7:30 PM at Village Hall, located at 2 Prospect Street, East Williston, New York, on the following applications: New Cases:

PLACE:  Village Hall 494 Willis Avenue

Williston Park, NY

SUBJECT: To consider an

Application filed by Claudio & Giuseppa Iaboni, for the premises known as 173 Hillside Avenue, Williston Park, New York 11596, also known as Section 9, Block 314, Lots 51,52 on the Municipal Tax Roll, for a Variance to the Municipal Zoning Code Sections:

230-8I(2) Off Street Parking

The Variance requested in order for the demolition of the existing two-story detached apartment building presently housing six (6) apartments, the existing one (1) story building to remain, but renovated. The applicant proposes to erect a two-story apartment building atop structural columns which will allow for the parking of twenty-seven (27) vehicles at ground level (Village Code requires twenty-eight (28) parking spaces) The proposed two-story building will provide for ten (10) one bedroom apartments and four (4) two bedroom apartments. The subject premises are in the Business District.

All Interested parties may hear and be heard at the aforesaid time and place, and said application is available for review at the Village Hall. BY ORDER OF THE  BOARD OF APPEALS

Brian Cunningham, Chairman

Dated: March 17, 2023

Application of Mr. & Mrs. Choo for variances of (1) Chapter 160, Article IV Section 160-4 of the Code of the Village of East Williston, to construct a portico with a height of 15.66 feet where 14 feet is permitted, (2) placement of a driveway apron that is aligned with the west side of the garage where center alignment on the garage is required, on the property owned by them in a Residence A District and located at 371 Feather Lane, East Williston, New York 11596, also known as Section 9, Block 367, Lot 36 on the Nassau County Land and Tax Map.

The applications, plans and specifications are on file at the Office of the Village Clerk, 2 Prospect Street, East Williston. At said time and place of Hearing as aforesaid stated all persons who wish to be heard will be heard.

BY ORDER OF THE  BOARD OF APPEALS

MICHAEL HOLLAND,  CHAIRMAN JOANNA E PALUMBO,  VILLAGE CLERK

Notice of Formation of CPR Training Authority. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 202302-23. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Andrea Terrano: 6 PRESCOTT PLACE OLD BETHPAGE NY 11804.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose

AVISO DE ELECCIÓN ANUAL DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR Y AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA sobre el Presupuesto escolar 2023 – 2024 en el Distrito Escolar De Herricks Ciudad de North Hempstead, condado de Nassau, Nueva York

POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA que la elección anual de votantes calificados de de el Distrito escolar de Herricks , Ciudad de North Hempstead, Condado de Nassau, Nueva York se llevará a cabo el martes, 16 de mayo de 2023 en el Gimnasio del Centro Comunitario Herricks, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, Nueva York entre las 7:00 a.m. y las 9:00 p.m. con el propósito de votar, al votar en máquinas, en las siguientes asuntos:

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

PROPUESTA N° 1

SE RESUELVE que el presupuesto escolar anual 2023-2024 para Herricks Union Free School District y la asignación de los fondos necesarios para ello y la recaudación de los Impuestos necesarios para sufragar los gastos que en dicho presupuesto se autorice.

B. elegir a dos miembros de la Junta por un período de tres años a partir del 1 de julio de 2023 para cubrir la vacante ocasionada por la expiración del término de James Gounaris y Henry R. Zanetti.

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

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que la Junta de Educación llevará a cabo una audiencia pública a las 7:30 p.m. el jueves, 4 de mayo de 2023 en Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, New York con el propósito de discutir el gasto de fondos para propósitos del distrito escolar y el presupuesto del mismo para el año escolar que comienza el 1 de julio de 2023 y termina el 30 de junio de 2024 (presupuesto anual del año escolar 2023-2024). En dicha audiencia, todas las personas interesadas tendrán la oportunidad de ser escuchadas.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que una copia de dicho Presupuesto Escolar Anual 2023-2024 para el Herricks Union Free School District que contenga una declaración de la cantidad de dinero necesaria para gastos estimados con fines escolares para el año escolar 2023-2024, sin incluir dinero público, junto con el texto de las proposiciones, cuestiones y resoluciones que se someterán a la votantes, estará disponible a pedido y puede ser obtenido por cualquier residente del distrito en las siguientes oficinas de las escuelas, en el Centro Comunitario de Herricks, en el sitio web del Distrito (www.Herricks.org), la Biblioteca de Williston Park y en la biblioteca de Shelter Rock durante los catorce días inmediatamente anteriores al día de la votación y elección del presupuesto, excepto los sábados domingos y festivos, en el horario de 9:00 a.m. a

3:00 p.m.

