East Meadow Herald 02-19-2026

HERALD east meadow

Paper-based competition closes out the NF l season

The 2025-26 NFL season may be over, but that didn’t mean that fifth-graders at Bowling Green Elementary School in East Meadow couldn’t engage in some friendly competition. Students and teachers dressed in their favorite sports jerseys cheered on their classmates during a spirited paper football challenge. The objective of the challenges was to push a paper football across the desk without it falling, symbolizing a touchdown. Above, students engaged in the competition while sporting their favorite teams’ jerseys. Right, non-competitors cheered on their peers. Story, more photos, Page 10.

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Barnum Woods wraps up exciting cereal box drive

By JoSEPH D’AlESSANDRo jdalessandro@liherald.com

The students at Barnum Woods Elementary School prepared an enormous donation of 1,019 boxes of cereal for the people of East Meadow and beyond. To celebrate the achievement, students set up a proper Barnum Woods sendoff: setting up all of the boxes into an enormous domino display that, when toppled, sent ripples throughout the school’s longest hallways.

WThat domino display was how the second annual Barnum Woods Cereal Challenge ended on Feb. 12. The event was created by the East Meadow Kiwanis Club, a local division of the international nonprofit, which focuses on supporting educations and developing the civic leadership skills of young people.

pair of 10-year-olds. Beck detailed how the K-Kids worked on the event.

“We had a meeting with the principal (about) a lot of stuff — when we would knock down the cereal boxes and where everything would go,” she said. “We also had to decide how many we wanted to get and where to put everything, and we had to count them and where to donate them.”

e gave them a challenge, and they rose to the occasion.

DoNNA GolDStEiN Kiwanis Club President

In total, the students’ haul of donations exceeded last year’s total of 954 boxes and this year’s goal of 1,000 boxes — an effort rewarded with a visit from the school’s mascot, the Barnum Bobcat, on the day of the celebration.

The motive of the drive is to feed local community members in need.

The K-Kids are one of the Kiwanis Club divisions designed for young people, in this case, elementary schoolers. K-Kids is led by Co-Presidents Stella Beck and Sky Brozgis, a

Throughout the cereal challenge, volunteers from the high school Key Club and the adult Kiwanis Club helped make the event possible — as well as their classmates. Throughout the food drive, Barnum Woods’ Continued on page 6

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A Latin American musical experience in E.M.

Guitarist Daniel Moreno presented “Mosaico Latino: Homage to the Music of Latin America” on Feb. 8 at 2 p.m., offering audiences a musical tribute to the diverse sounds of Latin America.

The program blended traditional rhythms with contemporary influences and featured works by renowned composers including Argentina’s Jorge Morel, Paraguay’s Agustín Barrios Mangoré and Brazil’s Paulo Bellinati. Selections included Morel’s “Danza Brasiliera,” Cardoso’s “Milonga,” Dyens’ “Tango en Skai,” Mangoré’s “La Catedral” and Jobim’s “Felicidade,” highlighting the region’s rich cultural and musical heritage.

The East Meadow Public Library hosts Sunday concerts throughout the winter. For more on what’s ahead, visit EastMeadow.info.

–Jordan Vallone

east meadow fire department

Volunteers brave bitter cold to protect communities

By JOHN J. O’BRIEN Sr.

On Kindness

Special to the Herald

A winter storm that struck Long Island on Jan. 26 dumped 8 to 10 inches of snow across the region, with even higher totals reported elsewhere, setting off nearly two weeks of demanding emergency operations for East Meadow Fire Department volunteers working in dangerously cold conditions.

On the night of the storm, Chief Michael Wood ordered an emergency standby, directing firefighters and EMTs to report to their respective stations. Many left their families behind to remain at the stations, ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

With wind chill temperatures dropping to as low as minus 15 degrees, some East Meadow Fire Department companies responded to major fires in neighboring communities while others remained on standby to protect residents within the district.

During this period, Nassau, Suffolk and New York City experienced an unprecedented increase in major fires, some resulting in tragic outcomes. While East Meadow’s emergency calls

were generally less severe, that allowed local volunteers to assist neighboring departments facing more serious incidents.

During the frigid stretch, East Meadow units provided mutual aid responses including a Jan. 26 working house fire in Levittown, where EMFD Engine 3, Engine 4 and Ladder 2 responded; a Jan. 27 working house fire in Uniondale, with Engine 2 and Hook & Ladder 1 responding; a Feb. 5 working house fire in North Merrick, where Engine 2 and Hook & Ladder 1 were dispatched; and two separate incidents on Feb. 7 in North Bellmore, including a working apartment house fire and a working house fire, both of which brought responses from Hook & Ladder 1 and Engine 2.

Between Jan. 28 and Feb. 10, East Meadow fire chiefs responded to 79 emergencies, with responses involving all companies or those assigned to particular areas depending on the type of call.

John J. O’Brien Sr. is an ex-chief, training instructor, website chairman, and public relations official with the East Meadow Fire Department.

Cereal box drive benefits multiple charities

student-led press team, Jacob Durso, 10, Michael Simmons, 9, helped motivate their classmates to give. The duo created podcasts and read aloud school announcements each day, gaining experience with public speaking and motivating their peers to support the effort.

The proceeds from the challenge go to several recipients: Long Island Cares picked up 600 boxes of cereal on Feb. 13, and with the remainder going towards the Veterans Food Pantry at the Nassau University Medical Center, as well as the local parishes St. Martha’s, St. Raphael’s and St. Bridgette’s.

Brozgis welcomed the hundreds of her classmates who joined her in the halls to view the domino display.

“In the past month, as Barnum Woods focused on making ‘pawsitive’ choices, preparing to focus on the character trait of caring, we all helped spread care by collecting cereal boxes for those who need it,” she said.

The class who brought in the most donations was led by Danielle Curcio’s 5th grade class, with 67 boxes. The winning class receives four prizes: free homework passes, extended recess, an in-school field trip to the recycling club’s Caine’s Arcade, and a pajama and snack party sponsored by School Principal Amanda Sagnelli.

Kiwanis Club Past President Melody Schiller also serves as a K-Kids advisor, guiding the students towards their goals while reinforcing the intended learning outcome of the exercise.

“This is such a huge event that is very memorable and fun for kids,” she

said. “It really sticks in their heads when they’re thinking about their everyday choices… they’re able to go back to this wonderful memory and build on it and make kind choices every day.

“We have a lot of kids in the hospital, as well as feeding a lot of hungry families,” Schiller added. “When the kids see a need, they want to fill it.”

Kiwanis Club President Donna Goldstein, through the Kiwanis Club, donated 100 cereal boxes to the K-Kids.

“We are so proud of them,” she said. “We gave them a challenge, and they rose to the occasion, and they’re really becoming great future leaders.”

Students from Barnum

elementary School took a break from class to set up hundreds of cereal boxes in a domino display to celebrate the completion of the food drive.

Hall repeats county title distance trifecta

By PATRICK MOQUIN sports@liherald.com

In a legacy-cementing senior campaign, track and field star Zaria Hall continues to blaze a trail all her own at East Meadow. In the Nassau Class A indoor track and field championship Feb. 3, the year-round runner swept the 1000-, 1500- and 3000-meter runs, successfully defending her titles in all three events.

“I wasn’t really sure how I was going to perform, because I haven’t really trained for the 3000-meter this season,” Hall said. “But I felt confident. I just tried to think happy thoughts and have patience. I’ve done this before.”

On Feb. 12, Hall extended her indoor season when she won the 1000 and 1500 in state qualifiers, successfully earning berths in both events for the state championship next month. The University of Miami commit completed the 1000 in 3:02.51 and 1500 in 4:53.97.

“She’s absolutely the best runner we’ve had in school history,” East Meadow coach Michael Ringhauser said. “Her motivation is next-level. She’s always a perfectionist and she’s always looking, even in amazing races,

to see what she could have done a little bit differently. She’s always looking to learn and improve upon herself.”

Taking winter and spring seasons into account, Hall has won all three distance races in her class at four consecutive Nassau championship meets. In indoor track, she has twice broken the county record in the 1000, which once stood for more than three decades. She is also the school record holder in the 600- and 1500 runs. In cross country, she has won three consecutive county championships.

