Floral Park Villager (2/27/26)

THE GATEWAY TO NASSAU COUNTY

SERVING FLORAL PARK, BELLEROSE AND STEWART MANOR

VALENTINES FOR VETERANS

Hempstead Town Councilman Tom Muscarella (rear, 2nd left) visited Floral Park Bellerose School to pick up Valentines for Veterans cards that were created by the students. The heartfelt artwork will be delivered to local veterans’ organizations. Also attending were Principal Lauren Quezada, Assistant Principal Michael Elka, and 3rd grade teacher Amanda Norton.

FP Junior Woman's Club Events

The next meeting of the Floral Park Junior Woman's Club will be Thursday, March 12th at 7 PM at the Floral Park Recreation Center

Refreshments will be served - new members are welcome There will be a business meeting followed by making dog beds to donate.

The Floral Park Junior Woman's Club will be holding its Spring Craft Fair on Sunday, April 26th (rain date May 3) from 9 am to 2 pm in Memorial Park, Tulip and Plainfield Avenues (infront of OLV church). The fair will feature assorted arts and crafts and baked goods. Interested vendors should contact rmulhall28@gmail.com.

The Great Backyard Bird Count at Centennial Gardens

DOUG CIOFFI

The National Audubon Society describes The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) as a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online. Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world. Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

The 29th annual GBBC was held Friday, February 13,

through Monday, February 16, 2026. Floral Park Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary has been participating in this annual event for well over a decade and once again the Garden opened it gates on that Friday and Saturday to welcome visitors to come observe and help count the birds! As in past years, to try and entice as many birds as possibly, resident “birder” Don Haug steadfastly kept the Garden’s many bird feeders well stocked with various types of bird seed and suet, which has been especially welcomed this brutally cold and snowy winter. Mixed seed, sunflower seed, safflower seed, and thistle seed were put out to try and attract as wide a variety of birds as possible. One interesting thing about the bird watching hobby is you never know just what species are going to

See page 12

Sixth graders celebrate P.S. I Love You Day

Floral Park-Bellerose School sixth graders celebrated P.S. I Love You Day on Feb. 13.

On Feb. 13, Floral Park-Bellerose School sixth graders in Caitlyn Pereira’s class marked P.S. I Love You Day with a lesson centered on spreading kindness, embracing positivity and building self-confidence.

Students explored the purpose and background of P.S. I Love You Day, a local nonprofit committed to ending the stigma surrounding mental health. P.S. I Love You Day, held on the second Friday of every February, encourages participants to wear purple to foster

kindness and a welcoming environment.

As part of the activities, students strengthened their self-esteem by composing three personal affirmations, choosing statements such as “I am helpful,” “I am a good friend” and “I am kind.”

To wrap up the lesson, each sixth grader selected an inspirational quote that spoke to them and reflected in writing on how they would apply its message to their everyday lives.

A Night With the Candidates

Tax Forum at FP Library

Hempstead Town Receiver of Taxes Jeanine Driscoll (center) greeted Lou and Elvira Francischelli of Floral Park during a Town of Hempstead Taxpayer Forum on February 10, 2026 at Floral Park Public Library. Receiver of Taxes Driscoll explained how residents can lower their property tax bills by applying for tax exemption programs, and also provided an overview of new payment features, paperless billing, payment reminders, tax discounts and more.

Community

Incorporated

Community

Artists & Collectors The National Gallery of Art "Drawing In Silver & Gold: Leonardo to Jasper Johns”

Historical Society hosts talk on Declaration

The Floral Park Historical Society will present "What Did the Declaration of Independence Actually Declare?" on Sunday, March 1, at 2 p.m. at the Floral Park Pool / Recreation Center Building, 124 Stewart St. (handicap accessible). The public is invited to this free event. Speaker James Coll, adjunct professor of American and Constitutional history at Hofstra University and Nassau Community College. He has authored numerous articles for Politico, The Hill, City Journal, and Newsday, among other periodicals. He is the founder of

ChangeNYS.org, a not-for-profit dedicated to promoting honest, open, and responsive government in our state. In addition, James is a retired NYPD detective. He lives in Seaford.

Few documents have had as much impact on world history as the one-page writing that formalized the severing of ties between the American colonies and England.

For more information please call: 516-532-1518 or see www.floralparkhistorical.com

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Place an ad in our Classifieds for reasonable rates and prompt results. Call 294-8900 or visit us online www.gcnews.com to request information & rates

Litmor Publishing's Community Newspapers

Michael S chroder ha s s uccessfully represented Garden City homeowners’ tax appeals for over 40 years. He has lived in the Village for 35 years .

RESU LTS

Schroder & Strom has a 96% success rate in Nassau Count y.

KNOWLEDGE

Michael and his team of attorneys know every section of the Village and key arguments for achieving the largest reductions possible .

Schroder & Strom is recommended by Garden City ’s most prominent attorneys and real estate agents for their clients’ tax appeals.

SAV INGS

Schroder & Strom is saving Na ssau Co unty homeowners an average of $1,400 annually on property taxes.

LAW FIRM AD VANTA GE

As a law firm, we are held to the highest standards and have more resources and options available for favorable outcomes – yet our property tax reduction fees are the same as tax consultants.

& Strom handles Village appeals while most other tax consultants do not.

Chances are, your neighbors are already saving on their taxes with Schroder & Strom. The Tax Grievance deadline is March 31, 2026. Start saving today. Go to nytaxreview.com and complete the Resi dential P rofile Form OR call us at (516) 742-7430.

QUALITY THAT L ASTS GENERATIONS

March at the Floral Park Library

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” - Hal Borland

It sure seems like winter has lasted forever, but Daylight Savings Time is upon us, and hope “springs” eternal.