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

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

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

Herricks Middle School, Hilldale Drive, Albertson, Nueva York

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

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

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

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

Biblioteca Shelter Rock, Searingtown Road, Albertson, NY

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

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que cada candidato para el cargo de miembro de la Junta de Educación deberá ser nominado por petición y una petición separada para cada uno de dichos candidatos deberá ser dirigida y presentada en la Oficina del Secretario de dicho Distrito Escolar ubicado en Herricks Centro Comunitario entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 3:00 p.m., y no más tarde de las 5:00 p.m. el lunes, 17 de abril de 2023. Cada petición de nominación deberá estar firmada por al menos veinticinco (25) votantes calificados de dicho distrito escolar, y deberá indicar la residencia de cada firmante, y deberá indicar el nombre y residencia del candidato, y describirá la vacante específica en dicha Junta de Educación para que el candidato es nominado, cuya descripción incluirá por lo menos la duración del término de cargo y nombre del último titular. Ninguna persona podrá ser nominada por petición para más de un puesto específico. SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que el Distrito Escolar de Herricks tiene un registro personal de votantes y que la Junta de Inscripción del Distrito Escolar se reunirá en el Centro Comunitario de Herricks, Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, Nueva York, el martes 2 de mayo de 2023 entre las 4:00 p.m. y 8:00 p.m. con el propósito de preparar un registro de los votantes calificados del Distrito Escolar que tienen derecho a votar. Además, la inscripción se puede realizar cualquier día escolar de 8 a.m. a 3:00 p.m. en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito hasta el 11 de mayo de 2023. El registro así preparado se archivará en la Oficina del Secretario de dicho Distrito Escolar en dicho Centro Comunitario de Herricks y estará abierto para inspección por cualquier votante calificado de dicho Distrito Escolar entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 3:00 p.m. en cada uno de los cinco días antes del día fijado para dicha votación, incluido el sábado de 9:00 a.m. a 11:00 a.m.; solamente con cita previa, excepto los domingos.

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

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que dicha Junta de Registro se reunirá durante el horario de votación y en dicha elección anual el 16 de mayo de 2023, en el Centro Comunitario Herricks con el propósito de preparar un registro para las reuniones escolares y las elecciones que se celebren con posterioridad a dicha elección anual. Ninguna persona tendrá derecho a que su nombre se incluya en el registro proporcionado en dicha reunión de la Junta de Registro a menos que él o ella es conocido o aprobado a satisfacción de dicha Junta de Registro para tener derecho a votar en las juntas escolares y en las elecciones para las que se prepara el registro.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que todas las proposiciones y preguntas, de los votantes calificados de el el distrito escolar que se deseen poner de en las máquinas de votación en dicha elección, se hará mediante peticiones suscritas por no menos de cien (100) votantes calificados del distrito y presentado en la Oficina del Secretario de el Distrito Escolar entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 3:00 p.m. y no más tarde de las 5:00 p.m. el lunes, 17 de abril de 2023 treinta (30) días antes de dicha elección, excepto en cuanto a proposiciones y preguntas requerido por la ley que se indique en el aviso publicado o fijado de la elección anual que se presentará a más tardar sesenta (60) días antes de dicha elección. Cuando el último día para radicar una petición cae en un sábado o domingo, la petición podrá presentarse el lunes siguiente al último día de presentación. Sobre la presentación de dicha petición, la Junta de Educación determinará mediante resolución si se coloca o no tales preguntas o proposiciones en las máquinas de votación. En el caso de que la Junta de Educación deba determinar que no es apropiado, factible o practico colocar tal proposición o proposiciones, pregunta o preguntas, en una máquina de votación, entonces tal proposición o proposiciones, pregunta o preguntas, como la La Junta de Educación puede resolver colocar ante los votantes en dicha elección será votada por el uso de boletas de papel.

