Stewart Manor School students explored finance and business concepts through a Junior Achievement program in partnership with Floral Park Memorial High School. The high school students, guided by business teacher Kevin Dolan, visited classrooms to lead hands-on lessons in entrepreneurship, marketing, budgeting, management, accounting and banking. Story, more photos, Page 7.
By HAIlEY FUlMER hfulmer@liherald.com
“May the scouts be with you” was the theme of Cub Scout Pack 372 of Franklin Square’s annual crossover ceremony at St. Catherine of Sienna, as Cub Scouts transitioned to Boy Scouts in a Star Wars-themed celebration, marking a major milestone in their Scouting journeys.
FCubmaster Peter Kehoe led the ceremony, which also featured Nassau County Legislator John Giuffré and Assemblyman Ed Ra, who attended to show their support for the Scouts during what leaders described as a transformational time in their development.
day of Scouting and recognizes the growth and achievements of Scouts and leaders over the past year.
Kehoe and Erika Timperman, two leaders in Cub Scout Pack 372, were recognized for their unwavering commitment to the Scouts. Giuffré presented both of them with citations for extraordinary service.
ranklin Square loves Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts because of all the values that you teach all the time.
JoHN GIUFFRé Nassau County Legislator
“Franklin Square loves Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts because of all the values that you teach all the time,” Giuffré said.
The ceremony also included the Blue and Gold celebration, one of the most important traditions in Cub Scouting. The annual event marks the birth-
Timperman said her favorite part of being involved in Scouting is being part of a family, even though members belong to different dens. She added that she really appreciates the community aspect of the program, with families coming from all over, not just Franklin Square.
Throughout the ceremony, the Scouts embraced the Star Wars theme. Many held up lightsabers, signaling the light and strength as a Scout. In the Star Wars universe, lightsabers symbolize a personal journey. During the crossover portion of the ceremony, Scouts formed
Continued on page 19
By HAILEY FULMER
hfulmer@liherald.com
Throughout the year, the Franklin Square Library serves as a gathering place for the community, offering opportunities to engage beyond books and studying. Many of its programs, for both adults and children, continue to grow, according to library leaders.
Jason Alivno, president of the Friends of the Franklin Square Library, said advocacy events for the library better help serve the community. The group often hosts informational sessions to promote the library’s resources. Last month, it hosted a free hot cocoa and cookie party to help community members learn more about the benefits the library offers. The Friends are a 501(c)(3) organization, so they can raise more funds that go directly toward the library, especially for items not covered by the budget. They recently raised money to provide new carpeting for the children’s room, further supporting the community’s youth.
Currently, when you walk into the Franklin Square Library and look above, there are several pieces of artwork that hold fragments of Franklin Square history, sitting high on the wall. However, these pieces were not originally intended to be housed in the library. Originally, the paintings, which belong to the historical society, were housed in the Franklin Square National Bank building, which features American colonial architecture throughout. Lacking space, they were moved to the library. The Franklin Square Historical Museum holds lectures by Dr. Paul van Wile, founder and former president of the Franklin Square Historical Society, about what the scenes in the paintings depict. In one of the paintings is Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park.
The library provides more than books and digital resources
Over the past five years, the Franklin Square Library has seen steadily increasing foot traffic, according to library director Aviva Kane. Cardholders can borrow museum passes free of charge, and popular game nights regularly draw full crowds. The library also features a children’s room with events such as interactive lectures and story times. In addition, it has expanded community resources, including Narcan kits for drugrelated emergencies. On March 15, the Friends of the Franklin Square Library will host an afternoon tea party celebrating the television show “Murder, She Wrote”. Kane said the library continues to evolve as a hub for education, entertainment, and community safety, serving residents of all ages.
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Sewanhaka Central High School District Medical Assisting students marked American Heart Month in February by offering free daily blood pressure screenings to faculty and staff, promoting heart health awareness and the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Second-year students in the district’s Medical Assisting Career and Technical Education program conducted the screenings, educating participants about understanding their numbers, including the standard normal blood pressure reading of 120/80. Students provided charts outlining healthy ranges and, when readings fell outside the normal range — indicating hypertension or hypotension — distributed informational pamphlets and guidance on next steps.
T“Do you have a preferred arm for readings?” “What is your normal blood pressure?” and “Do you take any medications for your blood pressure?”
hese realworld patient interactions help students build confidence ... and understand the importance of preventive care in a meaningful way.
Lori Lorusso MSN, RN
In addition to discussing medication, students emphasized lifestyle strategies to help lower blood pressure, including regular exercise, healthy eating and maintaining a healthy weight.
During each screening, students asked patient-care questions such as,
Each Medical Assisting student conducted screenings at least twice throughout the month, totaling approximately four hours of direct patient-facing experience per student. District officials said the hands-on interaction helps strengthen communication skills, clinical accuracy and professional confidence.
Beyond staff screenings, students also counseled interested peers on heart health, discussing healthy height-to-weight ratios and the importance of maintaining a weight appropriate for their height.
Now in its third year, the Medical Assisting program is one of the district’s newest CTE offerings. With 24 seats available per course, students must apply for acceptance. The program offers dual enrollment opportunities through Nassau Community College, allowing students to earn 13 college credits through coursework aligned with college-level
standards. Upon completion, students are eligible to sit for national certification as medical assistants.
“Providing the Medical Assisting II students with the opportunity to perform blood pressure screenings on faculty and staff during American Heart Month is invaluable,” Instructor Lori Lorusso, MSN, RN, said. “These realworld patient interactions help students build confidence, strengthen clinical skills and understand the importance of preventive care in a meaningful way.”
Franklin Square Union Free School District launched a new after-school opportunity for fifth graders this school year with the introduction of a Coding Club.
Led by district STEAM teacher Matthew Dornemann and district coding teacher Julia Caiazzo, the club introduced students to the basics of computer programming through KidOYO, an interactive online learning platform. Participants strengthened problem-solving and creativity skills while exploring foundational coding concepts.
From Nov. 13 through Feb. 10, 17 fifth-grade students from across the district met weekly after school in the Polk Street School STEAM Lab. Using the Scratch programming language, students completed creative computing challenges and developed their own projects, including games, animations and interactive stories.
Franklin Square Coding Club members participated in a “mini hackathon” during the club’s final meeting in February.
grams Hatch! and Sprite Editor, students completed challenges requiring critical thinking, design and problemsolving.
During the final session, students participated in a “mini hackathon,” a friendly competition designed to test their new skills. Using KidOYO pro -
The top eight students from the competition earned the opportunity to represent the district at the KidOYO Upper Elementary Division Code Conquest Hackathon on April 24.
–Hailey Fulmer
–Hailey Fulmer
Gotham Avenue School third graders recently participated
test elastic force.
Third grade students at Gotham Avenue School recently investigated how elastic force affects motion during a hands-on lesson in the school’s STEAM Lab.
The lesson began with a collaborative discussion reviewing prior knowledge about elastic force. Students shared real-world examples, such as a stretched rubber band snapping back into shape. They then formed a hypothesis: The farther a car was pulled back, the farther it would travel.
Working in teams, students tested
their predictions using elastic-powered cars. They varied the pullback distance — 3 millimeters, 6 millimeters and 9 millimeters — and conducted three trials at each distance. During each trial, students measured how far the car traveled and recorded their data. District officials said the investigation strengthened students’ understanding of the relationship between force and motion while promoting collaboration, critical thinking and scientific inquiry.
–Hailey Fulmer
and digital
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman joined police and union officials to participate in a “Long Island Pizza Strong” event, during which $5 from every pizza sold was donated to the family of fallen Nassau County Police Officer Patricia Espinosa.
Espinosa, a police officer assigned to Nassau’s 5th Precinct, which includes Elmont, was killed on her way to work earlier this month.
Blakeman and officials sat together, spoke about the importance of keeping Officer Espinosa’s memory alive and encouraged residents to order a pie to support her family.
Blakeman also delivered additional pies to a local county Department of Public Works facility for plow drivers to enjoy.
–Hailey Fulmer
Blakeman loading up pizzas to be delivered to the Department of Public Works facility.
By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
Nassau County officials said Monday they have heightened security measures and increased police deployments in response to the escalating military conflict with Iran, citing concerns about potential retaliatory attacks, self-radicalized individuals and cyber threats.
Speaking March 2 at the Ceremonial Chamber in the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said the county began reviewing and expanding its security posture immediately after the conflict began.
“As we all know, we are engaged now in a military conflict with Iran,” Blakeman said. He added that he believed the federal government’s response was “an appropriate action to take” and that “Iran has been nothing but an irritant and a danger to America for a long, long time.”
Blakeman said Nassau County is home to residents of Iranian descent, some of whom, he said, have expressed support for changes in their country of origin.
“They are now celebrating the liberation of a once great country that was taken over by a very brutal and dictatorial regime, and that is now come to an end, and I can say, on my own behalf, we are very grateful that that action was taken by President Trump,” Blakeman said.
In Nassau, he said, public safety remains the top priority.
“That is our number one mission, and we take that mission very seriously,” he said. “When there are extraordinary events that occur — whether it’s a mass gathering, a celebration or a situation where someone may have an ax to grind — we always take special precautions.”
Blakeman said he and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder have been in constant contact since the outbreak of hostilities, reviewing intelligence and determining how best to deploy additional resources.
Officials referenced a recent shooting at a Texas bar that authorities believe may have been motivated by the overseas conflict. While that investigation
remains ongoing, Blakeman said preliminary information suggests the attack may have been influenced by events in Iran.
“That brought especially to light the fact that there may be a lone wolf that could be motivated, or even a terrorist cell that could be activated,” he said. “Therefore, we will take extraordinary precautions to make sure that our community is safe.”
Ryder said the police department implemented an “all-hands-on-deck” response as soon as intelligence briefings were received.
Specialized units, including the Bureau of Special Operations, criminal intelligence teams and the Strategic Response Team, have been deployed. K-9 units, mounted patrols, drones and aviation assets are also in use. Ryder said officers conducted more than 1,500 visits to critical infrastructure sites over the weekend.
Police are coordinating daily with the New York City Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Ryder said, sharing intelligence across agencies.