This month, we’re reading across Floral Park for two weeks beginning Monday, March 2. Send a photo of a family member, a friend, a selfie reading somewhere in Floral Park or Bellerose Village. Photos can be of an adult reading to a child (or vice versa), a child reading to a pet or stuffed animal, friends reading together, etc.

Photos should be emailed to readacrossfloralpark2026@gmail.com for an opportunity to be one of four randomly chosen winners. Prizes include gift cards to local businesses: Tulip Bagels, Village Pizza, Gyro Village or Tulip Bakery.

And, this month, Adults can ‘march’ right into a new Library program: The Quiet Reading Book Club. The inaugural meeting happens Tuesday evening, March 3 in (where else?) the Quiet Room.

Weekly by-appointment-only Tuesday Tax Prep sessions with AARP are in full ‘bloom,’ and Wednesday morning hybrid Chair Yoga continues to attract the ‘regulars’ and newcomers. Empire Safety Council Defensive Driving class happens on a Saturday this month (spots are filling fast).

For the adult makers and creators, a Gardening 101 program, a Gelli painting workshop and a resin pendant making workshop are options. Or, just relax and catch the Monday Movie “Song Sung Blue” on the 30th.

The weekly English Language Learner classes continue on Tuesday evenings. Pre-registration is required for both Beginning and Intermediate/ Advanced.

The Morning Friends of the Floral Park Library Book Club meets at 10:15 a.m. on Monday, March 2, and the Evening Edition Book Club discusses Khaled Hossani’s “The Kite Runner” on Thursday, March 12.

The Made with Love Knitting and Crocheting groups meet Mondays at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m.; no registration necessary.

On taps for teens, a Travel Through Time Gaming event, Community Service opportunities, and more.

The young ones can choose from

including Play Hooray,  and A Time for Kids’ Baby Start and Family Presschool Hour, a Pom Queen craft (grades 3 – 5), and P[ART]y Art sessions for pre-K thru 2nd grade and third thru 5th grade.

On National Super Mario Day (March 16th), Creatology Kidz offers a fun program to learn about the history behind Nintendo and talk about gaming while building Super Mario, Luigi and other characters out of LEGOs!

Crafty Kids brings the second of four monthly Proud to be an American crafts for pre-K through grade 2, and Through the Looking Glass shows 3rd thru 5th graders how to create Van Gogh-inspired coasters.

Long Island children’s author Zainab Khan  reads her  story “Noura’s Crescent Moon” on Thursday, March 26. It’s perfect for children ages four  thru eight. And, there’s also Storytime (ages 2.5 – preschool) and More than a Story (3 years and up).

The Library Board meets on Wednesday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public (use the rear entrance of the Library).

Looking for some help with your résumé, job search, LinkedIn profile or interview prep? Look no further than Ellen O’Brien. Contact her at eobrien@ nassaulibrary.org or 516 326.6330 x3103 for a free 30-minute career consultation.

Need assistance with those smart devices and more? One-to-one tech help with Joe for tablets, smartphones, laptops, Kindles and general questions is available for our Floral Park patrons by appointment only (floralparktechhelp@gmail.com).

For more information on dates and times, events registration and program details, visit the library website, floralparklibrary.org, call 516 326-6330, or visit us at 17 Caroline Place. All events and programs are subject to change and/or cancellation.

Check out the Friends of the Floral Park Library offerings at the Circulation Desk. All sales of books, DVDs, jigsaw puzzles, bookmarks, and more support the Friends of the Floral Park Library, a 501c3 organization. Follow the Library on Facebook (floralparklibrary), X (fplibrary17), or Instagram (fplibrary 17, floralparkchildrens, fpplteens).

WHAT DOES ‘HEALTH SYSTEM’ EVEN MEAN? IT MEANS A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR YOUR HEALTH.

A health system is more than a doctor. In our case, it’s 320+ locations with the exact same high standard of care. It’s integrated medical teams that achieve the best patient outcomes.

It’s leading the charge in medical discoveries. It’s the lowest mortality rates in the nation.

It’s being named #1 for quality care in the U.S. Our health system has the best doctors, and the best doctors are just the beginning.

Better health starts with a better health system.

February 27, 2026

Family Travel is Booming in 2026

BY KAREN RUBIN TRAVEL FEATURES SYNDICATE GOINGPLACESFARANDNEAR.COM

Family travel is booming, along with multigenerational travel. The Baby Boomers who are today’s grandparents value travel as an essential experience, have the discretionary resources to share that experience, and most importantly, cherish the bonds and memories that traveling together engender. .

Here is a sampling of family travel experiences, far and near, for 2026:  Mediterranean Gulet Gathering: Gather the whole family and charter a traditional gulet with Peter Sommer Travels to explore Croatia, Greece or Turkey like Indiana Jones. Visit ancient sites with an archaeologist or historian, then enjoy time to swim, snorkel or kayak in secluded coves, or simply relax onboard (https://www. petersommer.com/gulet-charters)

Make the Lion King Come Alive:  From wildebeest herds thundering across the Serengeti to elephants grazing beneath acacia trees, Gondwana Ecotours’ private Tanzania: Great Migration Safari brings Africa’s magic to life for families. Spot lions, zebras, giraffes, leopards and hippos on daily game drives, with window seats in every pop-top safari vehicle. Visit a remote Maasai boma and meet a family clan, learn about their culture and join their traditional jumping dance. Sleep to the sounds of the savanna in deluxe tented camps and enjoy pop-up bush lunches (https://www.gondwanaecotours.com/adventure-tours/great-migration-serengeti-safari-tour-tanzania/)

Greek Islands Multi Adventure: Experience Greece’s Ionian Islands by boat, bike and on foot on a family-friendly cruise from Islandhopping. Visit olive tree-covered Paxos, the white sand beaches of Lefkas, a colorful port on Cephalonia, peaceful Arillas. Swim in the crystal clear Ionian Sea,

Housekeeping 2026 Travel Awards.