“There’s not really much more that I could accomplish that I haven’t already,” Hall said. “Just having fun and hitting a lot of the times to potentially be All-American is something I’ve wanted for a while.”

At the Nassau Class A championship meet, Hall’s 30-point haul was not enough for East Meadow to defend its title, as Massapequa exacted revenge in a gritty 92-88 victory. Nevertheless, the Jets enjoyed a successful meet with 12 points finishes.

Noelle McGarry came through with a massive result in the 55-meter hurdles, winning in 8.99 seconds. Relatively new to the technical event, the soph-

omore has gone to painstaking lengths to become one of the strongest hurdlers in the county.

“That is a product of unbelievable work ethic and striving to get better every day,” Ringhauser said. “Noelle started hurdling last spring and in our division championships, she finished 12th. Six months later, she’s the Nassau County champion.”

Junior Abigail Joseph, who tied the school record for high jump, cleared five feet and one inch to win at the county championship. She was also the lead leg in the 4x200 relay, in which East Meadow finished fourth. Joseph was one of two Jets to score in field events, along with junior Emily Zaradich, who finished fourth in the long jump. Zaradich was also runner-up in the 600 run, making her the only East Meadow athlete besides Hall to score points in multiple individual events.

Natalie Rivera and Emily Zheng have both taken exceptionally well to the 1500-meter race walk and finished a quarter-second apart at the championship meet for second and third. Both have qualified for the national championship in March.

What’s underground comes back around

Undoing the damage: the challenges of managing Long Island’s largest chemical spill

By ALYSSA R. GRIFFIN & JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO of the Herald Community Newspapers

Second installment in a series about water.

It’s impossible to discuss Long Island’s groundwater without addressing Northrop Grumman.

The Long Island aeronautics industry was a key asset to the United States armed forces in the last century, testing and manufacturing nearly 30,000 airplanes for the U.S. Navy starting in the 1930s, and later producing the lunar module for Apollo 11’s landing on the moon. For over 50 years, the Northrop Grumman Bethpage Facility and Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant Site was at the center of American defense and innovation — and one of the largest chemical contamination sites in New York.

According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the degreasing agent trichloroethene leaked from NWIRP’s plumbing and dumping sites into the Magothy Aquifer — which provides water to much of Nassau County — creating the Navy Grumman groundwater plume.

tions or captured in granulated carbon, preventing any future leaks.

The DEC’s 2019 Record of Decision was the first formal plan for cleaning up the site. Before then, there were around 10 extraction wells in the affected area. Since the ROD, the number of wells has risen to 26, supported by five watertreatment plants. The aggressive plan to stop the plume’s southward migration was motivated by the DEC’s zero-tolerance attitude toward chemical contamination, Pelton said.

“Groundwater exists in these voids between grains of sand and soils in what we call pore spaces,” Granzen explained. “Water moves in between those pore spaces. When the contaminants get mixed with the groundwater, that causes movement.”

RISING TIDES

“The water districts should not have to address this,” Pelton said. “That’s the primary driver here: removing the TCE from the aquifer system so that we’ve got a better drinking water source.”

The plume is a twomile-by-four-mile body of TCE with the potential to leach into Long Island’s South Shore waters and the Great South Bay, according to Jason Pelton, director of Remedial Bureau D in the DEC’s Division of Environmental Remediation.

“As plumes go, it’s probably the largest in New York state,” Pelton said. “It may be one of the largest in the country.”

Bethpage’s tarnished legacy

Shortly after the plume was identified in 1983, the DEC formed a partnership with both the responsible parties, the Navy and Northrop Grumman, to begin restoration efforts. The two groups operate extraction wells, large structures that siphon water out of the aquifer, filter out TCE, and send the water back underground by way of recharge basins.

“I’ve been very impressed with the Navy and Northrop Grumman’s ability to locate these wells precisely where they need to be, and to see the contaminant numbers that are coming out in these locations,” Kristin Granzen, DEC project manager for the U.S. Navy Bethpage site, said.

The joint cleanup effort processes about 10 million gallons of contaminated water per day, according to DEC documents provided to the Herald. The agency estimates that about 80 percent of the contamination — 276,000 pounds — has been removed from the Magothy Aquifer and destroyed in chemical reac-

The DEC’s goal is to reduce the aquifer’s TCE levels to 5 parts per billion, the groundwater safety standard, though much of the plume’s area is still over 50 ppb, according to DEC map data from May 2025.

“The fact that it’s predominantly TCE makes it a little bit easier,” Pelton added. “The challenge is the magnitude of the contamination … I would say maybe we’re pumping in the interior of the plume for 30 or 40 more years.”

Chemicals linger, at what cost?

While the cleanup continues, the plume’s public health effects have been a topic of endless discussion. Its cleanup is made possible by collaboration with local municipalities, home to the county’s hundreds of monitoring wells collecting data on groundwater. They are a strict quality-control measure assessing whether the water is safe to consume or to use in irrigation.

Kevin Reilly, who oversees the monitoring of the Massapequa Water District as its superintendent, told the Herald that if the chemicals posed no real health risks to the community, there would be no need for the decades-long cleanup effort. The district serves parts of Massapequa, Massapequa Park and North Massapaqua, all areas just south of Bethpage, where the plume originated.

After filtration, there are no risks to residents’ health, the DEC maintains. “I would say the overall health of the aquifer is healthy,” Pelton said. “It’s important that people know that their drinking water is really high quality, and it’s absolutely safe to drink that water.”

According to a chemical profile from the Agency for Toxic Substances and

Courtesy Department of Environmental Conservation this map shows the estimated extent of the navy grumman groundwater plume, which was first identifed in 1983, based on the most recent data from 2025.

Disease Registry, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TCE can be a carcinogen with high exposure, and the state Department of Health conducted an environmental health investigation in Bethpage, finalized in 2013, on whether long-term exposure to contamination from the sites had affected local cancer rates.

According to the department’s report, there was no correlation between the presence of TCE in the aquifer with cancer rates on Long Island. The most commonly diagnosed cancers in the areas affected by the plume were those typically seen most often in adults, and no single rare cancer type appeared more than once. Most diagnoses occurred at ages when cancer is generally most common. There was no indication that the cancers were linked to environmental findings.

The health department continues routine monitoring of drinking water and remediation efforts to protect public health as the cleanup progresses.

At the request of the Bethpage community, the department is revisiting the

2013 study, and its work is expected to be completed by the end of this year. In a written statement, the department told the Herald that the update cannot provide a direct link between cancer cases and environmental exposure, including the plume. Evaluations of environmental exposure can draw some health associations, but they cannot determine causality.

“There is no new threat to public health, and prior exposures have been addressed for more than a decade due to the efforts of New York State,” the statement read. “The Department is currently working on the study and upon completion of the report will announce findings and host a public meeting.”

The race against the spread

The state continues its effort to clean up the plume while keeping the affected communities informed. The DEC facilitates regular community meetings through its Community Participation Working Group, comprising elected officials, agencies, businesses and experts

Saga of Navy-Grumman plume continues

Continued from PreViouS PAGe

that meet on a quarterly basis. The group was established to foster dialogue, improve public understanding, and encourage discussion of the cleanup.

The DEC staff also provides regular project updates at Bethpage Community Council meetings, which are held at the Bethpage Public Library and open to the public.

According to the DEC’s January Groundwater Plume Cleanup Update, public water suppliers treat groundwater using established methods to contain regulated contaminants before they reach homes and businesses. Water is drawn from designated sources, treated to meet all federal and state drinking water standards, and distributed through a network of mains and storage tanks. Throughout the process, water quality is continuously monitored to ensure that it remains safe to drink.

The challenge is the magnitude of the contamination.

Jason PelTon Remedial bureau director, Department of Environmental Conservation

“We work really closely with the water districts in Nassau County,” Pelton said. “Every single day they provide high-quality drinking water that meets all of the New York State Department of Health drinking water requirements.”

The system relies on multiple safeguards to maintain high water quality and protect public health. This approach ensures that if standards are not met, suppliers notify customers and take corrective action, which can include temporarily taking wells out of service.

Negotiations among public water suppliers, the DEC, Northrop Grumman and the Navy have focused on funding the treatment systems used to maintain safe drinking water. The Bethpage Water District, for example, operates treatment systems that are considered among the most advanced in the nation, according to the DEC.