Blakeman urged residents to assist
law enforcement by reporting suspicious activity.
“It’s not just a cliché,” he said of the phrase “If you see something, say something.” “If you see someone that looks suspicious, if you see a package left somewhere, a suitcase or a backpack — anything that might be suspicious — please call 911 immediately.”
He also warned residents about poten-
tial cyberattacks linked to the conflict.
“Do not open suspicious emails,” Blakeman said. “If something doesn’t look right, don’t open it. We don’t want you to be the victim of a cyberattack or someone hacking your internet or social media accounts.”
With the Jewish holiday of Purim beginning Monday evening — a celebration that often includes large gatherings and costumes — police had already planned intensified patrols, Ryder said. In light of current events, the county is asking residents not to wear masks while traveling to and from houses of worship so officers can more easily identify individuals in public spaces.
Blakeman said additional patrols have been assigned to Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Sikh houses of worship and schools, noting that religious institutions have historically been targets of violence.
“Whether it’s business, pleasure or family activities, we want you to go about your daily lives,” he said. “Our police department is out there. They’re experienced, they do a great job, and we’re very confident in their ability to make sure that we get through this situation in a way that is safe and secure for all.”
Officials said the heightened security posture will remain in place until law enforcement determines that extraordinary measures are no longer necessary.
By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is renting office space in Woodbury for what could be dozens of agency attorneys, a move that is drawing concern from immigration advocates and prompting calls for transparency from local officials.
Last month, ICE began leasing offices in a four-story building at 88 Froehlich Farm Blvd., according to Craig J. Padover, president of the Hauppaugebased Aresco Management, which owns the property. The space, Padover said, is being used for legal offices, but he did not confirm the size or extent of the lease, nor could he verify how many ICE attorneys would ultimately work there.
He added that the space would not be used to house detained immigrants.
The expansion comes as controversy intensifies over President Trump’s deportation campaign. ICE received nearly $80 billion in funding through Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” passed last July, increasing the number of agents from roughly 10,000 to 22,000 this year, making it the largest-funded federal law enforcement agency.
ICE already maintains a presence at the federal courthouse in Central Islip and at the Nassau County Correctional Center in East Meadow, where detained migrants are housed. Agents covering
Long Island are based primarily in New York City offices.
“One of the most important things to remember is that the Department of Homeland Security and [Secretary] Kristi Noem has not been transparent about what’s going on,” Sylvia LivitsAyass, a partner at Livits Ayass Baskin PLLC and the immigration chair of the Nassau County Bar Association, said.
In Central Islip, marked and unmarked vans have been seen near district courts. Attorneys from ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor represent the Department of Homeland Secu-
rity in immigration-removal proceedings, and can facilitate warrants and enforcement actions.
“My guess is that there will be a ramp-up in ICE presence in Nassau and Suffolk, and they’re probably going to try and facilitate these enforcement actions through warrants and by supporting these operations,” Livits-Ayass said, emphasizing that that remains speculation.
She explained that there are different types of warrants. An administrative warrant is not reviewed by a federal judge, and is often signed by an ICE offi-
cer or agency official. A judicial warrant, by contrast, must be signed by a U.S. District Court judge and typically identifies the court, the name and birth date of the subject of the warrant, and the address to be searched.
“Just because they have a warrant doesn’t mean they can go wherever they want,” Livits-Ayass said.
Because immigration court for downstate New York is at Federal Plaza in Manhattan, she added, the Woodbury lease is surprising. She suggested that it could signal expanded enforcement operations, but also noted that it could simply be cost-effective for ICE to house its attorneys on Long Island. “The bottom line is we don’t know,” she said, “because they’re not telling anybody.”
In a letter to Noem, Rep. Tom Suozzi wrote that he was “seeking transparency,” and asked if the lease was accurate and how ICE has engaged with local governments.
In a statement to the Herald, Suozzi wrote, “Expanding deportation operations in safe communities creates fear and undermines trust in local enforcement, and would be a bad policy. Our focus should be on removing dangerous criminals while protecting families who contribute to our local economy and way of life.”
ICE offices in New York City did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment.
Stewart Manor School scholars in grades 4-6 recently learned about the world of finance and business through an engaging Junior Achievement program. Twenty-two Floral Park Memorial High School students, advised by business teacher Kevin Dolan, visited the classrooms to lead hands-on lessons in entrepreneurship, marketing, budgeting, management, accounting and banking.
With guidance from their Junior Achievement mentors, scholars worked collaboratively in small groups to create their own businesses. They designed logos, set prices, managed budgets and confidently pitched their products, showcasing impressive creativity, teamwork and critical-thinking skills throughout the process.
During another interactive activity, scholars were given a budget and challenged to make real-life financial decisions. They explored key concepts such as needs versus wants, smart spending choices and identifying items they could do without. While learning about accounting and banking, students also
discussed healthy money habits, including saving a portion of a $100 gift, understanding interest and fees, and learning the difference between checking and savings accounts.
“This hands-on experience was both educational and inspiring, and our students truly benefited from learning realworld financial skills in such an interactive way,” Assistant Principal Pamela Boyd said. “We are incredibly grateful to the Floral Park Memorial High School students and Mr. Dolan for providing such a meaningful and memorable learning opportunity for our school community!”
Junior Achievement is a nationwide organization that is dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills needed to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA provides grade-level curriculum for students to learn about financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness.
–Hailey Fulmer
By ABIGAIL GRIECO, WILL SHEELINE & JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO of the Herald Community Newspapers
Third installment in a series about water.
For generations, the waters surrounding Long Island have defined its identity — from the wide-open waterfronts of the South Shore to the shellfish beds of the North Shore. But beneath the surface, a quieter transformation is underway.
Ocean acidification is often called climate change’s “evil twin,” and refers to the lowering of the water’s pH, the scale used to measure the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water. While global warming refers to rising temperatures, acidification describes a shift in seawater chemistry.
The science begins with carbon dioxide. As levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increase — predominantly from the burning of fossil fuels — the ocean absorbs roughly 25 to 30 percent of it. When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, it forms carbonic acid, making the water more acidic, and lowering its pH.
farmers — industries that have experienced both revival and setbacks in recent decades — these chemical changes aren’t just theoretical. They are measurable, seasonal and, increasingly, part of daily operations.
The ‘evil twin’ of climate change
Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a nonprofit advocacy organization in New York and Connecticut, describes ocean acidification as a hidden but mounting crisis for Long Island’s waters — one intensified by warming temperatures, nitrogen pollution and poor circulation in local bays.
“It’s commonly understood that roughly a third of all carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere are absorbed by the marine environment,” Esposito said. That absorption increases acidity levels in bays, estuaries and the open ocean.
The pH scale is logarithmic, meaning that even a small numerical drop represents a significant shift in chemistry. The ocean is naturally slightly alkaline, but since the Industrial Revolution, average ocean surface pH has dropped by about 0.1 units — roughly a 30 percent increase in acidity. That shift reduces the availability of carbonate ions, the building blocks shellfish such as oysters and clams need to form their calcium carbonate shells.
Ryan Wallace, assistant professor of environmental science at Adelphi University, explained that these acidity levels are not evenly distributed. Some bays and harbors on the North Shore are measured at 450 parts per million, close to the ideal level of roughly 300 ppm, while others, particularly in the western portion of Long Island Sound, measured as high as 2,000 ppm.
Wallace emphasized that while these may not sound like huge differences, even minor changes in CO2 levels can have a drastic impact.
On Long Island, acidification is not driven by global carbon emissions alone. Local factors intensify the problem. Nitrogen discharged from wastewater, septic systems and fertilizer runoff flows into bays and harbors, fueling harmful algal blooms. When those blooms die and decompose, the process consumes oxygen and releases additional carbon dioxide in the water, further lowering pH.
The result is a compounding effect: global atmospheric carbon dioxide combined with local nitrogen pollution accelerates acidification in shallow, enclosed estuaries.
Warming waters add another layer of stress. As temperatures rise, marine organisms’ metabolic demands increase, but warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen. Together, warming and acidification can weaken shellfish during their most vulnerable larval stages, making it harder for them to survive and build shells.
For Long Island’s oyster and clam
“To put it into perspective, over the last 800,000 years or so, the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was only about 300” parts per million, Wallace explained. “Two thousand is a lot more than that, so when you get to concentrations that are that high, this can have implications for, you know, organisms that are living in these ecosystems.”
While the data reflect a global pattern, the consequences are being felt at the regional level as well. As Esposito noted, Long Island’s problems do not exist in isolation.
“It’s being exacerbated by an increase in temperature of the waterways and more nutrient runoff, such as nitrogen, going into waterways,” she said. “All of that causes unfortunate degradation to our water bodies.”
While algae is an important part of a healthy ecosystem, excess nitrogen can fuel algal blooms that, when they die off, consume oxygen and further stress marine life — compounding the chemical impacts of acidification with biological ones.
In the South Shore’s Western Bays, limited water circulation compounds the problem. Research by Stony Brook
University has shown that it can take up to 180 days for water to fully flush out through an inlet into the Atlantic Ocean. Instead, Esposito said, the water “sloshes back and forth” before eventually reaching the ocean, trapping heat and pollutants in the process.
Coastal areas such as the western portion of the Sound are especially vulnerable because of limited circulation. Wallace stressed that scientists differentiate between open-ocean acidification and coastal-ocean acidification because of the unique challenges those areas face.
In Hempstead Harbor, the issue of acidification has been a focus for local environmental organizations for decades. The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor was formed in 1986 to address a range of environmental issues facing the area, including acidification.
Michelle Lapinel McAllister, the coalition’s programs director, explained that pH monitoring is one of the core services that the nonprofit provides for the harbor. Measuring occurs yearround, with particular emphasis from May to October, when the harbor, in
common with other waterways, sees annual spikes in nitrogen levels.
“Each season we will see periods of low dissolved oxygen, and whenever dissolved oxygen gets low, then we’ll see pH drop as well,” Lapinel McAllister said. “That will typically happen around the hottest part of the year.”
Another complication is the fact that enclosed waters respond more quickly to environmental stressors than the open ocean, meaning local ecosystems can feel the impacts sooner and more intensely.