Gondwana Ecotours’ private Tanzania: Great Migration Safari brings Africa’s magic to life for families © photo: Gondwana Ecotours

ride to a waterfall, row to a cave accessible only from the water, tube behind a dinghy and bike through a national park (https://www.inselhuepfen.com/ en/cycling-tours/greece/multi-adventure-ionian-islands)

Amazon Rainforest Immersion: Deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Sacha Lodge offers a responsible way for families to explore one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. Guests participate in low-impact activities like guided canopy walks, wildlife spotting by dugout canoe, and nature hikes led by local guides, while staying in secure, private, thatched-roof cabins that ensure a luxurious and comfortable experience. https://sachalodge.com

Chase the Northern Lights Together: From chasing the aurora to walking with reindeer, Gondwana Ecotours’ private Alaska: Northern Lights Adventure is an unforgettable family journey. Days are packed with dog sledding, curling lessons, hot springs and a visit to Santa’s Village, while nights light up with nature’s most dazzling show. Stay cozy under the covers until your nighttime aurora guide sounds the buzzer, signaling it’s time to step outside and watch

the northern sky come alive.  https:// www.gondwanaecotours.com/adventure-tours/northern-lights-tour-fairbanks-alaska/

Arizona Dude Ranch Getaway: Play cowboy or cowgirl among the saguaro cactuses of the Sonoran Desert at the family-owned and operated White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. Enjoy horseback riding, hiking, shooting and archery, fat tire e-biking and rock climbing, and entertainment like cowboy singing, trick roping and a weekly rodeo (https:// whitestallion.com/)

Grand Canyon’s North Rim: Escape Adventures invites families to discover the cool, high-altitude sanctuary of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim on an unforgettable five-day mountain biking and camping expedition (https://escapeadventures.com/tour/ grand-canyon-north-rim-mountainbike-tour/)

Princess Cruises’ Discovery

Princess Named ‘Coolest Way to See Alaska’

Princess Cruises’ Discovery Princess has been named “Coolest Way To See Alaska” in the prestigious Good

GOING PLACES NEAR AND FAR

Family-oriented programming includes having Park Rangers onboard in Glacier Bay with live narration and Junior/Teen Ranger programs; a Storyteller series with cultural ambassadors, adventurers, authors, photographers and Iditarod champions; Puppies in the Piazza and Campfire Movies Under the Stars; and youth and teen activities like Gold Rush Treasure Hunt and Great Alaskan Fishermen’s Race. In the cruise line’s biggest-ever Alaska season, in 2026 Discovery Princess sails the popular “Voyage of the Glacier” route between Vancouver and Anchorage (Whittier), featuring Glacier Bay National Park. Another highlight is the debut of Star Princess, its newest ship, sailing weekly seven-day Inside Passage cruises roundtrip from Seattle. In total, the May through September 2026 Alaska program features eight ships, 180 departures and 19 destinations. Guests can extend their adventure with a Princess Cruisetour, pairing a seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise with 3-10 nights at Princess-owned Wilderness Lodges to explore Alaska’s interior, including Denali National Park. (Visit www.princess.com/alaska, 800-774-6237, princess.com)

The Regent Grand Introduces ‘Grandymoon’

The Regent Grand on Turks & Caicos is debuting its new “Grandymoon” offer. Amenities include: spacious multi-bedroom suites or villas; $200 resort credit; family photo session; concierge-arranged celebratory family dinner; spa treatments for all ages, island excursions such as jetski tours, fishing trips, boat cruises, scuba and snorkeling, paddleboard and kayak safaris and beach horseback riding; family tennis or pickleball tournament; resort bikes and eco bikes; in-room babysitting services. To book, just add “Grandymoon” in the reservation notes section (theregentgrand.com)

BY DENNIS MAMMANA

Week of March 1-7, 2026

Attention, night owls and insomniacs! The sky show this week is just for you!

Much of North America is about to see the moon experience one of nature’s most beautiful sky shows: a total lunar eclipse.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon slips into the Earth’s shadow far out in space, either partially or completely, and that’s just what will happen during the wee hours of March 3. Skywatchers throughout North America will see the start of this eclipse (weather permitting, of course), but depending on where you live, you may see only a portion of the sky show. In general, the farther west you live, the more of the eclipse you will see before the moon sets behind the western horizon.

The eclipse begins at 12:44 a.m. PST (3:44 a.m. EST), when the moon enters the Earth’s light outer shadow (known as the penumbra), but this shadow is so thin that no one will notice a darkening of the moon’s appearance.

Within an hour or so, that will change significantly. As the moon approaches the dark inner shadow of the Earth (known as the umbra), skywatchers will notice the eastern side of the moon beginning to darken slightly.

The real show begins at 1:50 a.m.

Shadow on the Moon

PST (4:50 a.m. EST) when the moon officially enters the umbra. No one gazing skyward will have any doubt that a “bite” has been taken out of the moon -- a bite that will grow larger with each passing minute.

For the next hour or so, the moon will dim as it slips more deeply into our planet’s umbra, until 3:04 a.m. PST (6:04 a.m. EST) when it’s completely engulfed and the total eclipse begins. Unfortunately, those in the far eastern part of North America may miss this since the moon will lie quite close to (or even below) the western horizon.

During the total phase, the moon will take on a dim coppery hue. This occurs because sunlight passing through our atmosphere is reddened and bent inward toward the darkened surface of the eclipsed moon, now suspended eerily against the stars of Leo, the lion.