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

SE DA AVISO ADEMÁS de que los votantes militares que no están actualmente registrados pueden solicitar registrarse como votante calificado del distrito escolar. Votantes militares que son votantes calificados de la escuela distrito pueden presentar una solicitud para una boleta militar. Los votantes militares pueden designar una preferencia para recibir un registro de votante militar, una solicitud de boleta militar o una boleta militar por correo, facsímil transmisión o correo electrónico en su solicitud de tal registro, solicitud de boleta o boleta. Los formularios de registro de votantes militares deben recibirse en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. el 20 de abril de 2023 y los formularios de solicitud de boleta militar deben recibirse en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. el 20 de abril de 2023. Ninguna boleta sera escrutinada a menos que sea devuelto por correo o en persona y (1) recibido en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito antes del cierre de las urnas el día de las elecciones y que muestre una marca de cancelación del servicio postal de los Estados Unidos o de un servicio postal de un pais extranjero,o mostrando un endoso fechado de recibo por otra agencia de los Estados Unidos Gobierno; o (2) recibido por la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. el día de las elecciones y firmado y fechado por el votante militar y un testigo de ello, con una fecha que se asocia no ser más tarde que el día anterior a la elección.

FECHA: 10 de marzo de 2023

POR ORDEN DE LA JUNTA DE EDUCACIÓN

Nuevo Hyde Park, Nueva York

Lisa Rutkoske, Secretaria

Herricks Union Free School District

Town of North Hempstead

Sports

St. Mary’s girls defeated in finals

Long Island Lutheran, ranked No. 3 in America in basketball by ESPN, proves too much in title game

BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

The St. Mary’s girls basketball team is a Long Island juggernaut.

The Gaels routinely dominate the opposition, and their talent and reputation are intimidating for almost every opponent they face, whether it’s a public school team or a Catholic League foe.

This season, a perk of winning its second straight CHSAA state title, St. Mary’s got to compete in the Federation Tournament, held at three Albany-area high schools.

And for the first time in a long while, it was St. Mary’s who came up against a bigger, stronger, faster and more experienced foe.

After squeaking by White Plains in the semis on Saturday to advance to the title game, the Gaels were simply overwhelmed by one of the top teams in the nation Sunday.

Long Island Lutheran, ranked No. 3 in America by ESPN, raced out to a big first-quarter lead and removed all doubt from the outcome, cruising to a 99-58 win in the Class AA title game at Shaker High School in Latham, N.Y.

“They’re No. 3 in the country for a reason,” White said Sunday after the game. “They’re long, they’re athletic, and they’re very, very physical. They manhandled us at times.”

One night earlier White said it was a “David vs. Goliath” matchup, with St. Mary’s (26-5) being in the extremely-unusual position of David.

Lutheran, though, recruits from all over the country and has multiple Division I prospects on its team.

In the championship game St. Mary’s, so used to being the heavy favorite, was the decided underdog against No. 3 nationally-ranked Long Island Lutheran. LuHi defeated Brooklyn’s South Shore in its semi, and boasts a roster filled with talent.

And Sunday the Crusaders showed their superiority from the start, racing out to a 23-7 first quarter lead, and stretching it to 54-22 at halftime.

The biggest bright spot for St. Mary’s was an incredible game from senior Taryn Barbot, who along with sister Taylor is headed to Division I College of Charleston next season. Barbot was unstoppable Sunday,

scoring a career-high 42 points.

“That kid competes 110 percent of the time; it doesn’t matter what the score is,” White said. “She’s playing against bigger, stronger kids, but she rebounds, defends, does everything. We’re going to miss her and the other seniors a lot.”

Indeed, White appropriately focused on the big picture from the weekend that ended the career of the Barbots, and fellow seniors Cayla Williams and Tara Murray. The quartet had a four-year record of 110-9, with two state titles the past two years.

“Myself and my coaches loved going to practice every day, because

we have such a good group of kids,” White said. “And that started with the (four) seniors. These kids listen to what you say, they enjoy basketball. It’s hard to find groups of young ladies that are so focused, so we are very lucky.”