“The more stagnant the water body is, the more these acidity levels build up,” Esposito said. “The more the temperature builds up, the more damage the increase in acidity levels can do.”
She described three primary consequences of ocean acidification: “reduced water quality, the impact on shellfish and finfish and the degradation of the overall habitat due to low oxygen.”
Shellfish such as oysters and clams struggle to build and maintain their shells in more acidic conditions, while
Continued from PreViouS PAGe
finfish larvae have lower survival rates — threatening both the ecosystem and the region’s maritime economy.
“Acidification actually reduces the availability of carbonate ions that are needed for these organisms to build their shells, so that’s a major issue,” Wallace said. “Like shellfish aquaculture, it can impact fisheries, and then there’s this cascading effect that can influence things like recreational activities and tourism.”
This is especially relevant because shellfish play an important role in regulating nitrogen levels. An adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, depending on size and environmental conditions, while a clam can filter roughly half that.
Across Long Island, and across the country, local environmental organizations and governments are throwing their support behind shellfish hatcheries and protection programs, including the towns of Hempstead, Oyster Bay and Babylon. Lapinel McAllister explained that while these efforts serve an important role in safeguarding healthy ecosystems, they can’t singlehandedly save marine ecosystems.
“On their own, shellfish can’t improve the water quality to healthy levels,” she said, “but having a good, healthy, strong population is going to be part of that overall puzzle of maintaining the stability of pH over long term.”
While local efforts to restore wetlands, upgrade sewage-treatment plants and rebuild shellfish populations are making progress, Esposito said the root cause remains global. “The main culprit of ocean acidification is the burning of fossil fuels,” she said. “The only thing we can do is support more renewable energy so that we’re not pouring more carbon dioxide into the waterways.”
The wet work of marine scientists
Across Long Island, scientists are working together to find ways to improve the quality of local waters. A leading solution is all-organic: Restoring local populations of filter-feeders could, with careful management, bear the brunt of decontamination efforts.
The Flax Pond Marine Laboratory, in Old Field, is nestled in the marshes of the North Shore, overlooking the Long Island Sound. This laboratory is a research hatchery, working toward “improving local coastal water quality and replenishing natural shellfish populations,” according to its shellfish restoration manager, Peter Martin.
The facility’s current focus is the Ribbed Mussel Bioextraction Project, in which staff test what growth strategies lead to the healthiest shellfish that could be reintroduced to coastal waters to rejuvenate them.
“There’s a lot of coastal communities and little inlets and even out-of-use small pockets of water that are just polluted and are in need of cleaner water,” Martin said. “Fundamentally … shellfish are natural filters. All they do is filter feed, so they’re cleaning the water as they grow.”’
“One of the big pollutants that we’re focused on is nitrogen removal,” hatchery Research Specialist Ashley Lopez said. “Shellfish take in the bad form of nitrogen, process it in their body, and they still expel some nitrogen, but it’s a safe and more bioavailable kind of nitrogen.”
The ribbed mussel program is exploring new methods of shellfish cultivation; according to Lopez, there is no consensus in the field about growing large amounts of these shellfish. In their nascence, ribbed mussels have delicate health — a larva is as small as a grain of sand. The Citizens Campaign for the Environment staff regularly sterilize equipment and filter externally sourced seawater to minimize diseases and infections from plankton and bacteria.
The researchers grow eight different varieties of algae to feed adult ribbed mussels, which are kept in temperature-stabilized basins. This conditioning pro-
nonprofits like the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor play a vital role in the fight against acidification. Staff members such as michelle Lapinel mcAllister, right, programs director, and Carol diPaolo, water-monitoring coordinator, track pH levels and coordinate a shellfish restoration program to keep the harbor healthy.
■ 30 percent of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean.
■ From 2008 to 2017, fossil fuel burning and land use changes were responsible for 40 billion tons of emissions per year.
■ Surface waters are 30 percent more acidic than their pre-industrial levels.
■ While the ocean on average has seen a 0.06 decrease in pH units, meaning increasing acidity, since 1985, the Long Island Sound has seen a decrease of 0.04 per decade, according to UConn Marine Sciences.
■ In the past 25 years, the $6 billion clamming industry has seen a 93 percent reduction in harvests, according to the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation.
■ More than 12,000 acres of Long Island waterways have been closed to shellfishing due to algal blooms, according to the Suffolk County Health Department.
■ 76 percent of the nitrogen in the waters off Long Island — home to 40 percent of the state’s population — comes from faulty septic systems.
cess is meant to “ripen the gonads” of the mussels and help them reproduce as effectively as possible, according to Martin.
“What we’re doing is trying to find out the best way
to grow a lot of them from birth on and have them actually survive,” Lopez said. “And the starting point, we think, is the feeding regimens that we’re giving them. So that’s why we’re doing different diets — to see what kind of spawn they produce and see how the larvae survive after that.”
“This two-year project is Phase Two of a larger project,” Martin added. “Phase One was from ’23 to ’25. Each phase is getting further and further, doing more to figure out the best way to grow these things.”
In addition to ribbed mussel cultivation, CCE staff are involved with other restoration efforts, including a Community Aquaculture Restoration and Education program, in which scientists partner with community volunteers to sow “spat-on-shell” oysters into local estuaries, from which larvae will grow and mature into underwater custodians.
The Flax Pond hatchery works with groups ranging from the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and Stony Brook University to the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. It is one ecological collective of many working toward improving the quality of local waters from the east end of Long Island to the shores of Nassau County.
Even as Long Island’s waterways face the threat of rising acidification, the experts emphasize that all is not lost. Thanks to the efforts of the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor and other environmental groups, the region’s waters have bounced back from near-toxic levels of acidity, not to mention numerous pollutionrelated threats of the 1980s.
According to Wallace, the efforts of scientists and local volunteers, from the South Shore to coastal Connecticut, to monitor and address these issues have already made an impact.
“There’s been a lot of positives,” he said, “but we can’t stop there. There’s more work to be done.”
Nassau County Legislative Democrats, joined by local homeowners impacted by high filing fees, on Tuesday unveiled legislation they say would immediately slash excessive County Clerk recording charges that have left some residents paying more than $600 for routine paperwork.
The proposed local law would amend the Nassau County Administrative Code to reset the fee to $50 per block for recording and indexing documents, including satisfactions of mortgages and liens.
Legislator Debra Mulé, joined by Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, Deputy Minority Leader Arnold Drucker and Legislators Carrie Solages, Scott Davis, Olena Nicks, Viviana Russell and Cynthia Nunez, said the change is long overdue.
“Homeowners who do the right thing, pay off their mortgage, and walk into the Clerk’s Office with a twopage document should not be handed a $620 bill,” Mulé said. “That’s not a service fee, that’s a hidden tax. We are moving to end it immediately.”
One Oceanside resident, a homeowner since 1985, recently attempted to file a simple Satisfaction of Mortgage confirming that his home equity loan had been fully paid. He was told he would first need to pay a $270 “Tax Map Verification Fee” and then an additional $350.50 to file the document, a combined total of $620.50.
Described as “appalled” by the charge, the resident researched the fee structure and found that the $350.50 includes a $300 “Block Fee” that Nassau County Supreme Court Justice Gregg Roth ruled excessive and unconstitutional on June 9, 2025, ordering the county to reset it within 60 days. Despite that directive, lawmakers said, the fee remains in place.
Democrats noted that in most other New York counties, the total cost to file a Satisfaction of Mortgage ranges between $50 and $60, making Nassau’s fee more than 10 times higher.
Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton said the county must comply with the courts instead of continuing to defend fees that have already been deemed excessive.
“The courts have spoken clearly,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. “Instead of spending taxpayer dollars fighting to preserve a broken fee system, we should be fixing it.
This legislation restores fairness and puts Nassau residents first.”
Drucker added that Nassau and Suffolk are the only counties in New York that impose a separate Tax Map Verification Fee, further isolating Nassau as an outlier.
“There is no justification for charging families hundreds of dollars for routine filings that cost a fraction of that elsewhere,” Drucker said. “Government should not be profiting off basic administrative paperwork.”
Solages said the impact falls squarely on workingand middle-class homeowners.
“This is about basic fairness,” Solages said. “When residents pay off their mortgage, it should be a moment of relief, not another financial hit.”
Russell called the current structure a “textbook example of overreach.”
Nicks emphasized that compliance with the court order is not optional.
“The ruling required the County to reset the fee to align with actual service costs,” Nicks said. “This bill does exactly that.”
Democratic lawmakers said they are prepared to move swiftly to adopt the measure and ensure Nassau residents are no longer required to pay what they described as unjust and excessive fees for routine filings.
“$620 for paperwork ends now,” Mulé said. “We’re cutting it to $50 and bringing Nassau back in line with the law, and with common sense.”
–Hailey
Dutch Broadway School promoted kindness and positive school citizenship during its annual Kindness Week, held Feb. 2-6.
The celebration is largely studentled, with members of the Student Council planning and organizing the week’s activities. Each year, council members collaborate to create daily themes designed to encourage respect, empathy and connection throughout the school community.
This year’s themes included Mindfulness Monday, when students were encouraged to “wear a smile” and dress in a smile-friendly outfit; Twist It Up Tuesday, focused on the idea that “different perspectives deserve equal respect,” with students dressing as teachers and teachers dressing as students; Wild West Wednesday, which invited students to “tip their hat and say hello and thank you” while dressing as cowboys or cowgirls to promote polite behavior; Twilight Thursday, centered on the message, “let small acts of kindness be your light,” with students
wearing purple, navy or stars to represent the evening sky; and Friendship Friday, celebrating that “friendship thrives on kindness” as students twinned with a friend.
Kindness Week began with a schoolwide assembly, where students were welcomed by the school mascot, Roary the Lion. Student Council members, joined by Roary, performed a skit highlighting how sharing and helping others are simple yet meaningful acts of kindness.
School officials said the annual event supports students’ social-emotional learning by fostering empathy and mindfulness, while empowering student leaders to model positive behavior and help create an inclusive school environment.