Only those viewing from the Midwest to the West Coast will see mideclipse, which occurs at 3:33 a.m. PST (5:33 a.m. CST). Those in the Midwest may miss the end of totality at 4:02 a.m. PST (6:02 a.m. CST), however, as the moon will be setting in the west.

The entire event will end at 5:17 a.m. PST (4:17 a.m. MST) with the moon approaching the western horizon for viewers in western North America.

Unlike an eclipse of the sun, a lunar eclipse is perfectly safe to view without protective filters. Your eyes are all you

LOST IN

A total lunar eclipse will occur in the wee hours of March 3.

need to enjoy the show, but you’ll have even more fun viewing through binoculars or a small telescope. If the sky is cloudy that morning, or if you live where the eclipse won’t be visible, you can watch a livestream of the sky show online. Visit timeanddate. com and click on “Sun, Moon & Space” at the top to find details for your loca-

SUBURBIA

A Plant by Any Other Name

tion, as well as links to view the eclipse live online. Visit Dennis Mammana at dennismammana.com. . COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS.COM

BY TRACY BECKERMAN

“What do you think of our new succulent?” I asked my husband as I presented the small plant resting on our family room coffee table. I had decided to take the leap from plastic plants to live ones and figured this would be one I couldn’t kill too easily.

He looked at it and scrunched up his face.

“It’s OK ... but can you get something else?” He asked.

“Why?” I wondered aloud. “You don’t like it?”

“I don’t like the name.”’

“What? ‘Succulent’?”

“Yeah. It bothers me,” he replied.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “And so therefore you don’t want it in the house?”

“Right.”

“Thank goodness you don’t mind my name,” I said irritably.

I was quite dumbfounded. Who the heck rejects an item because they don’t

like what it’s called? I guess I really shouldn’t have been surprised, though.

My husband is a wonderful guy, but he has always been a little word-intolerant. He has passed on desserts at restaurants that were described as “moist” or “tasty,” refuses to eat anything with a “spork,” and won’t have anything to do with a product that comes as an “ointment.” He avoids at all costs using our outdoor “spigot,” or associating with anyone with a lot of “spunk.”

“If it really bothers you, we don’t have to call it a succulent,” I said. “We can just refer to it as ‘the Plant That Dare Not Be Named.’”

“Ugh. Don’t say that name.”

“Succulent?”

“I can never unhear that,” he complained.

I sighed. I decided that if this was going to be an issue, I really should go ahead and make it a huge issue.

“Do you know what a synonym for succulent is?” I asked him.

“No, what?” he asked. “Moist.”

He glared at me.

Also, tasty.”

“I see what you’re trying to do here,” he said.

“And did you know that aloe comes from a succulent?” I continued. “And aloe is an ointment.”

He sighed.

“See, honey, you can’t escape it,” I said. “But they’re just words. They don’t bite.”

“But I don’t like them.”

“OK, I get it,” I finally replied. “I don’t want to make you miserable. I’ll replace it with something else. Do you have a problem with the word ‘cactus’?”

“No, cactus is fine.”

“OK, it’s a cactus, then.”

“I can work with that,” he replied.

“Great. By the way, a cactus is a succulent.”

Tracy Beckerman is the author of

the Amazon Bestseller, “Barking at the Moon: A Story of Life, Love, and Kibble,” available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble online! You can visit her at www. tracybeckerman.com.

COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS.COM

REAL ESTATE WATCH

Why insurance companies are redefining ‘uninsurable’ homes

For decades, homeowners assumed one thing was virtually guaranteed: if you could afford the premium, you could insure your home. That quiet certainty is now eroding. Across the United States, insurance companies are not just raising rates — they are fundamentally redefining what it means for a property to be “insurable.”

This shift is happening unevenly and often quietly, but its implications for homeowners, buyers, lenders, and real estate professionals are profound. We are witnessing the early stages of a structural change in housing finance — one that could reshape property values and migration patterns over the next decade.

Let’s unpack what’s really happening.

The New Math of Risk

Insurance has always been about probabilities. But today’s insurers are no longer relying primarily on historical loss data. Instead, they are increasingly using forward-looking catastrophe models that project future risk based on climate trends, development patterns, and replacement costs.

That shift matters enormously.

In the past, a home was considered insurable if past losses in the area were manageable. Now, insurers are asking a different question: What is the probability this property becomes a major loss in the next 5–30 years?

As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, insurers face mounting payouts and higher reinsurance costs. The result is a quiet re-calibration of underwriting standards nationwide.

The Climate Multiplier Effect

The single biggest driver behind the redefining of “uninsurable” is climate risk — but not in the simplistic way many headlines suggest.

Yes, wildfires in California, hurricanes in Florida, and flooding in coastal areas are obvious factors. But insurers are now modeling secondary and emerging risks as well:

• Inland flooding in previously low-risk areas

• Severe convective storms in the Midwest

• Extreme heat stressing building systems

• Rapid brush growth followed by drought conditions

Climate change has already accounted for more than 30% of insured natural-catastrophe losses globally in the past decade. That is not a marginal shift — it is a structural one.

In response, insurers are raising premiums, limiting new policies, or refusing renewals altogether.

Between 2018 and 2023 alone, insurers canceled nearly two million home-

owner policies due to rising climate risks. That number should get every homeowner’s attention.

When the Spreadsheet Stops Working

Insurance companies are not charities. Their business model requires that premiums plus investment income exceed claims paid.

BY PHILIP A. RAICES

Three financial pressures are colliding:

1. Catastrophe Losses Are Spiking

Major disasters are producing record insured losses. When a single wildfire season or hurricane year wipes out years of underwriting profit, insurers reassess entire regions.