The Gaels came in to the Federation Tournament, the first time it has been held in three years, off a dominating CHSAA state title game performance, a 66-49 win over Buffalo Nichols, at Fordham University.

Just to get to the championship game of the Federation Tournament Sunday, St. Mary’s had to hold off a very stubborn White Plains team, 53-50 on Saturday.

White Plains, from Westchester County, didn’t expect to be playing this weekend. It lost to Rochester Webster Schroeder, 49-41, in the Class AA public school championships on March 18, and thought its season was over.

But Webster Schroeder withdrew from the Federation Tournament when it realized most of its players would be unavailable to compete this weekend.

The Tigers certainly looked like champs, giving St. Mary’s everything it could handle.

“There were a bunch of spurts, a few opportunitieswe could’ve gotten a little momentum,” White said

after Saturday’s win. “We got steals and then we gave it right back to them. But sometimes you need a little luck to win these games.”

The Gaels had a strong start on Saturday at Shaker High School, jumping out to a 17-7 first-quarter lead. St. Mary’s never trailed the rest of the way, but White Plains stayed aggressive in a foul-filled semifinal, and kept the score to within six points just about the entire contest.

Taryn Barbot had 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Taylor Barbot had a “do-everything” game with nine points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Freshman Kayla Solomon poured in 14 points as well, while sophomore Sky Priester added six.

“Sometimes (Kayla) plays like a freshman, but she’s pretty resilient,” White said. “Our kids hung tough when the game was close, and played solid defense in the end.”

Still, it was never easy for St. Mary’s Saturday. They led 30-25 at half, and by the final minute of the third, after Taryn Barbot sank two free throws, St. Mary’s led by a dozen, 47-35.

But in the fourth quarter White Plains picked up its defense, and St. Mary’s had trouble scoring. Two Tigers free throws at 2:25 left cut the deficit to 53-50.

The last two minutes were wild, with turnovers and missed shots galore, but in the final moments, with White Plains looking for a tying 3-pointer, St. Mary’s freshman Scarlet Cubero helped force two misplays by the Tigers, and they never got off a shot.

“You always want to play in the last possible game of the season, and we got a chance to do that by winning (Saturday),” White said.

Despite the final game of the season not going as planned, White said it was a remarkable season with much accomplished.

“We have so much to be proud of,” White said. “To win back-toback Class AA titles, a small school of 315 kids, you have to be proud of what we did. And I told the kids after the game, they accomplished a lot and did so many great things this season. And the future looks bright, too.”

PHOTO BY JENN MARCH FOR ST. MARY’S

St. Mary’s senior Taryn Barbot (11) battles for a rebound during Saturday’s Class AA Federation Tournament semifinal game vs. White Plains.

Herricks senior artist recognized Master class for E.W. orchestra students

East Williston student-musicians were visited by professional string musicians for an inspiring and interactive master class experience.

The New York City-based performers Miolina and Golden Williams Duo shared their musical prowess and enlightenment with the budding musicians before engaging the group in an inspirational collaborative performance.

The seventh grade students, who were members of the Willets Road School Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, were interested in hearing about the experiences of professional musicians and were receptive to their guidance and feedback.

East Williston orchestra students perform alongside professional musicians Miolina and Golden Williams Duo as they participate in a string performance master class.

Herricks High School senior Natalie Zhou is being recognized by the Region-atLarge program of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 2023. Eight of Natalie’s pieces are being honored, including a Gold Key for three of her works, a Silver Key for two of her works and an Honorable Mention for three of her works.

Additionally, she has been selected as the ASA Scholarship Award Winner for this year. “She is an extraordinary artist, and we are extremely proud of her recent accomplishments. It has truly been an honor and privilege to work with Natalie for the past three years and watch her grow as an artist,” says Natalie’s art teacher Jennifer Cavalluzzo.

The district is very proud of Natalie for her latest achievements and wishes her continued success.

Beacon Church’s community East egg hunt April 1

Beacon Church is hosting our annual Community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 1st from 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. This FREE event is open to the whole community and will feature bounce houses, games, crafts, snacks, and more. Bring your kids, family and friends and be sure to enter our FREE raffle while you’re there. At the event, Beacon will be collecting food for families in need in surrounding communities. Bring along non-perishable food items and drop them off at the designated collection area.