–Hailey Fulmer
Nassau County Legislators Carrié Solages and Cynthia Nuñez are partnering with the Long Island Board of Realtors (LIBOR), the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA), and the Long Island Housing Partnership to host a workshop for first-time homebuyers at Valley Stream’s Gateway Christian Center on Thursday, March 12 at 6:00 p.m.
The workshop will provide prospective homebuyers with information on qualifying for financial assistance toward the purchase of a first home. Attendees will learn best practices for preparing financially, navigating the home-buying process, securing preapproval, and accessing free grant, loan, and first-time homebuyer programs.
“Amidst our nation’s growing affordability crisis, Long Island has become an even more challenging market to enter, and these workshops are designed to help first-time homebuyers navigate the process successfully,” Legislator Solages said. “Thank you to our partners at LIBOR, SONYMA and the Long Island Housing Partnership for pooling
their resources to host a workshop that will deliver essential information to District 3 residents and all of Nassau County’s communities.”
“Navigating the housing market can be incredibly daunting, but no one should have to do it alone. By bringing experts from LIBOR, SONYMA, and the Long Island Housing Partnership directly to our neighborhood, we are providing the tools and financial resources necessary to turn the dream of homeownership into a reality for our community,” Legislator Nuñez said. “Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to the complex process of purchasing a home. This workshop is a vital opportunity for our constituents to access grants and learn the best financial practices to succeed in today’s market. We are committed to making the ‘American Dream’ accessible and affordable for everyone in District 14.”
Attendees are encouraged to contact Legislator Solages’ office at 516-571-6203 or csolages@nassaucountyny.gov with questions or to RSVP.
–Hailey Fulmer
By HAILEY FULMER hfulmer@liherald.com
Emilian Emeagwali has built a life rooted in service, driven by a deep, generational commitment to uplifting and supporting the community around her.
Born and raised in Onitsha, Nigeria, Emeagwali, 60, emigrated to the United States in 1992, where she faced a dramatic change of lifestyle. In Nigeria, she had been surrounded by support, with help raising a baby girl and managing her daily responsibilities. “Everybody was helping with the baby,” she said. “I was like a queen.”
In America there was no such support system, leaving her to adjust to life with just her husband and their daughter, and to take on a variety of responsibilities herself, from child care to cooking and cleaning.
Determined to adapt, Emeagwali immersed herself in American culture. She spent time watching movies, listening to the news and reading books to better understand her new environment. Even everyday things like food and weather required adjustment.
After moving from Nigeria, Emeagwali received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brooklyn College. In 2003 she enrolled at Stony Brook University, where she earned a doctorate degree in physical therapy. Balancing school and family life proved difficult, because she was commuting 50 miles from Elmont and now caring for two children.
Despite these challenges, Emeagwali remained focused on her goal of helping others. After finishing her degree, she was motivated to continue her education by a desire to make an impact.
Her psychology classes helped her understand how to approach and connect with people, but she ultimately felt she could make a greater difference through physical therapy. While working as a therapist’s assistant in hospital settings, she became dissatisfied with the fastpaced environment, in which she often treated multiple patients in a short period of time.
Wanting to provide more personalized care, Emeagwali decided to open her own practice. In 2007 she founded State of the Art PT OT, a clinic in Valley Stream that has now been serving patients for nearly two decades. Her approach centers on treating people with the same care and attention she would give her own family.
That philosophy, she said, stems from her upbringing. As a child, she watched her parents give money to people in need, ensuring that they had food to eat. That instilled in her a lasting commitment to helping others and giving back.
“That is how I was raised,” she said. “I think that was embedded in me when growing up.”
In 2009, Emeagwali expanded that mission by founding the nonprofit Giving Back to Community Corp., headquartered in Valley Stream. The organization, which is funded by fundraisers and donations, focuses on providing food, educational resources and other support to underserved people in surrounding communities as well as in Nigeria.
Whether through her clinic or her nonprofit work, Emeagwali’s impact extends far beyond individual patients, strengthening entire communities and carrying forward the values that first inspired her to give back.
By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
As director of noninvasive cardiology at Mount Sinai South Nassau, Dr. Pilar Stevens-Haynes has built a career centered on precision, compassion and the belief that medicine can be both life-saving and lifechanging.
That sense of connection is what ultimately steered her toward cardiology. Born and raised in the Elmont/ Valley Stream area, Stevens-Haynes discovered her love of science in high school, drawn to biology and fascinated by a senior-year anatomy and physiology elective.
Though she once envisioned herself as a surgeon, clinical rotations changed her mind. “I thought I would just love surgery,” she said. “But I actually found I loved speaking to patients. In surgery, your patients are unconscious.”
Instead she chose a field that allows her to combine long-term patient relationships with moments of dramatic intervention. While many areas of internal medicine focus on managing chronic illness, StevensHaynes noted that cardiology allows physicians to intervene in acute, life-threatening situations — heart attacks, heart failure or dangerous arrhythmias — and dramatically improve outcomes.
“In cardiology, you can treat someone and sometimes give them back the life they had before,” she said. “I find true joy in taking care of people over time and watching them heal.”
A graduate of SUNY Geneseo, Stevens-Haynes completed her medical training in the Mount Sinai system before joining South Nassau over a decade ago. Her current role centers on cardiac imaging, from
electrocardiograms and echocardiograms to multiple forms of stress testing. Four days a week she oversees the lab, ensuring that the facility meets national accreditation standards.
“The lab has to do what it says it’s going to do,” Stevens-Haynes said. “We have to perform the studies accurately and meet the standards that are set.”
Patient care remains central to her. “I’ve got the best
of both worlds,” she said. “I get to practice medicine, but I also get to do a little bit of curative medicine.”
Throughout her career, she has also navigated the realities of being one of few women — and often the only woman of color — in the room. “You have to get very comfortable by being the one and only,” StevensHaynes said. Early on, she admitted, she was “very, very quiet and shy,” hesitant to draw attention to herself. Over time, however, she came to recognize the importance of representation.
“Patients will say how wonderful it is to see women physicians and to see people that look like them take care of them,” she said. “They trust me because I look like me.”
Mentorship has become one of the most meaningful aspects of Steven-Haynes’s work. She recalled sitting down with a tearful young physician who worried that starting a family would jeopardize her medical career. Stevens-Haynes encouraged her to do both. That physician is now a cardiology fellow.
“It’s important that women know they can have grand professional goals and personal goals — and achieve them,” she said.
Stevens-Haynes credits academic medicine with offering flexibility that has allowed her to balance professional growth with family life. She and her husband, Hector Luna, are raising four children in Baldwin. She remains driven by the passion that first led her into medicine, and by her belief that physicians can build meaningful careers without sacrificing the aspects of life that matter most.
“Even if it feels overwhelming or like an all-boys club, you can find your niche anywhere,” she said. “Chase your dreams. You don’t have to sacrifice.”
MARCH 13 • 10AM-12:30PM
EAST MEADOW BETH-EL JEWISH CENTER
1400 Prospect Ave, East Meadow
FREE community event focused on health, wellness, and lifestyle
Meet trusted local exhibitors and service providers
Take advantage of on-site health screenings
Enjoy lively entertainment, fitness demonstrations and interactive experiences
Hear from experts during a panel discussion with Q&A
Win raffles, prizes, and giveaways
Snack station for all
All designed to help you stay active, informed, and engaged at every stage of life.
AGENDA: VISIT EXHIBITORS
10:00AM - 12:30PM
EXPERT PANEL + Q&A 11:30AM - 12:30PM
RAFFLE DRAWINGS* *must be present to win
this
Nominate a student under 18 for the Sustainability Champion Award to recognize their efforts in driving sustainable
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.
By Abbey Salvemini
Get ready to cheer, dance and gasp — the legendary Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is back, and it’s dazzling audiences in ways few could have imagined. The self-proclaimed “Greatest Show on Earth” has been boldly reimagined for a new generation, bringing a high-voltage spectacle to UBS Arena from March 6 through March 8.
This is not the circus of decades past. Gone are the traditional three rings and animal acts; in their place is a fast-paced, immersive experience that blends worldclass acrobatics, cutting-edge choreography, live music and vibrant storytelling. The arena transforms into a colorful celebration that feels as much like a concert and dance party as a circus performance.
The energy begins the moment everyone walks through the doors. An interactive pre-show sets the tone, introducing audiences to the dynamic Ringling Hype Crew — a lively cast of dancers and performers who invite everyone to move, clap and join in the fun. Before the first aerialist soars or the first stunt takes flight, the crowd is already part of the action.
At its heart are the performers.
• Friday March 6, 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8, 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.
• Tickets start at $39.35, $20 kids tickets for all performances; available at ticketmaster.com
• UBS Arena, 2400 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont
The 65-person cast, representing 17 countries, is a truly international ensemble that fuses time-honored circus traditions with bold, contemporary feats. Among the most buzzed-about moments is the crisscross trapeze act, in which elite aerialists launch themselves along intersecting flight paths, slicing through the air in breathtaking near-misses that leave audiences holding their collective breath.
The stars of this new incarnation of circus include 33-year-old trapeze artist Miles Postlethwait. He grew up in Florida, attending Ringling shows (and Disney on Ice). Caught up in the spectacle, he in love with trapeze at age 10. A trapeze performer for 10 years (six professionally), he landed at Ringling in November.
Recalling his early circus memories: “I remember going to see Ringling Bros when I was very young. Honestly, what I remember most was the toys (specifically the dragon sword) and the cotton candy. But my mom tells me I was enamored with the acrobats.”
That fascination stuck, leading him to his tour “home” and what’s now billed as “The Greatest Party On Earth,” according to the Ringling mantra.
“Who wouldn’t want to be a part of The Greatest Show On Earth? I saw the previous tour multiple times and loved the show. It’s nonstop fun because you’re part of the show the whole time, interacting with other performers and the audience,” Postlethwait says.
The vibe is fueled by today’s cultural influences — reimagined through the lens of pop culture, concerts and festivals.
Back to the aforementioned trapeze stunt, he points out that the crisscross rig is unique and requires intense precision, but years of training make the nearmisses almost instinctive.
“It keeps me on my toes, and the crowd’s reaction
A 150-year tradition leaps into the future as the reimagined spectacle delivers fresh thrills, bold artistry and gravity-defying feats that redefine the
is incredible.”