Though it is currently not affected, the Massapequa Water District is just outside the current spread of the plume. “We are not an active part of the cleanup yet,” Reilly said. “We monitor — there’s monitoring wells that we get the data from the Navy and their consultants and the DEC. But we don’t have any contamination in our wells from the Grumman Navy plume at this time.”

Common misconception has led many Long Island residents to believe the entirety of the South Shore has been impacted, which is not the case. Nonetheless, Reilly said, “The plume is migrating and flowing towards our district.”

He explained that while large-scale, permanent systems for treating the underground water are currently under construction, temporary systems have been installed along the leading edge of the plume. They operate on a smaller scale, but they are designed to be mobile, and can be relocated as needed to respond to changing conditions while the permanent treatment infrastructure is being completed.

“The water districts to the north of us are already treating their wells for the contaminants, and they’ve spent millions upon millions of dollars to get these treatment systems in place,” Reilly said. “We haven’t had to do that yet — we’re watching. We don’t want to have to do that, and we’re constantly involved in pushing to get these Navy treatment systems up and running, to treat the groundwater.”

Northrop Grumman did not respond to requests for comment.

the northrop Grumman rW-21 Area Groundwater extraction and treatment system processes water

pumped out of the aquifer, before sending it back underground.

Courtesy Northrop Grumman northrop Grumman was a major manufacturer in the aeronautics industry for the u.S. armed forces. Above, airplane parts in of one its factories.

study that shows local governments and corporations working together to protect communities. The plume’s development and spread also show that the consequences of a mistake can be challenging to deal with, and that decades of damage require as much or more time to repair. The DEC’s expertise, Northrop Grumman and the Navy’s willingness to take responsibility, and the help of local water districts, were essential in making the restoration effort possible.

The public can receive updates about the plume cleanup effort at the DEC’s Bethpage Community Council meetings at the Bethpage Public Library, the Navy’s semi-annual Resident Advisory Board meetings online at NAVFAC.Navy.Mil/Divisions/Environmental, and Northrop Grumman’s website, NorthropGrumman.com/Sustainability.

deCeX6 is an early exploration well designed to support the cleanup of the plume. the well, installed in the town of oyster Bay by the State department of environmental Conservation, awaits potential future use if needed.

HERALD SCHOOLS

Bowling Green scores in paper football challenge

Fifth graders at Bowling Green Elementary School in East Meadow kicked off excitement ahead of the big football game with a lively paper football challenge that brought classmates together for some friendly competition. Held in the school’s all-purpose room, students and teachers sported their favorite team jerseys while cheering on competitors representing each fifth grade class. Desks were set up in the center of the room, where one

student per class faced off, carefully sliding a folded paper football across the tabletop without letting it fall — a successful move symbolizing a touchdown. Contestants who scored then attempted to flick the paper football through their opponent’s fingers, which served as goalposts, drawing cheers and laughter from the crowd as the lighthearted contest unfolded.

–Jordan Vallone

Nominate a student under 18 for the Sustainability Champion Award to recognize their efforts in driving sustainable change.

Submit a nomination of approximately 100 words or less describing the student’s leadership in promoting sustainability: What motivates them? What impact have they had?

Be sure to include a photo or an example of their work—whether it’s a community garden, an environmental campaign, or a creative solution to a sustainability challenge.

State Republicans rally around Blakeman

County executive, now the GOP nominee for governor, has plenty to say about Hochul at convention

By Chris ColuCCi, ABig Ail grieCo & AngelinA Zing Ariello of the Herald

After three days of official business, rallying the party faithful and nominating the state Republican slate, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman was front and center at the party’s convention in Garden City last week, and accepted the GOP’s nomination to be its gubernatorial candidate.

If elected, Blakeman would be only the second Long Islander to become governor, 127 years after Teddy Roosevelt did so, and the first Nassau County executive to hold the state’s top office.

Blakeman criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul and pledged to cut income taxes for middle-class families, reduce electricity bills by rolling back stateimposed fees and mandates, and redirect spending he said is being wasted to instead fund schools, infrastructure, hospitals and services for veterans.

“Taxes are soaring, electric bills and insurance premiums keep climbing out of control,” Blakeman said on Feb. 11, the third and final day of the convention. “Crime is rising. Businesses are leaving the state in record numbers. Families and seniors are being priced out of their homes. New York ranks dead last for economic development, and number 45 out of 50 states in the nation for affordability, and it’s all a direct result of Kathy Hochul’s failed policies.” He vowed to oppose congestion pricing, protect Second Amendment rights and support law enforcement, including keeping violent offenders in prison and revisiting criminal justice policies such as cashless bail and parole standards.

“I will bring the experience, leadership and focus on public safety,” Blakeman said. “We will make you safer in your homes and your communities, and we will continue to fight for your families. I will be governor for all the people, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, abilities and lifestyles.”

Upstate Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood was introduced as Blakeman’s running mate, the candidate for lieutenant governor. Hood pledged to support Blakeman and help lead what he described as an effort to fix the state’s pressing problems. A third-term elected sheriff with more than 30 years of law enforcement service, Hood framed his candidacy around public safety and government accountability. He argued that the state has become less safe and more expensive under oneparty rule, criticizing bail laws, antipolice rhetoric and high taxes that he said have hurt communities and driven families and small businesses out of the state.

Hood said that he and Blakeman would stand with law enforcement and crime victims, cut taxes, rein in state spending and work to make New York more affordable.

“That’s the kind of leadership that I’ll bring to the lieutenant governor’s office,” Hood said. “Bruce Blakeman and

Feb. 11.

I are running to restore common sense.”

Former Gov. George Pataki, New York’s last Republican governor, who served three terms, from 1995 to 2006, offered his support as well, making clear the party’s push to win back the governor’s office.

“I’ve known Bruce for decades,” Pataki said of Blakeman. “He is someone who loves this country and loves this state. He is someone who has dedicated his life to public service to make the lives of others better. And he hasn’t just tried. He has succeeded.”

Delegates also nominated Saritha Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor, for attorney general, with 86.3 percent of the vote. She defeated Brooklyn attorney Khurram Dara. Komatireddy emphasized her experience prosecuting terrorism and public corruption, and pledged to focus on public safety.

“I’ve spent my life in public service and public safety,” she said. “New Yorkers are tired of seeing criminals released over and over again while families feel

unsafe in their own communities.”

The party’s nominee for comptroller, Joseph Hernandez, shared his family’s story of emigrating from Cuba after his father was a political prisoner. He criticized current Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and outlined plans to invest $1 billion in Israeli bonds and launch a proposed $10 billion “Empire Opportunity Fund.”

“I know a communist when I see a communist,” Hernandez said of DiNapoli. “My friends, he is a communist.”

Long Beach Republican Chairman Jim Moriarty pointed to Nassau County as a microcosm of the state.

“In Nassau County, the demographics and all other statistics mirrors the state of New York,” Moriarty said on the second day of the convention. “He’s got tremendous executive experience,” he added of Blakeman. “He’s shown he can win and attract bipartisan support. He’s going to be a tremendous candidate and a great governor.”

Along with Hochul, the Democratic

the office.

slate includes incumbents Attorney General Letitia James and DiNapoli, a native Long Islander. The lieutenant governor candidate is Adrienne Adams, the former speaker of the New York City Council.

Hochul received a boost in her campaign when current Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado suspended his campaign for governor, deciding not to challenge her in the Democratic primary.

Blakeman is expected to face a challenge in the Republican primary from Libertarian candidate Larry Sharpe. That election is June 23. The general election is on Nov. 3.

Despite Republican support inside the building, Democrats outside made their presence known on Feb. 11.

“We’re here to send a message to our Republicans over in the hotel across the street that we’re not going to stand for electing a man as governor of this state who’s going to kowtow to Donald Trump,” state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs said.

Compiled by Herald Staff

Ariel Borkowsky Farmingdale

Someone

Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald

Joe

Abbey Salvemini/Herald

Jarrod Murphy Rockville Centre, age 10

When

Tim

Carson Giacopelli Lynbrook, age 18

‘Ta-Da’ and other photo traditions elevate the Conversation

In a house that prides itself on nontraditionalists, there are a bunch of traditions we have that defy explanation. They just are. And they seem to most likely center on capturing a moment at a certain time when the light is just right.

Our life in photos.

