_______________ east meadow ______________
HERALD
Did you know...
Let Us Cater Your Next Home Or Office Party Book Your Holiday Parties No w!
: LI Maidenbaum is #1 for ne in W Choice Award ive Yerar s! Three Consecut
Private Party Room Avail able for Up to 100 People
2025
2024 2023
EMFD releases 2025 report
ION ERTY TAX REDUCT THE LEADER IN PROP ND DEADLINE MARCH 2
Apply online at ote mptrg.com/heraldn or call 516.715.1266 Maidenbaum Property
516-794-0190
1580 Hempstead Turnpike East Meadow (1/4 mi. East of Nassau Co liseum) www.borrellisrestaurant. com Scan to VOTE!
Page 4
Hablamos Español
p, LLC
Tax Reduction Grou
Vol. 26 No. 7 FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2026
$1.00
Mystery author holds library book signing By JoSEPH D’AlESSANDRo jdalessandro@liherald.com
Courtesy East Meadow Public Library
Members of the East Meadow Public Library’s Mysteries and Thrillers Book Club received signed copies of “The Gallagher Place,” written by Julie Doar, second from right, last month.
Julie Doar, author of the mystery-thriller “The Gallagher Place” recently visited East Meadow fans at the East Meadow Public Library Doar’s debut novel was recently the subject of the library’s Mystery/Thriller Book Club, receiving such a positive reception that Doar appeared for a Meet and Greet Book Signing at the library on Jan. 27, revealing behind-the-scenes details about her life and creative process. A middle school English teacher in Brooklyn, Doar described the novel’s success as a dream come true. “At the time that I was writing the first draft of this novel, I was working as a barista at Starbucks,” she said. Throughout her days, she consistently found a spare hour or two to focus on her creative projects. “I would totally return to East Meadow, it was a really nice event,” Doar said. “I think the beauty of library ConTinuED on PaGE 12
State Sen. Rhoads pushes back on Hochul’s plans By lUKE FEENEY lfeeney@liherald.com
Gov. Kathy Hochul promised a broad slate of new policies aimed at affordability, child care, housing and public safety in her State of the State address last month. But State Sen. Steve Rhoads is pushing back, saying that many of those plans either don’t go far enough or fail to reflect the needs of Long Island communities. “The state of the state of New York is strong, and we’re just getting started,” Hochul declared in her Jan. 13 address, highlighting priorities like universal pre-K by 2028, crack-
downs on gun violence and insurance fraud, and more than $350 million in new investments in affordable and manufactured housing. But Rhoads, a Republican who represents East Meadow and other nearby communities, argued that the governor’s proposals often miss the mark — especially when it comes to public safety, affordability and housing. “She is now conditioning funding on municipalities being pro-housing communities,” Rhoads told the Herald, adding that this creates unfair burdens for local governments. “Unless the entire township
agrees to loosen its zoning restrictions, it won’t qualify for state assistance in helping to promote that.” He pointed to the Town of Hempstead — which includes East Meadow — as an example. If East Meadow were to identify land for affordable housing, Rhoads said, the town as a whole would have to ease zoning restrictions to qualify for state support. That, he argued, is a “disincentive” that could stop good projects from moving forward. On the subject of affordability, Hochul supported eliminating taxes on tips and cracking down on staged car accidents
that inflate insurance premiums. She also proposed expanded child care access — including pilot programs for 2- and 3-year-olds and a push for universal pre-K statewide. “There’s one thing that every family in New York can agree on, the cost of childcare is simply too high,” Hochul wrote in a release announcing the propos-
al, arguing that it has been a cornerstone of her agenda. She also wrote of her pride in working with leaders statewide “to make this a reality, turning that foundation into a concrete roadmap that will transform the lives of working parents and kids across our state.” Rhoads agreed that there is a ConTinuED on PaGE 17