2. Reinsurance Costs Are Surging Insurance companies buy insurance themselves (reinsurance). Those costs have risen sharply, forcing primary carriers to either raise premiums or reduce exposure.

3. Replacement Costs Keep Climbing

Labor shortages, material inflation, and stricter building codes mean homes cost far more to rebuild than even five years ago.

When these three forces intersect, insurers reach a simple conclusion: some homes no longer pencil out.

The Quiet Rise of Non-Renewals

Most homeowners expect dramatic cancellations. Instead, the industry’s preferred tool is more subtle: non-renewal.

Rather than loudly declaring areas uninsurable, carriers simply:

• Stop writing new policies

• Reduce capacity in certain ZIP codes

• Non-renew higher-risk properties

• Tighten underwriting guidelines

• From the outside, it looks incremental. From the inside, it is strategic withdrawal.

In several high-risk states, major insurers have already scaled back or exited markets entirely, leaving homeowners scrambling for coverage.

The FAIR Plan Pressure Cooker

As private insurers retreat, staterun insurers of last resort — FAIR Plans and similar programs — are absorbing the overflow.

These plans were never designed to handle mass migration from the private market. Yet in many regions they are now the only option.

The danger is systemic:

• Coverage is often limited

• Premiums are typically higher

• Financial reserves can be thin

• Exposure is growing rapidly

• Analysts warn that the exodus of private insurers could place enormous strain on these government-backed programs.

If those backstops falter, the consequences for housing markets could be severe.

The Mortgage Domino Effect

Here is where the issue moves from insurance problem to housing problem. Without acceptable property insurance:

• Most lenders will not issue mortgages

• Buyers cannot finance purchases

• Property liquidity declines

• Values come under pressure Federal Reserve officials have already warned that lack of insurance could reduce homeownership and accelerate neighborhood disinvestment.

In plain English: uninsurable homes risk becoming unmortgageable homes. That is the real headline.

The Geographic Expansion of Risk

One of the biggest misconceptions is that this is only a coastal or wildfire-zone problem.

It isn’t.

Insurers are now using high-resolution data and predictive analytics that evaluate risk at the parcel level. Areas once considered safe are being reclassified based on:

• Micro-flood mapping

• Wind and hail history

• Vegetation density

• Distance to fire services

• Roof age and materials

• Local building code enforcement

This means the definition of “high risk” is expanding — often faster than public awareness.

Even markets in the Northeast and Midwest are beginning to feel the ripple effects through higher premiums and tighter underwriting.

Technology Is Accelerating the Shift

Artificial intelligence and advanced catastrophe modeling are speeding up the redefinition of insurability.

Today’s insurers can:

• Analyze satellite imagery of individual roofs

• Model wildfire spread street by street

• Predict flood depth property by property

• Score homes on resilience features

In short, the industry’s visibility into risk has improved dramatically. And when risk becomes measurable,

it becomes price-able — or avoidable. This technological leap is one reason the shift feels sudden. The data has finally caught up to the risk reality.

What This Means

for

Homeowners

For current homeowners, the implications are significant:

Expect More Volatility

Premium swings, carrier exits, and underwriting changes are likely to continue.

Property Condition Matters

More Than Ever

Roof age, mitigation features, and maintenance now directly affect insurability.

Location Risk Will Be Priced More Precisely

The days of broad ZIP-code pricing are fading.

Shopping Early Is Critical

Waiting until renewal season may leave fewer options.

What It Means for Buyers and Sellers

Real estate professionals need to pay close attention.

For sellers:

• Pre-listing insurance checks may become standard

• Disclosure around insurability could expand

• High premiums may affect buyer pools

• For buyers:

• Insurance quotes should be obtained during due diligence

• Debt-to-income calculations must include realistic premiums

• Some properties may require specialty carriers

• Increasingly, insurance is becoming a front-end transaction issue, not a back-end afterthought.

The Long-Term Market Question

Are we heading toward large numbers of truly uninsurable homes?

Probably not nationwide.

But we are likely moving toward a tiered housing market, where:

• Low-risk homes enjoy competitive insurance

• Moderate-risk homes face rising premiums

• High-risk homes rely on last-resort markets

• Extreme-risk properties struggle to obtain coverage at any price

• Over the next 10–20 years, this stratification could influence:

• Migration patterns

• New construction locations

• Municipal tax bases

• Long-term property values

In fact, some analyses suggest climate-driven insurance pressures could ultimately reduce U.S. home values by more than $1 trillion over the coming decades.

Continued on page 5

BY TOM MARGENAU

In prior columns, I gave readers a brief history of Social Security by highlighting the major changes to the program brought about by annual amendments to the original Social Security law. Every once in a great while, there is a dramatic change, such as the addition of the disability program in 1956. Most years, these amendments are minor and introduce only small technical changes to some of the program’s laws. And occasionally, the annual Social Security amendments introduce relatively modest reforms, such as the 1977 amendments that lowered the duration of marriage requirement for divorced women from 20 years to 10 years.

But the point I am getting at in today’s column is that almost without fail, every amendment to the original Social Security law over the years has expanded or increased outlays or liberalized the rules allowing more folks to qualify for the program’s various benefits.

In the 90-year history of the program, I can think of fewer than a half dozen times when Social Security benefits were actually reduced. Here is a brief overview of the Social Security cuts that have been made over the years.

Raising the Retirement Age

This change, brought about by the 1983 Commission on Social Security Reform, wasn’t a “cut” per se, in existing benefits. But by raising the retirement age from 65 to 67, it delayed the amount of time a person could collect his or her full retirement age benefit. By the way, this change, enacted in 1983, will not go fully into effect until people born in 1960 and later reach their full retirement age in 2027. And the point I am making here is that if Congress decides to raise the retirement age again as part of any upcoming reforms to the program, it won’t happen overnight. It will probably be implemented over many future decades.