While other families take a yearly holiday picture to register the changes that they go through, we create reasonable facsimiles that capture two moments that are decades apart.

One example is the wedding picture from our 1990s ceremony in which the photographer encouraged our small wedding party to stand in a formal line and step forward with a rousing shout of “Ta Da!” He prefaced this action with the promise that the snapshot always comes out great and he was true to his word when the proof arrived. The photo, singled out from all the others sits proudly in our living room, a testament to trying something corny and different, while trusting in the possibilities and results.

Last fall, I asked our daughter and her fiancé to consider recreating their version of that photograph when they were identifying the photos they wanted fulfilled for their November wedding. It was a kind gesture on their part, satisfy-

News brIef

Apartments sustain major fire damage

First responders extinguished a fire on Feb. 7, around 11:35 p.m. in East Meadow, according to the Nassau County Police Department. According to detectives, First Precinct Police Officers responded to 911 calls for a two-story fire at 425 Newbridge Road. Officers observed heavy smoke and evacuated nearby apartments. The North Bellmore Fire Department and neighboring fire departments responded, extinguishing the flames. Six residents suffered smoke inhalation and were transported to an area hospital for treatment and evaluation. The Nassau County Fire Marshal, the Arson Bomb Squad and the Town of Hempstead Department of Buildings responded to the scene. Multiple apartments sustained significant damage. Red Cross was notified to assist the displaced residents. An investigation remains ongoing.

–Jordan Vallone

ing the ask of a nostalgic parent. And just like the elderly counterpart, this picture came out “photo worthy” and is found in our living room too.

One other tradition that is as expected as birthday cake is the birthday photo. It started on a whim when my husband propped the baby photo announcement next to our daughter on her first birthday as she peeked over her crib. This “what I look like then/now” or “take a picture of a picture” tradition

has lasted for decades. Each birthday concludes with a photo of our son or daughter holding their baby photo as these annual pictures just continue to pile up in the cloud.

Traditions are random and personal. Some people cook a special meal every Christmas. Others plan a special night every semester when their child returns home from college. Looking back, it isn’t the latest photo but the act of doing that carries the tradition forward. And

even if we have limited shelf and wall space to display these moments, we continue to have unlimited room in our hearts for these prints.

A contributing writer to the Herald since 2012, Lauren Lev is a direct marketing/ advertising executive who teaches marketing fundamentals as well as advertising and marketing communications courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology and SUNY Old Westbury.

things to know book events

Stories to spark conversations at East Meadow library

By JORDAN VALLONE

jvallone@liherald.com

For East Meadow readers, the next few months promise page-turning discussions and thought-provoking stories at the East Meadow Public Library, where book lovers gather to explore mysteries, contemporary fiction and big-idea bestsellers together. From hometown secrets and psychological journeys to novels that ask life’s biggest questions, the library’s upcoming book discussions offer residents new stories to discover and neighbors to meet along the way. Here are three upcoming book discussions to put on your reading calendar.

Bestseller group explores life’s biggest question

The library’s Bestseller Discussion Group meets April 14 at 2 p.m. to discuss “The Measure” by Nikki Erlick, a novel built around a simple but world-shifting premise: what if every person received a box revealing exactly how long they would live? As society reacts with fear, curiosity and division, the story follows eight individuals grappling with whether to open the box and how such knowledge would change relationships, careers and futures. Blending speculative fiction with emotional storytelling, the novel invites readers to consider fate, choice and how we value time. Digital copies are available through Nassau Digital Doorway and hoopla, with registration details to be announced.

Evening discussion examines mental health and identity

Readers can join the Evening Book Discussion on March 16 at 7 p.m. for Lisa Genova’s “More or Less Maddy,” a contemporary novel following NYU freshman Maddy Banks as she navigates academic pressures, heartbreak and a growing sense that something deeper is wrong. After beginning treatment for depression, Maddy experiences an extreme manic episode that leads to a bipolar disorder diagnosis, forcing her to reevaluate her identity, relationships and future goals. Known for writing compassionate, researchbased fiction, Genova presents a nuanced portrait of living with mental illness and the challenge of finding balance. The book is available digitally through Nassau Digital Doorway, with registration details to be announced.

Mystery club uncovers long-buried hometown secrets

On May 18 at 7 p.m., the library’s Mystery/ Thriller Book Club will discuss Ashley Flowers’ “All Good People Here,” a suspense novel centered on journalist Margot Davies, who returns to her Indiana hometown decades after the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor. Still haunted by the case, Margot becomes drawn into a new investigation when another young girl disappears under eerily similar circumstances. As she digs deeper, long-hidden secrets begin to surface, forcing her to confront both personal memories and community silence. The novel blends true-crime intrigue with emotional storytelling, offering plenty to unpack in discussion. Digital copies are available through Nassau Digital Doorway, with registration details forthcoming.

STEPPING OUT

Hoops, hijinks and history

By Andrew Coen

Acentury after the team’s founding, Harlem Globetrotters storied history comes alive when the latest iteration of the quickfingered hoops stars return here.

The Globetrotters bring their 100 Year Tour to Nassau Coliseum, on Feb. 21, giving fans a chance to see the team’s well-known acrobatic dunks, trick shots and long-range shots up close. This special appearance marks the first time the iconic team — debuting their new 100 Year jerseys — has performed in the arena against longtime rivals, the Washington Generals, since 2017. From gravity-defying dunks to game-changing tricks, everyone will certainly feel the history, the joy, and those “wow” moments in true Globetrotters style.

What started with Curly, Meadowlark, Wilt, and Geese continues on today with Hammer, Torch, Bulldog, Cheese, Jet, Wham, Thunder, TNT — and so many more. Taking inspiration from the fun-loving and awe-inspiring players of the past, today’s Globetrotters stars are ready to wow you on the court and in the crowd

The team is full of a number of talented men and women basketball players who were for various

Harlem Globetrotters at 100

courtesy Harlem Globetrotters Andrew “Big Dog” Whitsett, right, a 7’1” forward/finisher, commands attention with his size and presence on the court.

Wild days in the Bronx

reasons counted out throughout their lives, according to Lucius “Too Tall” Winston, who has spent the last nine years with the Globetrotters. Winston, despite his nickname, only measures 5’11’’ and was told by a former coach at age 15 he was too short to play college or professional basketball.

“You have a ton of guys through our team that had to face adversity and that builds character,” he says. “I got a chance to see that coach a couple years ago after he saw me play and he said he wanted to apologize for what he said to me and I told him if he didn’t tell me those words at that age I probably wouldn’t be where I am today.”

The centennial season’s “5th Quarter” postgame session gives fans some special moments with players. and

Chazz Palminteri is back on the Paramount stage with his electrifying solo performance of “A Bronx Tale,” the autobiographical one-man show that launched his remarkable career. Riveting and deeply personal, it draws on Palminteri’s bruising Bronx childhood, including the moment — at nine-years-old — when he witnessed a gangland killing that forever shaped his view of the world. Palminteri inhabits 18 vivid haracters, seamlessly shifting between friends, foes and family members to conjure an entire neighborhood with nothing but his voice, physicality and storytelling prowess. First written and performed in 1989, “A Bronx Tale” became a sensation, hailed as one of the most sought-after properties since “Rocky.” The original production paved the way for the acclaimed film adaptation — directed by Robert De Niro — and later a hit Broadway musical.

Sunday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny. com.

• Feb. 21, 2 p.m.

pursue their dreams — anything is possible with good

Winston is as fanatical about basketball today as he was as a young player in his hometown of Russellville, Ala. His love of the sport has crossed from player to coach to motivational speaker. Winston dedicates his personal time to organizations that shine a light on the sport with emphasis on leadership, team work and focus. True joy for him comes with motivating kids to get out of their comfort zone and pursue their dreams — anything is possible with good character, good grades and hard work.

• Tickets range from $50-$200; available at ticketmaster.com and harlemglobetrotters.com

The Globetrotters have revolutionized the sport of basketball throughout its 100-year history, including popularizing the slam dunk The team’s roster includes Zeus McClurkin, who set a record for the most dunks in a minute with 16 in 2016.

• Nassau Coliseum, Hempstead Tpke., Uniondale

Guard Lucius “Too Tall” Winston’s favorite trick is the 2 Ball Spin. He holds eight Guinness World Records, including Most Figure Eight Dribbles in One Minute (2020 and Most Three Point Shots Made By a Pair in One Minute (2020).