The thrills keep on coming. Other highlights include the Double Wheel of Destiny, in which four daredevils leap and jump rope on spinning wheels. A Chinese acrobatic bicycle act, created exclusively for Ringling, features gravity-defying human pyramids and fearless athleticism, with one acrobat running across the backs of nine moving bike riders. Salsa Colombia, a fiery dance and acrobatics troupe, brings the energy of Latin rhythms to the arena floor. And audiences are fascinated by Cam, a content creator and unicycle rider, who stacks up to 25 wheels towering nearly 35 feet high. Also watch out for Bailey the Robo Pup, a high-tech canine character and PT (Party Time), Ringling’s first-ever hype character, who keeps the crowd engaged and amplifies the celebratory atmosphere.
Giant LED screens and cameras capture acrobats from impossible angles, giving every seat the feel of front-row access.
Music powers the show. A DJ spins everything from hip-hop to Latin beats, driving the action from start to finish, with beat drops, live drumming and dance battles.
Those in the audience are not just spectators — they’re all in. Kids are drawn into onstage interactions, while the LED screens highlight stunts from content creator Cam, adding an extra layer of excitement. From split-second trapeze timing to jaw-dropping acrobatics, the spectacle keeps everyone on the edge of their seats while leaving lasting memories for all involved. The result is a full-on celebration with a festival-style energy that transforms classic circus elements.
Postlethwait sums it up simply: “It’s a super fun, energetic party. Families come and say everybody had a blast. It’s a show where kids aren’t just watching — they’re a part of the action.”
Perhaps most importantly, according to Postlethwait, the spectacle inspires young audiences to dream big.
“I hope they see that anything is possible. Circus acts show that humans’ limits go so much further than we think.”
Whether you’re in it for the stunts, the music or the interactive fun, this version of “The Greatest Show On Earth” promises something for everyone. Experience firsthand why Ringling Bros. has thrilled audiences for generations — now with a fresh, modern twist that makes the circus feel entirely new.
Drag out that neon once again and give your hair its best ‘80s ‘do. Those crazy days are back — as only Jessie’s Girl can pull off, on the Paramount stage. The band of NYC’s top rock/pop musicians and singers gets everyone into that “Back To The Eighties” vibe with the latest edition of their popular concert experience. With a lineup including four pop-rock vocalists dressing and performing as 80s icons, backed by a dynamic band, this is the definitive ‘80s experience. Jessie’s Girl’s primary line-up includes a team of NYC’s top rock and pop vocalists: Jenna O’Gara, Jerome Bell-Bastien, and Mark Rinzel. They are backed by one of the tightest bands in the city comprised of 20+ year veterans of the NYC music scene, each with dozens of credits performing with authentic ‘80s icons who made the music famous to begin with! Their motto: There’s no decade like the Eighties and no party like Back To The Eighties with Jessie’s Girl.
Friday, March 6, 8 p.m. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com.
With a voice radiating warmth, refinement and emotional depth, jazz vocalist Jane Monheit brings her celebrated interpretations of Great American Songbook classics to the Madison Theatre in a special collaboration with the South Shore Symphony Orchestra. Renowned for breathing fresh life into beloved standards, she headlines an unforgettable afternoon, blending the intimacy of jazz with the grandeur of full orchestral sound. Under the baton of Music Director Adam Glaser, the South Shore Symphony accompanies her in a series of orchestral arrangements that highlight both her vocal artistry and the timeless beauty of these enduring songs. The program also offers audiences a more intimate jazz club feel, with Monheit backed by a trio, including Glaser on piano, for several selections.
Sunday, March 8, 3 p.m. Molloy University campus, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. Tickets available at madisontheatreny.org or (516) 323-4444.
‘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
Elmont students stage the classic musical, the exploration of teenage chaos and culture. Set in the 1950s, pop singer Conrad Birdie gets drafted into the army, and to save his management they put on a chaotic publicity stunt. Also runs March 4 at 4 p.m.
• Where: 555 Ridge Road
• Time: 4 p.m. 7 p.m., also March 7
• Contact: (516) 488-9200
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: 10:15 a.m. and noon; also March 7, March 11-12
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
Professional Championship
Bull Riders
Buckle up — ’cause you ain’t seen nothin’ like this before. The
The Grammy-nominated global sensation returns to the stage with their highly anticipated new tour, Celtic Woman — A New Era. Featuring the mesmerizing talents of Mairéad Carlin, Muirgen O’Mahony, Ciara Ní Mhurchú, and the dynamic new addition Caitríona Sherlock, this production fuses the ensemble’s signature ethereal harmonies with innovative orchestrations, captivating stagecraft, and a contemporary energy that honors Ireland’s rich musical and cultural legacy while embracing Celtic Woman’s ongoing evolution. Audiences will be transported on a spellbinding journey through Irish music, from timeless classics to stirring original compositions. The evening promises breathtaking vocal performances, intricate instrumental mastery, and the rhythmic grace of traditional Irish dance. Accompanied by a full ensemble, the performers bring to life Celtic staples — including the bagpipe, bodhrán, tin whistles, and Uilleann pipes — creating a lush and immersive soundscape that resonates with both tradition and modernity. From evocative Irish ballads and contemporary favorites to classical masterpieces and fresh original songs, their tour celebrates the vibrancy of modern Ireland while paying tribute to centuries of musical heritage. It is a concert experience that blends elegance, passion, and cultural storytelling, offering audiences an unforgettable evening of artistry, energy and enchantment.
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington
• Time: 8 p.m.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
mar
Join clairvoyant, numerologist and Reiki master Carole Durand for an introduction to Western numerology at Franklin Square Public Library. Learn to calculate your birth path number and uncover insights about your destiny, soul’s desire and personality through your birth name. Obtain insight into how numerology can guide everyday choices, from addresses to phone numbers. Mini readings will be offered as time allows.
• Where: 19 Lincoln Road, Franklin Square.
• Time: 7-8:30 p.m.
• Contact: FranklinSquarePL.org or (516) 481-3444
An intimate chat with Valerie Bertinelli
Long Island LitFest hosts an appearance by the actress-turnedauthor on her book tour, at the Madison Theatre. Moderated by Paulina Porizkova, Bertinelli’s most vulnerable book yet, “Getting Naked,” offers wisdom hard-won through divorce, menopause and generational pain, with a powerful message of self-acceptance and embracing the past with compassion. Each ticket includes a signed copy.
PCB has been a full-throttle tour de force: a mano-a-toro showdown where the toughest cowboys on the planet face off against the rankest bulls in the game. May the boldest rider win. And it’s not just the cowboys. Watch the cowgirls blaze through barrel racing, showcasing speed, agility and sheer determination in a race for the fastest times.
• Where: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com
Acclaimed composer and 2025 Jonathan Larson Grant recipient Dylan MarcAurele performs at Adelphi University Performing Arts Center continuing Adelphi’s tradition of showcasing emerging talents in musical theater. MarcAurele, recognized for his innovative contributions to the genre, performs selections from his current projects, including the critically acclaimed musical “Pop Off, Michelangelo!” that recently enjoyed a successful London run. His concert is a cabaret-style showcase of music from past and future productions (including his upcoming parody musical “Heated Rivalry” that sold out performances in a matter of hours). Joining him are Taylor
Fagins, Mateo Chavez Lewis, and Yael Rizowy.
• Where: Adelphi University Performing Arts Center,
1 South Ave., Garden City
• Time: 3 p.m.
• Contact: adelphi.edu/pac or (516) 877-4000
Long Island Children’s Museum welcomes families with kids ages 6-10 to explore how climate change impacts our environment and learn ways both scientists and families can help protect it. These workshops are part of a scientific study surrounding climate education.
• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
• Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m.
• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800
Jane Monheit in concert
Internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist Jane Monheit joins the South Shore Symphony for their next concert. Monheit’s signature warm, expressive sound enhances the lush orchestral mar
arrangements. Known for her elegant interpretations of jazz standards and contemporary classics, she brings her rich vocals to the symphonic stage for a performance that blends jazz sophistication with the power of a full orchestra.
• Where: 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre
• Time: 3 p.m.
• Contact: madisontheatreny.org or (516) 323-4444
Plaza Theatrical welcomes sensational vocalist Andy Cooney to its stage at Elmont Memorial Library His outstanding voice and dynamic stage have filled the rafters of Lincoln Center and Dublin’s National Concert Hall in Ireland. His talent and versatility allow him to deliver a variety of songs directly to the audience’s hearts; Andy is surely one of the best on the Irish music scene today. The New York Times christened him “Irish America’s Favorite Son,” a title he richly deserves! $40, $35 seniors.
• Where: 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont
• Time: 2:30 p.m.
• Contact: PlazaTheatrical.com or call (516) 599-6870
• Where: Madison Theatre, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: madisontheatreny.org or (516) 323-4444
Phil Harwood hosts a workshop for writers of all levels at Elmont Memorial Library. Different genres are explored with prompts and other discussions. Participants are invited to share their writing with the group.
• Where: 700 Hempstead Tpke.
• Time: 4-5 p.m.
• Contact: elmontlibrary.org or (516) 354-5280
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.
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF FORMATION of 11
Cubed LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/26/26 Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to 222 Doris Avenue, Franklin Square, NY 11010. Purpose: any lawful act. 158223
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, FLAGSTAR BANK, N.A., F/K/A FLAGSTAR BANK, FSB, Plaintiff, vs. MIGUEL F. HERNANDEZ, ESTER AMBROSIO-RUIZ, if living and if he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, though, or under them and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heir-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff, ET AL., Defendant (s).
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on February 18, 2025 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 96 FLORAL BLVD, FLORAL PARK, NY
11001. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Floral Park, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 32, Block: 181, Lot: 107 & 406. Approximate amount of judgment is $983,321.90 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 606142/2019. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Mortgagee’s attorney, or the Referee. For Sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832.