Student Benefits

Since the very earliest days of Social Security, the dependent minor children of a retired or deceased parent and since the mid 1950s, the dependent minor children of a disabled parent, were eligible for monthly benefits on the parent’s Social Security record.

Those benefits were paid until the child turned 18, but could continue beyond age 18 in two circumstances: First, if the child was disabled, in which case they could continue for the rest of the child’s life, even into their adult years; and second, if the child was still in school, in which case they would continue until age 22.

In 1981, Congress decided to eliminate benefits to students over age 18. They reasoned that because so many other forms of government loans and grants were available to students, there was no need to further subsidize higher education

Social Security Benefits Rarely Cut

through the Social Security program.

Mother’s Benefits Curtailed Congress was looking for other ways to trim Social Security outlays in 1981 and widowed mothers and dependent wives/mothers of retired or disabled husbands with minor children ended up in their crosshairs.

For decades, the law had prescribed that wives and widows of any age with young children in their care could receive monthly benefits (in addition to the benefits paid to their kids) as long as at least one of their children was eligible for benefits. But in 1981, they changed the law to say that benefits to the mother would end when the youngest child turned 16. They figured that once all the children were over age 16, the mother ought to be able to work, if necessary, to help support her family.

(By the way, although these situations rarely occur, the same benefits and the same cutbacks also applied to widowed fathers and dependent stay-athome husbands with minor children.)

Death Benefit Restrictions

In the early days of Social Security, Congress offered a one-time death benefit to the family members of a taxpayer who died before having a chance to collect Social Security benefits. Over the years, this partial refund of Social Security taxes morphed into an official Social Security death benefit payable to the family members of anyone who died, even if he or she had been a Social Security beneficiary.

Most people mistakenly referred to the one-time payment as a “burial benefit.” It was never meant to be that, especially considering that it was capped at $255 many years ago. As anyone who has ever planned a funeral knows, $255 would barely cover the cost of flowers, let alone all the other burial or cremation costs.

Anyway, in yet another attempt to curtail Social Security expenditures, Congress in 1981 decided that the death benefit should be paid only to a widow or widower who was living with the deceased at the time of death, or to any minor children.

Benefits to Prisoners

Suspended

Before 1992, it was assumed that people getting Social Security had earned their benefits, so they were legally due their Social Security checks no matter where they lived. But in the early 1990s, Congress came under intense pressure to suspend monthly benefits to anyone in jail or prison. People felt that since prisoners were already getting their room and board paid for by the taxpayers, they didn’t need taxpayer-funded Social Security checks.

Drug Addicts and Alcoholics

There was a rash of news stories in the mid 1990s highlighting certain disabled people who were allegedly spending the proceeds of their Social Security disabil-

ity checks on drugs and alcohol. Knuckling under the pressure to do something about this, Congress eventually passed a law that essentially denied such benefits to anyone whose only disabling condition was drug addiction or alcoholism. The law was largely pointless, though, because most of these folks have other conditions that qualify for disability. For example, a hardcore alcoholic probably had some kind of kidney or liver damage and that impairment keeps the disability checks rolling in.

If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at thomas.margenau@comcast.net.

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CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Why insurance companies are redefining ‘uninsurable’ homes

Continued from page 3

The Bottom Line Insurance companies are not loudly declaring homes uninsurable — but make no mistake, the definition is being rewritten in real time.

Driven by climate volatility, rising rebuild costs, expensive reinsurance, and powerful new analytics, the industry is moving toward far more surgical risk selection.

For homeowners and real estate professionals, the message is clear:

Insurability is becoming as important as location, condition, and price.

Those who adapt early — by understanding risk, improving property resilience, and verifying coverage upfront — will navigate this transition

far more successfully than those who assume yesterday’s rules still apply.

Because in today’s housing market, the most dangerous words a homeowner can hear may soon be:

“We’re sorry — we can’t renew your policy.”

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 43+ years experience in the Real Estate industry and has earned 3 significant designations:

National Association of Realtors Graduate Realtors Institute (what I consider a Master’s degree in real estate). Certified International Property Specialist - expert in consulting and completing international transactions.

National Association of Realtors Green designation: eco-friendly low carbon footprint construction with 3-D printed foundations, Solar panels, Geothermal HVAC/Heat Pumps).

He will also provide a copy of “Unlocking the Secrets of Real Estate’s New Market Reality, and his Seller’s and Buyer’s Guides for “Things to Consider when Selling, investing or Purchasing your Home.

He will provide you with “free” regular updates of what has gone under contract (pending), been sold (closed) and those homes that have been withdrawn/ released or expired (W/R) and all new listings of homes, HOA, Townhomes, Condos, and Coops in your town or go to: https://WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com and you can “do it yourself (DYI) and search at your leisure on your own. However, for a “FREE” no obligation/ no strings attached 15-minute consultation, as well as a “FREE printout or digital value analysis of what your home might sell for in today’s market without any obligation or “strings” attached call him at (516) 647-4289 or email: Phil@ TurnKeyRealEstate.com

Women’s History Month: A writer & a dancer

BY CLAIRE LYNCH

March is Women’s History Month and I am recognizing writer Joan Didion and dancer and choreographer Martha Graham for their achievements.

Joan Didion

Joan Didion was born on December 5, 1934, in Sacramento, California, to Eduene and Frank Reese Didion. She had one brother who was five years younger. Didion recalled writing things down as early as age five, although she said she never considered herself a writer until after her work had been published.

She attended kindergarten and first grade, but, because her father was a finance officer in the Army Air Corps and the family relocated often, Didion didn’t attend school regularly. She loved to read and considered herself a shy person.