In addition to the Globetrotters’ famed high-flying dunks, the number of longdistance shots are always a thrill.The Globetrotters famously introduced a 4-point shot in 201, 30 feet from the basket, which is seven feet longer than the NBA’s three-point line.

Winston, who played college basketball at Tuskegee University, relates that interaction with the fans is what makes attending a Globetrotter game particularly unique. Among the signature moments, the team holds a free postgame autograph session. And during the game those in the crowd are frequently called down to the court to participate in stunts. Everyone can also take part in premium options that enable pregame access to meet players along with joining the team for warmups on the court.

“You get to see guys that can play the game at a high level who can jump out of the gym and shoot the ball extremely well and you’ll also see plenty of entertainment as well,” Winston says. “It’s a high quality game from start to finish and then at the end fans are allowed to come down courtside and get autographs and take pictures with us.”

McClurkin, who set a record for the most dunks in a minute courtside and get autographs and take pictures with us.”

future Hall of Famers like Wilt Chamberlain and Connie Hawkins; or Curly Neal and Meadowlark

International icons, the Globetrotters are considered “ambassadors” of the game, beloved the world over for their special brand athleticism that combines the skills and foundations of basketball with a uniquely theatrical flare. From breaking the NBA color barrier with alums like Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton signing a pro contract as a member of the New York Knicks or courting future Hall of Famers like Wilt Chamberlain and Connie Hawkins; or Curly Neal and Meadowlark Lemon dazzling sellout crowds; to ushering women into professional basketball; to the current group, the Globetrotters’ reach and impact attract attention.

Tilles Center Atrium becomes an intimate lounge to showcase exciting up-and-coming jazz talent Sarah Hanahan, presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center. The dynamic, soulful alto saxophonist is swiftly emerging as one of the most compelling new voices in jazz. A graduate of both the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz and The Juilliard School, she blends deeprooted swing and bebop traditions with a bold, modern intensitySince stepping onto the scene, Hanahan has performed with an extraordinary range of jazz luminaries. =Her commanding tone, technical mastery, and melodic imagination have taken her to major stages across the U.S. and abroad, with regular appearances at premier New York City venues. Whether fronting her own quartet or collaborating with some of the music’s most revered artists, Hanahan plays with passion, precision and an unwavering commitment to the ever-evolving art of jazz.

The current team of elite men and women, holders of an unprecedented 60+ Guinness World Records, including 18 set just last year — the most of any team in any sport — bring a fresh look of gravity-defying dunks and game-changing tricks against their renowned rivals in this special centennial season.

Thursday, Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at tillescenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Your Neighborhood CALENDAR

FEB

‘The Wedding Singer’ Molloy University’s CAP21 Musical Theatre students stage the musical comedy based on the iconic film. The show will have you partying like it’s 1985! Travel back to the outrageous 1980s, when hair was huge, neon ruled fashion and everything MTV was “like, totally tubular.” Based on the mega-hit Adam Sandler movie, this Broadway romance about a heartbroken rock star wannabe finding love again is jam-packed with big laughs, dazzling dance numbers, and a score as bold and electric as the decade itself. From popped collars to power ballads, “The Wedding Singer” is a nostalgic, feel-good celebration of love, friendship, and all things ‘80s.

• Where: Madison Theatre, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre

• Time: 8 p.m.; also Feb. 21, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Feb 22, 3 p.m.

• Contact: madisontheatreny. org or (516) 323-4444

Family theater

Long Island Children’s Museum stages “Pete the Cat,” the charming musical based on the book series by Kimberly and James Dean. Life is certainly an adventure for Pete, no matter where he winds up. So the minute the groovy blue cat meets The Biddles, he gets the whole family rocking. That is, except for young Jimmy Biddle, the most organized second grader on planet Earth. But when Jimmy draws a blank in art class during the last week of school, it turns out Pete is the perfect pal to help him out. Together, they set out on a mission to help Jimmy conquer second grade art, and along the way, they both learn a little something new about inspiration. $11 with museum admission ($9 members), $15 theater only.

• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City

• Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.: also Feb. 25-26

• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800

FEB

Lion Dance

Celebrate Lunar New Year with an authentic Lion Dance presented by Shaolin at East Meadow Public Library. Registration required.

• Where: 1886 Front St., East Meadow

• Time: 2 p.m.

• Contact : EastMeadow.info

FEB

27

“Don’t stop believin’…

Metropolitan Klezmer Long Island Children’s Museum welcomes Metropolitan Klezmer to its stage. The band brings eclectic exuberance to Yiddish musical genres from all over the map. Performing vibrant versions of lesser-known gems from wedding dance, trance, folk, swing and tango styles, as well as soundtrack material from vintage Yiddish films, they re-invent tradition with both irreverence and respect. Sing and dance along with us at this interactive family concert! $5 with museum admission ($4 members), $10 theater only

• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City

• Time: 1:30-2 p.m.

• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800

Bond referendum

5

Voters in East Meadow will decide on a $71.5 million bond for major capital improvements in the East Meadow School District.

• Where: District elementary schools

• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.

Voyage rocks on with another dynamic tribute to Journey. The popular band takes everyone back to the ‘80s when Journey’s timeless music ruled the airwaves. Hailed by fans and critics alike, the band performs the music with chilling accuracy. Voyage is celebrated for their uncanny ability to recreate the legendary sound, energy and passion of one of rock’s greatest bands. With their blistering guitar solos, lush keyboard arrangements, electrifying stage presence, and stunning harmonies, the band has earned a reputation as the ultimate homage to Journey’s timeless music. Fronted by vocalist Pedro Espada, whose range and tone is acclaimed as rivaling the iconic Steve Perry, he’s backed by a lineup of world-class musicians — Robby Hoffman, Greg Smith, Lance Millard, and Dana Spellman — who bring every note to life with precision and heart. Voyage doesn’t just perform Journey’s greatest hits, they transport audiences back to the height of arena rock glory. From the soaring ballads of “Faithfully” and “Open Arms” to the anthemic energy of “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Separate Ways,” every performance is a journey through the soundtrack of a generation. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or discovering the magic of Journey for the first time, Voyage promises a night of unforgettable rock ‘n’ roll.

• Time: 8 p.m.

• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com

FEB 26

Bond information session

The East Meadow School District will hold an information session about the bond resolution.

• Where: 718 The Plain Road, Westbury

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: EMUFSD.us

‘Brown Bag’ Art Chat

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture” at the museum. Explore “The Real, Surreal, and Photoreal,” through a lively and informative presentation. No reservations. First come,first seated.

• Where: 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor

• Time: 1 p.m.

• Contact: nassaumuseum.org or (516) 484-9337

S õ Percussion in concert

The Grammy-winning percussionists return to the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center. For 25 FEB 27

years and counting, the quartet has redefined chamber music for the 21st century through an “exhilarating blend of precision and anarchy, rigor and bedlam” (The New Yorker). Their commitment to the creation and amplification of new work have made them a trusted partner for composers, allowing the writing of music that expands the style and capacity of brilliant voices of our time.

• Where: Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: adelphi.edu/pac or (516) 877-4000

Carnival Long Island Children’s Museum invites families to a celebration of Caribbean and Latin American culture. Feel the rhythm and embrace the color at the Carnival Festival! Inspired by Caribbean and Latin American traditions, this highenergy celebration welcomes the changing of the seasons with music, dance, and joyful cultural activities for all. Decorate a parade float fit for the Carnival King and

Queen; sample the sweet and savory flavors of the

• Where: 11 Davis. Ave., Garden City

• Time: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800

Art Perspectives

• Time: Polls are open

7 a.m.-9 p.m.

• Contact: EMUFSD.us

mar

6

1

Nassau County Museum of Art welcomes acclaimed artist Adam Straus for engaging conversation with noted art critic, writer, and filmmaker Amei Wallach. Together, Straus and Wallach will discuss his artistic process, share insights from his current and past work, and present images that illuminate the evolution of his practice. Their dialogue offers a unique window into the artist’screative journey and the broader role of art in reflecting and responding to our contemporary world. $20, $15 seniors, $10 students (members free). Limited seating, register in advance.