CHRISTINE M. GRILLO, Esq., Referee Roach & Lin, P.C., 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 185, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff 158330
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. S/B/M TO BAC HOME LOANS SERVICINGM LP F/K/A COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS SERVICING LP, Pltf. vs. JOSEPH GIRARDI, et al Deft. Index #602428/2023. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered June 3, 2025, I will sell at public auction on the North Side Steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on March 24, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. prem. k/a 122 Grange Street, Franklin Square, NY 11010 a/k/a Section 35, Block 184, Lot 9 (lot group 9-10). Said property located in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of NY, known and designated as and by Lots 9 and 10 in Block 519 on a certain map entitled “Map of Garden City Terrace, Section 2, Nassau County, N.Y. owned by and developed by Fairbank Realty Corporation Inc., November 9, 1925 and surveyed by William H. Parry” and filed in the Office of the Clerk of
the County of Nassau on March 5, 1926 as Map #595, Case #613. Approximate amount of judgment is $606,380.01 plus cost and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. LAUREL KRETZING, Referee. HILL WALLACK LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 261 Madison Avenue, 9th Floor, Ste. 940-941, New York, NY. File No. 017511-03788#102756 158449
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, HIMC CAPITAL LLC, Plaintiff, vs. CHRIMAR REALTY CORP., ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 22, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 26, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 148 Tulip Avenue, Floral Park, NY 11001. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Floral Park, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 32, Block 120 and Lot 119. Approximate amount of judgment is $810,499.07 plus interest and costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 606907/2022. Cash will not be accepted. Certified bank checks only made out to Joseph Juliano, Esq., referee. Joseph Juliano, Esq., Referee Law Offices of Joseph R. Bongiorno & Associates, P.C., 220 Mineola Boulevard, Mineola, New York 11501, Attorneys for Plaintiff 158451
LEGAL NOTICE SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF OBJECT OF ACTION STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF NASSAU ACTION TO FORECLOSE A TAX LIEN INDEX NO.:
609056/2025, ELM CAPITAL LLC, Plaintiff, vs. the unknown heirs, legatees, devisees and/or representatives of ARTHUR BEZMAN and all persons that may claim an interest in the property referred to in the complaint by, through or under any of the foregoing (the aforesaid unknown heirs, legatees, devisees and/or representatives being all such heirs, legatees, devisees and/or representatives other than those specifically named as a defendant in the complaint-the identity and addresses of all the foregoing not being known to plaintiff), PREMISES SUBJECT TO TAX LIEN: 201 Waldorf Ave., Elmont, NY, SBL# 32, 425, 125. TO THE ABOVE NAMED
DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action, to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with the summons, to serve notice of appearance, on the plaintiff s attorney within thirty (30) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the date of service, and in case of failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. Plaintiff designates Nassau County as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the subject property. NOTICE-YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the tax lien holder who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the tax lien holder will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (TAX LIEN HOLDER) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: February 7,
2026. Joseph Ehrenreich, Attorney for Plaintiff, 33 South Service Road, Jericho, NY 11753, 833-993-0100. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of HON.
JEFFREY A. GOODSTEIN of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, entered January 27, 2026. Such order and the Complaint in this action are filed in the office of the Nassau County Clerk, in Mineola, NY. The object of this action is to foreclose a tax lien on the premises identified above.
158422
LEGAL NOTICE REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Plaintiff - against - ARMANDO VENTURA A/K/A ARMANDO A. VENTURA, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on September 30, 2024. 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, N.Y. 11501 on the 23rd day of March, 2026 at 2:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Freeport, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.
Premises known as 67 Mount Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520.
(Section: 55, Block: 233, Lots: 209 and 210) Approximate amount of lien $778,953.35 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.
Index No. 608163/2019. John G. Kennedy, Esq., Referee. McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840 New York, NY 10170 Tel. 347/286-7409
For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832
Dated: January 5, 2026
During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all
governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. 158416
LEGAL NOTICE SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF OBJECT OF ACTION STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF NASSAU ACTION TO FORECLOSE A TAX LIEN INDEX NO.: 609003/2025, ELM CAPITAL LLC, Plaintiff, vs. the unknown heirs, legatees, devisees and/or representatives of CAROL STERLING and all persons that may claim an interest in the property referred to in the complaint by, through or under any of the foregoing (the aforesaid unknown heirs, legatees, devisees and/or representatives being all such heirs, legatees, devisees and/or representatives other than those specifically named as a defendant in the complaint-the identity and addresses of all the foregoing not being known to plaintiff), PREMISES SUBJECT TO TAX LIEN: 632 Demille Ave., Elmont, NY, SBL# 32, 691, 9. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action, to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with the summons, to serve notice of appearance, on the plaintiff s attorney within thirty (30) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the date of service, and in case of failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. Plaintiff designates Nassau County as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the subject property. NOTICE-YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING
YOUR HOME. If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the tax lien holder who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the tax lien holder will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (TAX LIEN HOLDER) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: February 7, 2026. Joseph Ehrenreich, Attorney for Plaintiff, 33 South Service Road, Jericho, NY 11753, 833-993-0100. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of HON. JEFFREY A. GOODSTEIN of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, entered January 27, 2026. Such order and the Complaint in this action are filed in the office of the Nassau County Clerk, in Mineola, NY. The object of this action is to foreclose a tax lien on the premises identified above. 158420
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU PHH MORTGAGE CORPORATION Plaintiff, Against ABDUL MUQADDIM MALIK A/K/A ABDUL M. MALIK A/K/A ABDUL AHAD MALIK; et al
Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 01/08/2026, 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, N.Y. 11501 on 4/7/2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 242 Roquette Avenue, Floral Park, NY 11001, a/k/a 242 Roquette Avenue, South Floral Park, NY
11001, and described as follows:
ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of South Floral Park, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Section 32 Block 352 Lot 52, 53, 54, 55 and 70.
The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $436,804.18 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 604194/2017 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. Brian J. Davis, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573
Dated: 1/30/2026 File Number: 16-301251 CA 158684
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NASSAU COUNTY CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC, Plaintiff against SHAWN MONROE, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) McMichael Taylor Gray, LLC, 28 Corporate Drive, Suite 104, Halfmoon, NY 12065. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered September 8, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on April 8, 2026 at2:00 PM. Premises known as 233 Jefferson Street, Franklin Square, NY 11010. Sec 35 Block 128 Lot 122. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being at Franklin Square, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.
Approximate Amount of Judgment is $350,678.26 plus interest, fees, and costs.
Premises will be sold
March 5, 2026 —
subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 616967/2022. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”
Gerard Geisweller, Esq., Referee File # 22-001786-01 158692
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 hold a public hearing at Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on March 10, 2026 at 10:30 A.M., to consider enacting Chapter 10F of the Hempstead Town Code to be entitled “Taxation: Partial Exemption for Surviving Spouses of Fallen Police Officers” regarding a real property tax exemption for surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty pursuant to N.Y. Real Property Tax Law §471. 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: Hempstead, New York February 24, 2026 BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK.
KATE MURRAY
Town Clerk
JOHN R. FERRETTI, JR.
Supervisor 158674 GUARDIAN OF CHELSEA K. R. RAMRATTAN WHO IS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF SURDASH RAMRATTAN; et al
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR MERRILL LYNCH MORTGAGE INVESTORS TRUST, MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-MLN1, Plaintiff AGAINST HENRY TORRES, HILDA TORRES, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered January 15, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on April 8, 2026 at 2:30 PM, premises known as 139 Roquette Avenue, Elmont, NY 11003. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Elmont, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 32 Block 364 Lots 40-43. Approximate amount of judgment $283,187.40 plus interest and costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #620974/2024. For sale information, please contact XO ME at www.Xome.com or call (844) 400-9633. Tiffany D. Frigenti, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 24-002961 88993 158638
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR ARGENT SECURITIES INC., ASSET-BACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006M1, Plaintiff, Against
LYSTRA M. RAMRATTAN AS HEIR AND ADMINISTRATRIX
TO THE ESTATE OF SURDASH RAMRATTAN; RANDALL S. RAMRATTAN AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF SURDASH RAMRATTAN; LYSTRA M. RAMRATTAN AS