Holy Week Services — Holy Week 2023 begins on Sunday, April 2nd and will conclude on Sunday, April 9th. Childcare is provided at all Holy Week services except Stations of the Cross.

Palm Sunday — April 2nd @ 9:30 a.m & 11:30 a.m (There will be activities for children of all ages during both services)

Stations of the Cross — April 7th, Open from 9:00 a.m — 7:00 p.m. (This self-guided time of prayer and reflection can be done at your own pace throughout the day.)

Good Friday — April 7th @ 7:30 p.m

Easter Sunday — April 9th @ 9:30 a.m & 11:30 a.m. (There will be activities for children of all ages during both services)

Beacon hosts events throughout the year for people of all ages including Vacation Bible School, mission trips, youth outings, Halloween Trunk-or-Treat in October and a Christmas festival in December. For a complete list of current events, visit www.Beacon.Church/Events.

The rest of the year is also full of free, funpacked activities that will be sure to fill your spirit, get you involved with the community, and possibly award you some prizes!

Welcome to Stellar VBS (Vacation Bible School) —the summer event that helps kids discover what it means to shine Jesus’ light! At Stellar VBS, kids explore how Jesus shined hope, love, forgiveness, and joy to the world— and how we can do the same with his power!

You can expect a week full of faith discoveries, memorable music, and epic adventures that help kids grow in friendship with Jesus !

Beacon’s Stellar VBS will be taking place the week of June 26-30th. Registrations and Volunteer Sign ups will start this Spring! This event is FREE.

Food Pantry — Every 3rd Monday of the month, Beacon’s Food Pantry is open to the public between the hours of 4 p.m. — 8 p.m. For

Dalton aids Faith Mission Food Pantry

more information please contact Aida Pagan at 516-620-5106 ext.710 or Aida@Beacon.Church

Underwear Drive — Undergarments are one of the most basic needs we all have and yet they are the most under donated items to people in need.

Beacon’s Compassion Ministry just finished hosting an Underwear Drive for the most vulnerable in the community. We collected NEW womens’ sports bras, briefs, and socks and mens’ boxer briefs, undershirts, and socks. Each donation included a message of God’s Love and Hope.

For questions about this drive reach out to nicole@beacon.church

Alpha Course- Interested in exploring the meaning of life? The Alpha Course is a worldwide phenomenon! It’s found in over 160 countries. It’s run in tens of thousands of schools, prisons, homes and churches of all denominations. Beacon runs an 8 session Alpha course several times a year. Each session includes a shared meal, a video teaching, and discussion time.

Check out the Alpha Page on Beacon’s website to learn more.

Youth Mission Trips — Dozens of local youth have signed up to partake in upcoming mission trips this summer! They will be traveling to Oswego, Lynch KY and Mexico. Youth will assist with construction projects on camp properties that will provide more opportunities for growth and support to the community. These kids will get your hands dirty and work hard! They will dedicate their time to an area where jobs are hard to find, programs for children are scarce, and where families are in great need of support and love. Teams will have the opportunity to assist with various home repair projects, participate in the preparation and delivery of meals to families in need in the neighborhood. Check out the Beacon Website for a list of youth activities including snow camp, minigolf, paintball and many more!

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Don’t miss Beacon’s FREE and super fun community events throughout the year! Vacation Bible School, Trunk or Treat for Halloween and Christmas Fest are other unique events that always hit capacity (Christmas Fest hosts a phenomenal show and yummy treats!). Check out our website and come visit us to find out more!

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERRICKS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Herricks High School Art Teacher Jennifer Cavalluzzo, left, and senior Natalie Zhou, right.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EAST WILLISTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Thomas F. Dalton Funeral Home in Floral Park, New Hyde Park and Williston Park this winter hosted a breakfast cereal challenge for the Faith Mission Food Pantry in Mineola.

Dalton staff collected 400 boxes of breakfast cereal, instant oatmeal, oatmeal and farina to benefit those less fortunate by this Valentine’s Day.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THOMAS F. DALTON FUNERAL HOMES