• Where: 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor

• Time: 3 p.m.

• Contact: nassaumuseum.org or (516) 484-9337 mar

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Molloy University’s CAP21 Musical Theatre students tackle Shakespeare. The Bard’s beloved comedy is a magical tale that explores the irrationality of love, desire, friendship, jealousy and magic. When the mortal worlds of four young lovers and a bungling group of amateur actors collide with a feuding fairy kingdom in a mystical forest on a midsummer eve, romantic misadventures ensue, causing chaos that only a bit of fairy magic can sort out.

• Where: Madison Theatre, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre

• Time: 8 p.m.; also March 7, 2 and 8 p.m.; March 8, 3 p.m.

• Contact: madisontheatreny.org or (516) 323-4444

Having an event?

Items on the Calendar page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to kbloom@ liherald.com.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MASTR ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGES TRUST

2007-1 MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES

2007-1, Plaintiff, Against

KAREN JONES A/K/A

KAREN B. JONES A/K/A

KAREN B. LICHTENSTIEN, et al, Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 03/24/2023, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on 3/18/2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 769 Van Buren Avenue, East Meadow, New York 11554, and described as follows:

ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at East Meadow, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Section 50 Block 436 Lot 4

The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $765,254.16 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 601311/2019

If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction. This Auction will be held rain or shine.

Peter Kramer, Esq., Referee. (516) 510-4020

MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573

Dated: 1/14/2026 File Number: 16-301208 CA 158354

al Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s)

The Frank Law Firm

P.C. 71 New Street, Huntington New York 11743 (516) 246-5577

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered April 18, 2025, I will sell at public auction on the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 18, 2026 at 4:00 PM all that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being, and identified on the land and tax map of the County of Nassau in the State of New York. Premises known as Sec 11 Block 97, Lot 36-37.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 608029/2021 and the right of the United States of America to redeem within 120 from the date of sale. The foreclosure sale will be held, “rain or shine”. Beth Chamow, Esq., Referee 158283

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to N.Y. Constitution Article 9, N.Y. Town Law, and N.Y. Municipal Home Rule Law, as amended, the Hempstead Town Board will continue the public hearing on the proposed Chapter 153 of the Hempstead Town Code to be entitled “Cat and Dog Litter Registry” at Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on February 24, 2026 at 7:00 o’clock in the evening the proposed local law is available at hempsteadny.gov, on the bulletin board at Town Hall as of the publication of this notice, and on file in the Office of the Town Clerk of the Town of Hempstead, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, where the same may be inspected during office hours.

ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: February 10, 2026

Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD

OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

JOHN FERRETTI

Supervisor

KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 158439

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF NASSAU THE BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE BEL AIRE CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiff, against ANDREW CHAMOW, as heir to the Estate of Robert Chamow; ANDREW CHAMOW, as heir to the Estate of Dorothy Chamow; ALICE BADER, as heir to the Estate of Robert Chamow; ALICE BADER, as heir to the Estate of Dorothy Chamow; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, et. al., Defendants. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein and dated September 19, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the north side steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, New York, “Rain or Shine”, on March 23, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. premises being all that certain plot, piece or parcel of land situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, East Meadow, Nassau County and State of New York, known and designated as Residential Unit No. 126 together with a 1.62% undivided interest in the common elements of the condominium hereinafter described as the same is defined in the Declaration of Condominium hereinafter referred to. The real property above described is a unit shown on the plans of a condominium prepared and certified by Sidney B. Bowne and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on the 23rd day of February, 2006, as Map No. CA-219 defined in the Declaration of Condominium entitled The Bel Aire Condominium made by Bristal Gardens at East Meadow, LLC under Article 9-B of the New York Real Property Law dated the 17th day of October, 2005 and recorded in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on the 23rd day of

February, 2006 in Liber D12084 of Conveyances at page 1 covering the property therein described. Said premises known as 50 Merrick Avenue, #126, East Meadow, New York (SECTION 0050, BLOCK 00340, LOT 00509, UNIT 126). Said premises will be sold subject to zoning restrictions, covenants, easements, conditions, reservations and agreements, if any; subject to any state of facts as may appear from an accurate survey; subject to facts as to possession and occupancy and subject to whatever physical condition of the premises may be; subject to any violations of the zoning and other municipal ordinances and regulations, if any, and if the United States of America should file a tax lien, or other lien, subject to the equity of redemption of the United States of America; subject to the rights of any lienors of record whose liens have not been foreclosed herein, if any; subject to the rights of holders of security in fixtures as defined by the Uniform Commercial Code; subject to taxes, assessments and water rates which are liens on the premises at the time of sale, with accrued interest or penalties thereon; and a first mortgage held by Wells Fargo Bank, mortgagee, given to Robert Chamow and Dorothy Chamow, mortgagors, in the original amount of $615,000.00 dated 10/25/2008 and recorded 11/18/2008 in Liber 33345 at page 706. Said mortgage having been assigned to Nationstar Mortgage LLC d/b/a Champion Mortgage Company by Assignment dated 9/8/2017 and recorded 9/18/2017 in Liber 42386 at page 940. Said mortgage having been further assigned to SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT by Assignment dated 11/5/2018 and recorded 11/9/2018 in Liber 43147 at page 765. NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED ONLY BANK OR CERTIFIED CHECKS PAYABLE TO LOUIS

News briefs

Volunteer Firefighters’ Association.

Rhoads joins firefighters for breakfast

State Sen. Steven Rhoads joined members of the Southern New York Volunteer Firefighters’ Association during their annual Legislative Outreach Program at the Albertson Fire Department.

A 30-year volunteer firefighter and advocate for first responders, Rhoads participated in discussions on the association’s legislative priorities, focusing on strengthening fire services and supporting the men and women who risk

their lives to keep communities safe. The dialogue allowed officials to better understand challenges facing volunteer firefighters and explore ways to support their mission.

Sen. Jack Martins and Nassau County Legislator Kayla Knight also attended, showing support for the work of New York’s volunteer firefighters.

Sen. Steve Rhoads attended the East Meadow

installation on Jan. 23. He was joined by Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti, former U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, Assemblyman John Mikulin, Nassau County Legislator Tom McKevitt and Councilman Dennis Dunne Sr.

Rhoads congratulates E.M. Chamber

State Sen. Steven Rhoads joined Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti, former U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, Assemblyman John Mikulin, Nassau County Legislator Tom McKevitt and Councilman Dennis Dunne Sr. to celebrate the East Meadow Chamber’s 70th annual installation on Jan. 23.

Dated: February 11,

Rhoads thanked outgoing President Roxanne Rose for her dedication and commitment to the growth of the chamber, wished incoming President Ross Schiller success as he begins his new role, and recognized Richie Krug Jr. as the chamber’s 2025 Man of the Year.

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Stunning! State-of-the-art!

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Gutter Care 101

Q. I just took a $2,500 contract to have gutter screens added to my rain gutters. Would you recommend this instead of the biannual flush cleaning I do, which costs $450 per service?

A. It is great that you monitor routine maintenance around your house, including rain gutters. The cost, if you pay $450 twice a year for your biannual gutter cleaning, is $900 per year. An expense of $2,500 for the rain gutter covers would pay for itself in a timeframe determined by dividing 2500 by 900, which would be 2.7 years. So in two years and nine months, your outlay of $2,500 would be paid off — but only if the gutter screens do not also need maintenance.

I went through a learning phase with my own rain gutters, except that I would flush the gutters by myself. At first I had gutters that were open and, with all the trees surrounding my home, the gutters filled every fall with leaves and the debris that had to be removed. I then bought gutter screens that snap in, although there were places where they couldn’t snap in because of the long nail shafts used to attach the gutters to the face board, referred to as fascia. In those places, the metal screens had to be trimmed with a hacksaw and tin snips. It was tedious but rewarding, because the leaves did not clog the gutters. Unfortunately, twigs and smaller debris managed to find their way through the screens, and the metal rusted.

Those screens lasted six years, before another product, called Leafguard Gutters, was brought to my attention. It is a gutter with a top that wraps around and is bent in a curve so water flows over the top of the rain gutter and then, by a phenomenon called adhesion, the water clings to the gutter top and flows into a thin opening that runs the length of the gutter. It works very well, and hardly anything gets into the thin horizontal continuous opening except the rain.