In 1944 her family returned to Sacramento and her father went to Detroit to negotiate defense contracts for World War II. Didion wrote about her family’s many moves in her 2003 memoir, “Where I Was From.”

In 1956 Didion received a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley. During her senior year she won first place in the “Prix de Paris” essay contest, sponsored by “Vogue” and was given a job as a research assistant at the magazine. The topic of her winning essay was the San Francisco architect William Wurster.

During her seven years at “Vogue,” from 1956 to 1964, Didion worked her way up from promotional copywriter to associate feature editor. “Mademoiselle” published Didion’s article “Berkeley’s Giant: The University of California” in January 1960. While working at “Vogue” she was homesick for California so she

wrote her first novel, “Run River,” published in 1963 about a Sacramento family as it comes apart.

It was writer and friend John Gregory Dunne who helped Didion edit the book. John, the younger brother of author, businessman, and TV mystery show host Dominick Dunne, was writing for “Time” magazine at the time. He and Didion married in 1964.

The couple moved to Los Angeles in 1964 and California remained their home for the next 20 years. In 1966, they adopted a daughter named Quintana Roo Dunne. Joan Didion and John Dunne wrote many newsstand-magazine assignments as a means of paying the bills. In Los Angeles, they settled in Los Feliz from 1963 to 1971, and then, after living in Malibu for eight years, she and Dunne moved to Brentwood Park.

Didion said that as a teenager she observed how accomplished writers crafted their stories. She said, “I learned a lot about how sentences worked. How a short sentence worked in a paragraph, how a long sentence worked. Where the commas worked. How every word had to matter. It made me excited about words.”

Joan Didion noted in “Why I Write” that she knew she was a writer because she was always paying attention to the periphery - the way leaves fell from the tree out the window, the smell of the Greyhound bus on her daily commute, the way certain streetlights became sinister in the evening - rather than strictly focusing on ideas.

For four decades Joan Didion had her own special way of expressing thoughts in her novels and essays about love, loss and the world around her - publishing five novels and a dozen nonfiction books. In 2013, she was awarded a National Humanities Medal by President Barack

Obama and the PEN Center USA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Didion died on December 23, 2021, in NYC at age 87.

Martha Graham

An American modern dancer, teacher and choreographer: Martha Graham’s style, often called the Graham technique, reshaped the dance world and is still taught in academies worldwide.

Born on May 11, 1894, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Graham moved to California as a teenager where she was inspired by Ruth St. Denis and joined her Denishawn School. It was her father, a physician interested in body language, who instilled the idea that “movement never lies.” That principle that shaped her work.

Graham danced and taught for over 70 years. She was the first dancer to perform at the White House, travel abroad as a cultural ambassador and receive the highest civilian award of the US: the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. In her lifetime she received honors ranging from the Key to the City of Paris to Japan’s Imperial Order of the Precious Crown.

In the 1994 documentary, “The Dancer Revealed,” Martha Graham said, “I have spent all my life with dance and being a dancer. It’s permitting life to use you in a very intense way. Sometimes it is not pleasant. Sometimes it is fearful. But nevertheless it is inevitable.”

In 1926, Martha Graham founded her dance company and school, living and working out of a tiny Carnegie Hall studio in midtown Manhattan. The Martha Graham School is the oldest school of dance in the U.S. The school currently has two different studios in New York City. In developing her technique, Martha Graham experimented endlessly

with basic human movement, beginning with the most elemental movements of contraction and release.

In her NYC dance school Graham focused on raw emotions through sharp, angular movements. She believed that dance speaks directly to our emotions and inner feelings. It’s a reminder that we can express ourselves without using words.

She choreographed a ballet called “Appalachian Spring” and explored Greek myths, collaborating with artists like sculptor Isamu Noguchi and composer Aaron Copland. Touring globally, Martha Graham became a cultural ambassador and performed until she was 75. Her innovations in movement, storytelling, and collaboration made her a foundational figure in modern dance.

Graham has been called the “Picasso of Dance” because she was important to modern dance in a way that Pablo Picasso was enormously important to modern visual arts. Her impact has been also compared to the influence of Stravinsky on music and Frank Lloyd Wright on architecture.

In 2013, the dance films by her were selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the registry’s owner, the Library of Congress. Martha Graham is well known for saying, “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”

Martha Graham choreographed until her death in December 1991 in NYC at age 96.

Writer Joan Didion and dancer Martha Graham both felt that their craft had chosen them and they spent their lives working at their professions. Graham once said, “Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.”

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Hit the sweet (potato) spot with homemade bread

Sweet Potato Bread

Many people have a passion for baking. Baking can be a rewarding hobby and fill a home with an aroma that’s unique, welcoming and instantly identifiable.

There’s no shortage of options when the desire to bake arises. Homemade bread is a go-to among baking enthusiasts, who can whip up a loaf of this “Sweet Potato Bread” courtesy of Lines+Angles. Makes 1 loaf

1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar

1⁄4 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1 3⁄4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1⁄3 cup water

1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

1⁄2 cup shelled chopped pecans or walnuts

In Addition:

Pure maple syrup, for drizzling Whipped cream, to serve

1) Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil; beat well. Add eggs, one at a time and beat between each addition. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with water. Stir in mashed sweet potatoes and chopped nuts.

3. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for about one hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

4. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to cool further. Slice and serve with maple syrup and whipped cream.

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Boosting

The 2026 Great Backyard Bird Count at Centennial Gardens

From page 1

show up or not show up from year to year. To that point, noticeably missing from this year’s count were regulars like Black-capped Chickadees, American Goldfinch, and House Finch.

However, to the delight of all who observed, two surprise visitors this winter were a Red-breasted Nuthatch and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Some of the Garden’s regular winter visitors, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, White-throated Sparrows and Dark-

eyed Junco were spotted in abundance. We even observed some sea gulls flying over the Gardens but they didn’t get close enough to determine exactly what species of shorebird they were.