Defendant(s)
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 01/10/2019, 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, N.Y. 11501 on 4/7/2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 1069 Concord Street, Franklin Square, New York 11010, 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 Franklin Square in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York. Section 33 Block 380 Lot 260
The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $882,483.61 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 003792/2015 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. Ellen Durst, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573 Dated: 1/29/2026 File Number: 17-300381 CA 158686
LEGAL NOTICE CASE NO.7179 RESOLUTION NO. 2502026
Adopted: February 24, 2026
Councilmember Goosby offered the following resolution and moved its adoption: RESOLUTION DETERMINING PARCELS BENEFITED BY CONSTRUCTION OR RECONSTRUCTION OF SIDEWALK AREA IN; BALDWIN, BELLMORE, BETHPAGE, EAST MEADOW, ELMONT, FRANKLIN SQUARE, INWOOD, ISLAND PARK, LEVITTOWN, MERRICK, NORTH BALDWIN, NORTH BELLMORE,
OCEANSIDE, ROCKVILLE CENTRE, ROOSEVELT, SEAFORD, SOUTH HEMPSTEAD, UNIONDALE, WANTAGH, WEST HEMPSTEAD, WOODMERE IN THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NASSAU COUNTY, NY, ADOPTING PROPOSED ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR THE COST THEREOF AND CALLING A PUBLIC HEARING THEREON. WHEREAS, pursuant to the following Resolutions adopted by the Town Board:
TOWN BOARD RESOLUTIONS DATE
7179 2/21/2017
267-2021 2/23/2021
693-2022 5/24/2022
508 4/25/2023
6365 4/9/2024
992-2024 9/17/2024
151-2025 2/25/2025
814-2025 8/5/2025
NOTICE WAS GIVEN TO ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNERS DIRECTING THEM TO CONSTRUCT OR RECONSTRUCT
SIDEWALK AREA ON : AMBROSE CT, BABYLON TPKE, BALDWIN AVE, BARBARA ST, BAY FRONT DR, BONNIE DR, BROADWAY, CARNATION AVE, CHALADAY LN, CHESTNUT LN, CLEARMEADOW DR, COLONY ST, COLUMBUS AVE, CONDOR RD, COOLIDGE AVE, COURT ST, COURTNEY LN, DALE PL, DAY ST, E ROOSEVELT AVE, EASTERN PKWY, EVELYN AVE, EVERS LN, FARM LN, FENWORTH BLVD, GRAND AVE, GUN LN, HAMILTON AVE, HAMPTON RD, HANCOCK ST, HENRY ST, HOPATCONG AVE, HOWARD PL, HUDSON AVE, IVANHOE DR, IVY CT W, JEFFERSON ST, KINGSTON AVE, LAKEVIEW RD, LAUREL AVE, LINCOLN BLVD, LINCOLN ST, LINKS DR W, LYDIA PL, MANOR PKWY, MARILYN DR, MARJORIE LN, MATTITUCK AVE, MCDONALD AVE, MEADOW LN, MEADOW RD, MERRICK AVE, MERRICK RD, MILBURN AVE, MONACO AVE, MONROE ST, N JERUSALEM RD, NORTHERN PKWY, ORIOLE AVE, OWL PL, PAMLICO AVE, PARK AVE, PARKER AVE, QUARRY LN, REMSEN ST, ROCKWOOD AVE, ROOSEVELT ST, ROYAL AVE, SCHREIBER PL, SKILLMAN AVE, SPRAGUE AVE, SPRUCEWOOD DR, STEPHEN ST, SUNSHINE AVE, SURREY LN, WADLEIGH AVE, WAUKENA AVE, WAVERLY AVE, WESTMINSTER RD, WILLIAM PL, WOLCOTT
RD, WOLFSON DR, WOOD PARK DR WHEREAS, the owner(s) who were so notified had failed to construct or reconstruct sidewalk area as required by such Notice and the Town Board has caused said sidewalks to be constructed or reconstructed; and WHEREAS, such construction or reconstruction was completed by the Town at the Total cost of $148,883.11 and which sum includes appropriate administrative fees, which amount has been paid by the Town of Hempstead, pursuant to resolution adopted by the Town Board, subject to assessment against the property benefited thereby pursuant to Chapter 181 (Part 1) Code of the Town of Hempstead, NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the actual and completed cost of the construction and reconstruction of sidewalk area on the property hereinabove be assessed against the parcels benefited thereby pursuant to Chapter 181 (Part 1) Code of the Town of Hempstead, is hereby determined to be $148,883.11 and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the parcel(s) listed in the assessment roll be attached hereto and made a part hereof under the heading “PARCELS BENEFITED” are the lots and parcels especially benefited by the said improvements as they appear on the Nassau County Land and Tax Map; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the assessment roll attached hereto is hereby made a part hereof and shall constitute the completed assessment roll for such improvements under Chapter 181 (Part 1), Code of the Town of Hempstead and that the figures under the heading of “ASSESSMENT” on the same line with the said lot designations, is the amount assessed against said lots or parcels and that under the headline “PAID”, and the Receiver of Taxes shall indicate the parcels of land for which assessments shall not have been paid before the return thereof to the Supervisor and that such assessment roll be forthwith filed with the Town Clerk; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the assessment hereunder
may be paid in one installment without penalty or interest, or at the option of the payer, in five (5) annual installments with interest thereon, if the benefit is in excess of $100.00; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Board meet at the Town Board Room (Pavilion) of the Town Hall on March 10, 2026, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day to hear and consider any objections which may be made to said assessment roll; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk publish at least once not less than ten (10) or more than twenty (20) days before the time above specified, for said meeting in a newspaper published within the Town of Hempstead, a notice that said Assessment roll has been completed and that at the time and place above specified the Town Board will meet and hear to consider any objections which may be made thereto.
The foregoing resolution was seconded by Councilmember Dunne, Sr. And adopted upon roll call as follows:
AYES: SIX (6) NOES: NONE (0)
NOTICE OF COMPLETION OF ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OR RECONSTRUCTION OF SIDEWALK AREA ON: AMBROSE CT, BABYLON TPKE, BALDWIN AVE, BARBARA ST, BAY FRONT DR, BONNIE DR, BROADWAY, CARNATION AVE, CHALADAY LN, CHESTNUT LN, CLEARMEADOW DR, COLONY ST, COLUMBUS AVE, CONDOR RD, COOLIDGE AVE, COURT ST, COURTNEY LN, DALE PL, DAY ST, E ROOSEVELT AVE, EASTERN PKWY, EVELYN AVE, EVERS LN, FARM LN, FENWORTH BLVD, GRAND AVE, GUN LN, HAMILTON AVE, HAMPTON RD, HANCOCK ST, HENRY ST, HOPATCONG AVE, HOWARD PL, HUDSON AVE, IVANHOE DR, IVY CT W, JEFFERSON ST, KINGSTON AVE, LAKEVIEW RD, LAUREL AVE, LINCOLN BLVD, LINCOLN ST, LINKS DR W, LYDIA PL, MANOR PKWY, MARILYN DR, MARJORIE LN, MATTITUCK AVE, MCDONALD AVE, MEADOW LN, MEADOW RD, MERRICK AVE, MERRICK RD, MILBURN AVE, MONACO AVE, MONROE ST, N JERUSALEM RD, NORTHERN PKWY, ORIOLE AVE, OWL PL, PAMLICO AVE, PARK AVE, PARKER AVE, QUARRY LN, REMSEN ST, ROCKWOOD AVE, ROOSEVELT ST, ROYAL AVE, SCHREIBER PL, SKILLMAN AVE, SPRAGUE AVE, SPRUCEWOOD DR, STEPHEN ST, SUNSHINE AVE, SURREY LN, WADLEIGH AVE, WAUKENA AVE, WAVERLY AVE, WESTMINSTER RD, WILLIAM PL, WOLCOTT RD, WOLFSON DR, WOOD PARK DR In the TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK, and of meeting to hear and consider objections thereto.
AVE, SURREY LN, WADLEIGH AVE, WAUKENA AVE, WAVERLY AVE, WESTMINSTER RD, WILLIAM PL, WOLCOTT RD, WOLFSON DR, WOOD PARK DR OF HEMPSTEAD, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK, and PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that on March 10, 2026, the Town Board will meet at the Board Room of the Town Hall Pavilion, Hempstead, New York at 10:30 o’clock to hear and consider any objections which may be made to said assessment roll.
DATE : February 24, 2026
Hempstead, New York
John Ferretti
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 181 (Part 1) CODE OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead has prepared and filed with the Town Clerk of said Town, the completed assessment roll for the construction or reconstruction of sidewalk area on: AMBROSE CT, BABYLON TPKE, BALDWIN AVE, BARBARA ST, BAY FRONT DR, BONNIE DR, BROADWAY, CARNATION AVE, CHALADAY LN, CHESTNUT LN, CLEARMEADOW DR, COLONY ST, COLUMBUS AVE, CONDOR RD, COOLIDGE AVE, COURT ST, COURTNEY LN, DALE PL, DAY ST, E ROOSEVELT AVE, EASTERN PKWY, EVELYN AVE, EVERS LN, FARM LN, FENWORTH BLVD, GRAND AVE, GUN LN, HAMILTON AVE, HAMPTON RD, HANCOCK ST, HENRY ST, HOPATCONG AVE, HOWARD PL, HUDSON AVE, IVANHOE DR, IVY CT W, JEFFERSON ST, KINGSTON AVE, LAKEVIEW RD, LAUREL AVE, LINCOLN BLVD, LINCOLN ST, LINKS DR W, LYDIA PL, MANOR PKWY, MARILYN DR, MARJORIE LN, MATTITUCK AVE, MCDONALD AVE, MEADOW LN, MEADOW RD, MERRICK AVE, MERRICK RD, MILBURN AVE, MONACO AVE, MONROE ST, N JERUSALEM RD, NORTHERN PKWY, ORIOLE AVE, OWL PL, PAMLICO AVE, PARK AVE, PARKER AVE, QUARRY LN, REMSEN ST, ROCKWOOD AVE, ROOSEVELT ST, ROYAL AVE, SCHREIBER PL, SKILLMAN AVE, SPRAGUE AVE, SPRUCEWOOD DR, STEPHEN ST, SUNSHINE
Supervisor Town of Hempstead 158651
LEGAL NOTICE CASE NO.21527
RESOLUTION NO. 1972026
Adopted: February 24, 2026
Councilmember Muscarella offered the following resolution and moved its adoption: RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING AND SETTING ASIDE CERTAIN PARKING SPACES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES FOR THE SOLE USE OF HOLDERS OF SPECIAL PARKING PERMITS ISSUED BY THE COUNTY OF NASSAU TO PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS.
WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 1942026, adopted February 10, 2026, a public hearing was duly held on the 24th day of February, 2026, at the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the proposed establishment and setting aside of a certain parking space for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons, in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, all as set forth in said resolution; and WHEREAS, after due consideration, this Town Board finds it to be in the public interest to establish and set aside a certain parking space for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons;
SURREY LN, AVE, AVE, AVE, RD, WOLCOTT
WOLFSON DR, DR HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY, NEW FURTHER on March the Town meet at the of the Pavilion, New o’clock consider which to said February 24, New York
Hempstead
NO. 197February 24, offered the resolution and adoption: ASIDE PARKING MOTOR FOR THE HOLDERS
PARKING
ISSUED BY COUNTY OF PHYSICALLY pursuant No. 194February 10, hearing on the February, the Town Pavilion, Town Hall, Street, New proposed and a certain space for for the holders of permits County physically persons, in with Section Code of Hempstead, in said after due this Town to be in interest to set aside parking space vehicles for holders parking by the Nassau to handicapped
a tunnel with their raised lightsabers for those advancing to walk through, symbolizing their transition.
As it was time for the Cub Scouts to transition, Kehoe lit candles to signify the brightest light of Cub Scouting, honoring those who had completed their training and were ascending to their next adventure.
“May this light guide them as they continue their journey,” he said.
Each Scout who crossed over received a handmade wooden plaque representing the milestone. The plaque serves as a permanent reminder of their accomplishments in Cub Scouting as they advance in their Boy Scout journey.
Accompanied by a parent who supported them throughout their Scouting experience, each recipient walked across a wooden bridge to join the Boy Scout troop on the other side. The bridge symbolized the passage from one chapter to the next.