I did not touch the gutters for 15 years. Then one day a contractor noticed that my roof edge trim boards had discolored in places, and said he would gladly take care of it for me. I awoke one morning to loud banging, and when I looked out the window, several very energetic men had ripped all the trim from my home along with those rain gutters. It lay in a heap in the back of a pickup truck, and within two hours my fascia boards were covered in spanking new white aluminum and I had brand new, open-top gutters.

So, back at square one, I began cleaning gutters again, every fall, until one day, when I saw Leafguard stainless mesh gutter covers with a lifetime guarantee. They completely eliminated the debris, but require occasional brushing to keep clean, at a much higher price. It still pays to put on the screens. Good luck!

© 2026 Monte Leeper

Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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A new chapter of leadership for Assembly Republicans

The State Assembly minority conference has a new leader, and if you haven’t heard the news yet, I’m honored to share that my colleagues have unanimously chosen me to serve in that role. After nearly 16 years as an assemblyman, I’m grateful for the trust placed in me and excited to lead our conference into this next chapter. As minority leader, I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to deliver real results for New Yorkers throughout the state.

This role is tremendously meaningful to me on both a professional and personal level. Leadership is never a solo endeavor, and I wouldn’t be here without the support of my friends and family, especially my wife, Laura. She has been with me through every campaign, starting with my very first election to college student government. We’ve been together for 24 years and married for 15. Laura’s patience and belief in me have made my work as a

public servant possible.

There’s nothing more humbling than having a group of dedicated people like Assembly Republicans entrusting me to lead our conference going forward. It’s an honor to be part of this group, and I’m aiming to live up to the trust and faith they have placed in me. My predecessor, Will Barclay, and Speaker Carly Heastie have demonstrated how leaders should interact with respect and professionalism — how government should work. I intend to uphold that same standard of civility and collaboration as we tackle the serious challenges facing our state.

After nearly 16 years in the Assembly, I’m excited to lead our conference.

mission does not. Assembly Republicans have long been at the forefront of fighting for affordability, public safety, reliable energy and fiscal responsibility, and that will remain our focus. New York has been governed by one-party rule for the better part of a decade. It’s no surprise that people are looking for a change.

I would be remiss not to recognize Barclay’s outstanding leadership, and I will be endlessly grateful to him for his mentorship and friendship. Since 2020 he has led our conference with integrity while earning the respect of colleagues on both sides of the aisle, a rare achievement in Albany. I hope to continue to lead with that same cordiality. Our conference is united, and we will continue building on the strong foundation he established.

While leadership may change, our

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s approach to affordability has largely been to spend more taxpayer dollars, but New Yorkers know that more spending hasn’t translated to lower costs or a better quality of life. We have the worst business climate in the country, and we’re one of the least affordable states. If history has taught us anything, it’s that no amount of additional spending will solve the affordability crisis.

There are many issues where Republicans and Democrats can, and should, work together for the public good. When we agree, we’ll partner in good faith. When we disagree, we won’t hesitate to speak up clearly and loudly on behalf of the people we represent.

My path to this role has been shaped by a wide range of experiences in public

service. I began my career as a deputy attorney for the Town of Hempstead and as a legal aide in the state attorney general’s office. Since joining the Assembly in 2010, I’ve had the privilege of serving in several leadership roles, including assistant minority leader pro tempore, where I coordinated and led floor debate for our conference. I’ve also served as ranking member of the Assembly Education Committee, where I fought against the state’s over-reliance on standardized testing and became a leading advocate for students with special needs. Most recently, since 2020, I’ve been the conference’s ranking member on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, leading the review, analysis and debate of the state budget.

As I take on this new role, my commitment to Long Island and the communities I represent — my home — remains unchanged. Serving as minority leader does not replace my responsibility to my district; it only strengthens it. I am eager for the challenge ahead, and deeply grateful for the confidence my colleagues have placed in me. This is a new chapter, and I’m ready to get to work.

Ed Ra, of Franklin Square, represents the 19th Assembly District and is the Assembly’s minority leader.

I’m focused on getting New York’s tax dollars back

For decades, New Yorkers have faced high taxes, rising prices and infrastructure in need of repair. At the same time, we’ve been subsidizing other states with our federal tax dollars. New York is a big “donor” state, while most red states are “taker” states.

I’m always trying to bring money back to my district, and in the past couple of weeks I’ve had some new success doing just that. I announced more than $17 million in funding for community projects in my district.

Everyone knows that we’re facing a cost-of-living crisis. From health care to housing, energy to groceries, prices are sky-high. To make matters worse, New Yorkers bear one of the heaviest tax burdens in the country, which only adds to our cost of living. People are leaving our state at a record pace.

When I was born, New York had more than 40 representatives in the U.S. House. Now we only have 26. That number will be smaller after the next census,

as low-tax states continue to grow rapidly while New York’s population stays essentially the same. That’s not just a loss of political power, but a referendum on how expensive it is to live here. Between our skyhigh property taxes and the loss of our full SALT deduction (which I continue to fight to reinstate), it’s no wonder people are moving out.

TThey’re fleeing to red states in the South with much lower state taxes. The irony is that states like New York have long sent more money to the federal government than we get back, and Washington spends it propping up “poor” states like Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee. For every dollar we pay in federal taxes, we get 91 cents back. Kentucky gets $2.50. It’s just unfair.

in Congress is simple and direct: bring our money back home.

I’m working to make sure my constituents get a fairer return on the dollars we contribute to the federal government. That means fighting for federal funding that eases the burden on local governments, strengthens our infrastructure and protects public health and safety.

hat means fighting for federal funding to ease the burden on local governments.

Recently that work paid off. I secured millions of dollars worth of projects for my district, making sure federal money was included in a funding package that Democrats and Republicans worked together to craft. Those funds will support a wide range of critical projects that directly affect my constituents’ lives.

the Glen Cove Police Department. In Bethpage, the money will help build infrastructure to remove chemicals from the water supply linked to the Navy-Grumman plume. It will help create a vibrant downtown in Huntington by supporting affordable housing and business spaces. And in Lattingtown, these funds will go toward repairing emergency evacuation routes along East Beach Drive, improving our roads and safety during severe weather.

Securing funds for sewer repairs and water wells isn’t glamorous work, but it’s crucial. It’s not only about improving public health, environmental protection and local infrastructure; it’s also about fairness. New Yorkers contribute massively to the federal government, subsidizing growth in other states, and it’s time we got our fair share back.

Meanwhile, our town and village governments are under water. Our infrastructure is older and more expensive to maintain, and local budgets scramble to keep up. While New Yorkers fund new projects in the South, our own infrastructure risks lagging behind and our taxes continue to rise. We have been subsidizing our own demise.

That’s why one of my core missions

They’ll help replace old sewer pipes in Roslyn and Manorhaven, and replace old cesspools with new sewer lines in Sea Cliff. They will help prevent harmful runoff into Hempstead Harbor and Manhasset Bay, helping preserve our Long Island Sound ecosystem. Other projects will protect drinking water supplies from so-called “forever chemicals” and other contaminants.

The funding will also provide muchneeded technology and equipment for

I’ll never stop fighting to make sure we get back as much of the money we send to the federal government as possible, and use it to lessen the pressure on local budgets, improve our public health and safety, and reduce costs. In the months ahead I’ll propose a dramatic change to the federal tax code to try and bring more of New Yorkers’ money back to New York, to reduce our tax burden. Stay tuned.

Tom Suozzi represents the 3rd Congressional District.

Established 2001

Incorporating

HERALD

aMisleading safety data could hurt kids

Feb. 2 report, “Violent and Disruptive Incidents and Bullying in New York Schools,” from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli should serve as a wake-up call for anyone tempted to declare victory on school safety.

While official data shows that rates of “serious” violent and disruptive incidents are near zero, bullying, cyberbullying and drug-related incidents are rising statewide — in many cases exceeding pre-pandemic levels. That disconnect matters, because it reveals a system that risks measuring safety by definitions rather than by students’ lived experiences.

According to DiNapoli’s analysis of seven years of School Safety and Educational Climate data from the State Education Department, bullying is now the most frequently reported school safety incident.

In the 2023-24 school year, bullying, not including cyberbullying, accounted for nearly two-thirds of all reported incidents statewide. Almost 30,000 bullying incidents were reported, translating to 12.4 incidents per 1,000 pupils. In schools that reported at least one incident, the rate was far higher.