And then there are the faithful species that stay on Long Island year round and regularly add to the beauty of our winter landscape, especially with the snowy backdrop. Among the colorful species observed were Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, House Sparrows, Song

Sparrows, Northern Mockingbirds, and the sometimes controversial Common Grackle.

In winter, Common Grackles gather in large flocks and can often be observed taking over a lawn or two, hunting for food. If those lawns are covered with snow as they were this year, the Grackles will turn to alternative food sources such as bird feeders. And while their iridescent colors of purple and blue are a thing of beauty, their large numbers can wipe out a bird feeder or bird feeders in record time. At one point this observer

estimated the number at around 250 birds; definitely a sight to see as they land and fly off in unison.

Of course another great social aspect of The Great Backyard Bird Count is to be outdoors and at Centennial Gardens in wintertime. Meeting and greeting old friends and new who came to help with the bird count is revitalizing after a long winter’s nap. All the more reason that if you haven’t participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count in the past, you might consider adding it to next February’s list of fun things to do!

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Fibromyalgia - The Invisible Illness

You wake up some days and can’t get out of bed.

Most evenings the pain is so intense you can’t even make dinner for your family.

The exhaustion takes over and covers you like a heavy blanket.

And of course, depression hits: you can’t clean your house or play with your kids.

You wonder if you’re any good to anybody like this.

This is life with Fibromyalgia.

And it was everyday life for Kelly C. of Westbury, NY. “I would spend my days in bed as the pain traveled to different parts of my body. Often it would feel as though there were bugs scurrying under my skin, a sensation I wish on no one. Look, I knew my family needed me, and it was devastating to disappoint them day after day because I didn’t feel well,” shares Kelly.

Fibromyalgia is a complicated and chronic condition that disrupts the lives of over 4 million people in the U.S. because of inconsistent and allencompassing symptoms, fibromyalgia remains one of the most difficult conditions to diagnose and treat. Ultimately, it becomes a diagnosis of exclusion. Scans show nothing, tests come back inconclusive, and your questions don’t have answers so the doctors diagnose you with “fibro”. A majority of practitioners will recommend anti-inflammatory diets increasing you take of magnesium, or prescribe

prescription medications that come with a slew of uncomfortable side effects. All of these are band-aids, masking the symptoms rather than fixing them.

“All the doctors and specialists I met with couldn’t offer me a real solution. Some even had the audacity to tell me that my pain was all in my head. I had never felt so defeated and disrespected. I started doing my own researchreading articles that told me to go gluten-free and eliminate toxins, even in my face wash. I did all of it and didn’t find any relief. However, I was having such a hard time focusing and concentrating. I’m not entirely confident in anything I did.”

Kelly’s story is not uncommon amongst those suffering from fibromyalgia. The pain is inconsistent and unrelenting, causing debilitating chronic fatigue and brain fog, something the afflicted not-so affectionately refer to as ‘fibro fog.’

the staff at Westbury Acupuncture have a 90% success rate in treating Fibromyalgia?

There are a few suggested causes for fibromyalgia including genetics, infections, and physical trauma, but so much about this disease is still so unknown that it has been dubbed the ‘invisible illness.’

Until now!

“I saw something on the local newspaper featuring licensed acupuncturist, Jae Won and his work with fibromyalgia.

At this point, I was willing to try anything. And thank God I did. Going to his acupuncture clinic has allowed me to go from surviving to truly thriving!” Kelly exclaims. “Since starting treatment, I went from not being able to cook dinner for my family to cooking for my daughter’s entire graduation party and playing slip-n-slide with two dozen teenagers. I was even able to go visit my mother for the first time in two years! Before I was unable to make the ride because it put me in too much pain. I even hugged her!”

And why do Jae Won and

Jae Won shares all. “In addition to acupuncture, which has been used to treat pain for thousands of years, we use ATP Resonance BioTherapy. It’s a cutting edge technology that targets specific tissues in the body. It then reprograms them for optimal performance. We have protocols for a myriad of chronic conditions from neuropathy to tendonitis. We can even target the pain and inflammation caused by fibromyalgia.”

It’s in combining his experience, the time-tested science of acupuncture, and modern medical solutions like ATP Resonance BioTherapy that Westbury Acupuncture is giving much needed relief to those suffering with fibromyalgia and other complicated, chronic conditions.

Because Jae Won designs very personalized treatment programs for each of his patients, an initial consultation is required in order to receive treatment.

For a limited time the cost of that consult is free.

Visit WestburyAcupuncture.com to learn more or call (516) 500-8281 to schedule today.

&

Welcome to this beautiful and inviting 4-bedroom Cape, offering a seamless blend of comfort, functionality, and timeless appeal. The main level features a warm and welcoming living room, a dining room ideal for entertaining, and a well-appointed kitchen designed for everyday ease. A spacious primary bedroom on the first floor, along with an additional bedroom and full hall bathroom, provides flexible living options perfect for today’s lifestyle. Upstairs, you’ll find two generously sized bedrooms and a full bathroom, offering privacy and comfort with great space for extended living or work-from-home needs. The full basement expands your living potential with laundry, utilities, additional rooms, abundant storage, and convenient egress access to the backyard. Step outside to a private backyard set on a 40x100 property, perfect for relaxing or entertaining along with an ample private driveway. Ideally positioned on a wide, desirable block, this home offers easy access to NYC, public transportation, shopping, dining, major highways, and is located within sought-after School District #26. A great opportunity to customize and make this home your own in a prime location.

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Schedule your private showing with Marie Grant today at (516) 524-2781 as this opportunity won’t last.