Cyberbullying, meanwhile, remains officially “low” in the data, but that is precisely the problem. Anonymity, offcampus activity and the digital lives students have after dismissal make cyberbullying notoriously difficult to detect and report. The report itself acknowledges that many incidents likely go unreported. When nearly 35 percent of public schools report no bullying or

letters

Peter King goes too easy on ICE agents

To the Editor:

Re Peter King’s column “There are better ways to resolve the immigration crisis” in last week’s issue: The videos we all saw of Renee Good and Alex Pretti being shot to death by ICE agents contradict Mr. King’s description. He referred to these horrific acts as “heat-of-the moment reactions to unexpected incidents.”

Additionally, Mr. King opposes “any requirement that ICE agents remove their masks” because “wearing masks has become absolutely essential for them.”

If only Mr. King found it in his heart to have similar consideration and respect for the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

JOSIE MARINO Lynbrook East

cyberbullying incidents, the question is not whether bullying exists, but whether schools are capturing it honestly.

Drug-related incidents tell a similar story. After dropping during the period of remote learning, the number of drug incidents in secondary schools has risen above pre-Covid levels. Statewide rates climbed from 4.2 incidents per 1,000 students in 2017-18 to 6.5 in 2023-24, with especially high rates in upstate districts. These are not abstract numbers. They reflect daily realities that students, teachers and families confront in hallways, bathrooms and social spaces.

Yet at the same time these troubling trends are rising, reports of serious violent and disruptive incidents — such as assault, sexual offenses and weapons possession — have plummeted. That decline coincides not with a dramatic transformation of school culture, but with changes to reporting definitions implemented in 2021-22. Under the revised rules, incidents are only reportable if the offender is at least 10 years old, the incident meets felony criteria, and it has been referred to law enforcement.

The result is a dataset that may be technically accurate under state rules, but deeply misleading if taken at face value. Schools may still experience serious incidents that never meet the threshold for state reporting, creating a false sense of security for parents and policymakers who rely on these numbers to assess safety.

This is not the intent of New York’s school safety laws. The Safe Schools Against Violence in Education Act,

enacted in 2000, and the Dignity for All Students Act, adopted a decade later, were designed to protect young people and ensure transparency in reporting harassment, bullying and violence. After the Sandy Hook tragedy in Connecticut, New York state rightly sought to refine and streamline reporting to focus on prevention. But refinement must not become minimization.

Limiting cellphone use during the school day is a modest step in the right direction. It will reduce in-school distractions. But bullying and cyberbullying don’t stop at the dismissal bell. Students carry their social worlds and their conflicts home in their pockets. Without sustained education, intervention and accountability, phones will simply resume their role as weapons after school hours.

Schools need to be honest with themselves about what these incidents are and properly report them to the State Education Department. That honesty isn’t about protecting reputations or presenting a picture of perfect calm. It’s about identifying real problems so they can be addressed.

Pretending a school or district is blissful may look good on paper, but it does nothing to protect students. Reliable, transparent data is the foundation of meaningful solutions.

If we want safer schools in reality and not just safer statistics, we must confront bullying, cyberbullying and substance use head-on, report them accurately, and commit to prevention that extends beyond the school day. Our children deserve nothing less.

opinions

Combating the scourge of kratom in Nassau County

our most consequential responsibility as public servants, parents and community leaders is to confront emerging threats to our children’s health and wellness. Frighteningly, many of these can be found within arm’s length at our local convenience stores, and there’s a new one on the shelf.

We are all aware of the everpresent threats of alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products and the risks of lifelong addiction, cancers and terminal illnesses their use can cause. More recently, we witnessed the frightening rise of dangerous fruit- and candy-flavored vaping products that get our kids hooked on nicotine and can cause irreversible health problems like “popcorn lung.” Thankfully, our efforts to stem that tide have made slow but steady progress. Now we are confronted by the threat of a new and alarming substance — an emerging stimulant known as kratom — and it is incumbent on all of us to act swiftly to protect our communities.

A constituent recently contacted my office and asked to meet with me to discuss how Nassau County could address the dangers of this drug, which their son, and many others, had gotten hooked on. It had caused devastating damage, and I knew action was necessary.

It’s easy to see how people can be enticed by kratom. It is often falsely marketed as a natural, plantbased energy booster, mood lifter, pain reliever and opioid withdrawal remedy. But, as they say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

it’s a stimulant with side effects ranging from psychosis to liver damage.

Experts at the Mayo Clinic warn that kratom has not been proven safe or to have any medical efficacy. The Food and Drug Administration similarly cautions against its use, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has labeled it a drug of concern, with side effects including confusion, delusions, tremors, psychosis, depression toxicity, liver damage and addiction. Because it is unregulated and its labeling is inconsistent, its users have little idea how much they’ve actually taken until it’s too late.

During a five-year span, poison-control centers across America received

Letters

Who’s left to report the truth?

To the Editor:

As a former reporter, I cherish a free press — and with our democracy hanging by a thread, I refuse to sit by while truth tellers are silenced.

I was bothered that Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos caved to President Trump’s demand that the Post stay out of presidential endorsements. But what bothered me more was watching people cancel their subscriptions over it. That’s cutting off your nose to spite your face. Why punish a newspaper already struggling to survive? Did we forget that reporters are stationed around the world, risking their lives to bring us the truth — and that in times of conflict, they’re always the first targets, precisely so the truth never reaches us?

The Post loses $100 million a year, yet it remains an essential truth teller. This is the paper that exposed Watergate. Not surprisingly, Trump admired President Richard Nixon. Both detested the press because its job is to investigate corruption and

more than 3,400 reports of kratomrelated incidents, and some cases ended in patients’ deaths. My constituent told me that when their son finally embarked on a path to recovery, the withdrawal symptoms he experienced were similar to, if not worse than, someone going through heroin withdrawal.

Based on these disturbing facts, I filed legislation on Feb. 6 that would ban the sale and distribution of kratom products in Nassau County. Those found in violation would be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to a year in jail for each offense.

Suffolk County has already banned kratom, and New york state restricts its sale to people over age 21. Passing my legislation would bring us in line with our neighbors in Suffolk and hopefully serve as a catalyst for a statewide ban. The fact that the Republican majority has followed my lead and filed similar legislation gives me hope that this common-sense approach to protecting public health is on the fast track to approval.

Throughout my decade as a legislator, I have remained laser-focused on preserving the wellness of our commu-

nities and protecting our young people from dangerous, misleading products that can ruin their health. In 2019 I proudly introduced and passed a ban on the sale of most flavored vaping products in Nassau — products that we have proven vape companies market directly to unsuspecting youths. The ban was later adopted statewide. The proposal built on my previous bill to restrict the advertising of age-restricted items such as cigarettes, tobacco and vaping products within 1,000 feet of establishments frequented by young people.

Before taking steps to regulate vaping, I focused intently on finishing the work that the late Legislator Judy Jacobs began to ban the sale of tobacco and cigarettes to anyone under age 21 — a goal that we achieved in 2018.

All of these proposals were ultimately enacted with bipartisan, unanimous support. As our focus now turns to kratom and addressing the devastation it has already caused for far too many families, I implore my colleagues to once again set aside our partisan labels. Banning kratom will protect our children and our communities from irreversible harm. Let’s work together and get it done.

Arnold W. Drucker represents Nassau County’s 16th Legislative District and is the Legislature’s deputy minority leader.

report the truth. And let’s not forget: a Washington Post journalist was murdered at the direction of a Saudi prince while Trump looked the other way.

While Trump manufactured a crisis in Greenland and ICE gunned down American citizens, the final board meeting of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting barely registered. Jimmy Kimmel’s being pulled off the air and the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” already feel like ancient history. Even as wars rage in Ukraine and the Middle East, coverage keeps shrinking — and that is no accident. And now Bezos is laying off a third of the Post’s staff, including a war correspondent in Ukraine. With Secretary of War Pete Hegseth blocking Pentagon reporting, Trump forming a “Board of Peace” with Putin and other authoritarian leaders, and independent news sources collapsing, who is left to deliver the truth?

CLAUDIA BoRECKy President, Bellmore Merrick Democratic Club Merrick