William McCombs, one of the Cub Scouts who made the transition, said he is looking forward to new opportunities.
He said he really enjoys camping and appreciates the independence that comes with Scouting.
Scoutmaster Bob Murawski said that growing independence is a key goal of the program, particularly as Scouts make the transition.
“The whole idea is that they learn life skills,” he said.
Murawski explained that Cub Scouts typically work as a group from kindergarten through fifth grade. Once they cross over, Scouts begin at the same rank but can advance at their own pace, developing greater independence and leadership skills.
“I like to see that they are well-rounded,” he said, adding that he encourages Scouts to participate in other extracurricular activities as well. “The whole idea is that they are going to learn life skills that they are going to be able to use for the rest of their life.”
Among those crossing over was Gemma Franzetti, the first girl in her Cub Scout troop to transition to a Boy Scout troop.
Originally, Gemma began in Girl Scouts but said she did not enjoy the
the newly transitioned
experience. After learning from her cousin about the activities available in Boy Scouts, she decided to make the switch.
She said she especially enjoys camping and spending time outdoors. Gemma also said she hopes other girls will look up to her and consider joining Boy Scouts.
The ceremony concluded with applause from families and community members, marking not just the end of one chapter but the beginning of another.
With lightsabers raised and candles glowing, Pack 372 honored tradition while embracing a theme that highlighted the Scouts’ journeys ahead.
the Cub Scouts line up to form a tunnel of their lightsabers for the Scouts’ transitioning.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, the following parking spaces be and the same hereby is set aside for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons: ELMONT
MEACHAM AVENUEeast side, starting at a point 74 feet south of
the south curbline of World Avenue, south for a distance of 20 feet. (TH-4/26) NORTH ASCAN STREET - east side at a point 100 feet north opposite the north curbline of Home Street, north for a distance of 18 feet. (TH-11/26) and on the repeal of the following locations previously set aside as parking spaces for physically handicapped persons: ELMONT
HUNNEWELL AVENUE - west side, starting at a point 151 feet north of the north curbline of Russell Street, north for a distance of 18 feet. (TH-82/24 - 5/07/24) (TH-9/26) ; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk shall enter this resolution in the minutes of the Town Board and shall publish a copy of this resolution once a newspaper having a general circulation in
the Town of Hempstead, and shall post a copy hereof on the signboard maintained by her, and file in her office affidavits of such publication and posting. The foregoing resolution was seconded by Supervisor Ferretti and adopted upon roll call as follows: AYES: SIX (6) NOES: NONE (0) 158650
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Q. We are suing our contractor and need some advice. A year ago, we finished our second-floor addon and first-floor kitchen and rear family room remodel by opening up walls to join them. Everything seemed fine until it rained the first time. The windows began to leak at the bottom, and then around the tops and sides. Our new sliding glass door did the same. The basement flooded, and we are not in a flood area. Then the air-conditioning company said somebody disconnected the ducts, and when we opened the ceilings, more water poured down. The house is now filled with mold, which we clean with bleach where we can get to it, but we couldn’t move out and have two small children under age 4.
Although we have many questions and hired an attorney, we’re wondering whether we should hire an architect to go over all the problems and identify them, with remedies, or hire one of the contractors who said they could fix the problems, or wait until the lawsuit is finished to make it possible for a jury to see the damage. The job architect, whom we never met, has now had their license revoked for the next two years, but we wouldn’t go to them, anyway.
A. Ugh! This is more common than you would think. It starts with not having the architect working for you and instead working for the contractor. I can guess that the contractor was contacted first, and you hired them to get their architect and provide plans. That was your first mistake.
Next, people are lazy, expecting that anyone they hire knows all the best techniques to build and knows all the rules, codes and laws. That was mistake number two. Even though you hire people, you should have gone over critical details, especially about waterproofing and structural techniques on the plans, to make sure that the building owner looks for those steps to be carried out. You, the building owner, I always say, are the “eyes and ears” on the job, since the architect often isn’t there at critical times, when waterproofing membranes and materials are joined.
Mistake number three was not doing a water test with a garden hose when the finish siding, windows roofing, etc., had been applied. Simulating rain by pointing a hose skyward so that the water cascades down — not a direct fire-hose hit — tells you right away if something is failing.
You’re going to need a licensed expert — an architect or an engineer — to work with your attorney. Document everything with videos during simulated or storm events to show the water coming in and whatever other failures, such as leaking and disconnected air ducts, and hire people who can do the job correctly as soon as you can. You need to have a healthy home for your family, and a lawsuit could take years while you possibly get sick from the mold and the chlorine you’re breathing. 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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While the accusations and demands of the federal government against Harvard, Columbia and other elite institutions garner headlines, the administration’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education offered to other universities should give further pause. The compact would confer preferred access to federal research funds in exchange for agreeing to demands that would compromise academic freedom and institutional independence.
University leaders must protect these priorities embedded in state-awarded institutional charters and regionally accredited campus mission statements. They are supported by many agreements on academic freedom and tenure, dating to 1915.
Support is also found in Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter’s 1957 concurring statement in Sweezy v. New Hampshire. In it, he said, “It is the business of a university to provide that atmosphere which is most conducive to
Nspeculation, experiment, and creation. It is an atmosphere in which there prevail ‘the four essential freedoms’ of a university — to determine for itself on academic grounds who may teach, what may be taught, how it shall be taught, and who may be admitted to study.”
sBut what do we mean by academic freedom? This form of freedom is not freedom from responsibility to students, colleagues, institutional mission or society. Instead, it is freedom to inquire, i.e., interrogate assumptions and assertions to expose the questions hidden by answers, as James Baldwin said, and special interests in government, media and even institutions. It is the freedom to think independently, to have rights, and to consider consequences, both intended and not.
urprisingly few college trustees have any professional experience in higher education.
speech, which are necessary for teaching and scholarship that challenge assumptions and assertions. Furthermore, college and university boards have three legal duties like those of corporate boards, the duties of care, loyalty and obedience. Care means that board members must prepare diligently, participate actively and protect the institution through appropriate oversight, including guarding against external interference.
The duty of loyalty requires that board members act in good faith and in the institution’s best interests. The duty of obedience means that boards must uphold the institution’s charter and mission, maintaining public trust through transparent stewardship.
transformational teaching and learning as well as protectors of academic freedom. But they have the opportunity and responsibility to define how they fulfill their roles. Are they chief executive officers or chief mission officers?
Chief executive officers focus on size and scale, organization and delegation, short-term goals, the efficiency of means, money and markets, customers, personnel and labor. By contrast, chief mission officers focus on purpose, the long term, the integrity of ends and means, the quality of programs and services, student success, and faculty as partners in a moral enterprise.
It also is the freedom to imagine — to consider what might be, and how humanity might develop its humaneness. It is the freedom to express ideas without fear of reprisal or censorship. Finally, it is the freedom to innovate, to realize what is imagined in new forms and methods.
Boards of trustees are responsible for preserving academic freedom and free
Surprisingly, fewer than 15 percent of American college and university trustees have any professional experience in higher education. This underscores the need for rigorous orientation in academic governance, the meaning of mission and academic freedom and the highereducation landscape.
Campus presidents are too seldom thought of as educators, the keepers of an institution’s mission and legacy for
The faculty is the guardian of academic standards. The curriculum is a covenant in fulfillment of the mission for student learning. This requires a focus on students, third-party quality reviews, and faculty as partners in governance and leadership. These roles require preparation and continued learning.
The three parties to academic governance constitute a system that is intended to support academic freedom — the freedom to inquire, imagine and innovate, in fulfillment of missions for teaching, research and service.
Dr. Robert A. Scott is president emeritus of Adelphi University and the author of “How University Boards Work.”
ew Yorkers don’t need another study to tell them their energy bills are too high. They see it every month when the statement arrives. As affordability remains at the forefront of the conversation in Albany, families are still waiting for real answers about one of the biggest drivers of their financial strain: soaring utility costs. As of November 2025, residential electricity prices in New York are 49 percent higher than the national average, placing yet another burden on families, seniors and small businesses already stretched thin.
I support building a cleaner, more reliable energy grid for future generations. Responsible environmental stewardship and longterm sustainability are important goals, but the state’s current approach risks creating a system that our children and grandchildren simply won’t be able to afford. Instead of keeping families here and strengthening our communities, we may be pricing them out of the state. Mandates such as the All-Electric
Buildings Act are accelerating costly transitions before many New Yorkers are financially prepared to absorb them. While well intentioned, these policies often shift significant costs onto homeowners, renters and small businesses. The result is higher construction costs, rents and home prices, adding fuel to an affordability crisis that is already out of control. When policy moves faster than people’s ability to pay for it, the consequences are real and immediate.
reserve those funds for future use. But New York families are struggling to pay their bills today.
We’re making costly transitions before many of us can afford them.
My colleagues in the Senate Republican conference and I have consistently raised concerns that current energy policies are driving costs up rather than bringing them down. With our Save New York legislative package, we have put forward a broad array of concrete proposals that would lower utility bills, improve oversight and restore affordability for working families.
The 2025 Financial Plan released by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority shows more than $2 billion in unspent ratepayer funds at the end of the year. During the Joint Budget Hearing on Energy and Environmental Conservation, NYSERDA leadership indicated that it plans to
While those dollars remain unspent, ratepayers continue to shoulder rising costs. Senate Bill S.8461, which I am proud to cosponsor, would require that any excess funds be returned to ratepayers as credits on their utility bills. This would put money back into residents’ pockets now, when they need relief the most. Additionally, just as the Senate Republican conference led the successful charge to bring a gas tax holiday to New York in 2022, when prices at the pump were soaring out of control, we are championing a similar holiday on utility bill and green energy taxes and surcharges. These are simple steps the state can take to deliver an immediate financial lifeline to New Yorkers. Accountability must accompany policy. We must not only ensure that excess funds are returned to our residents, but also demand full transparency about what is driving monthly utility costs. As the sponsor of legislation requiring utilities to itemize how much of each bill is tied to mandates from the Climate Action Council scoping plan, I believe ratepayers deserve to see exactly where
their money is going. If Albany is going to impose or propose sweeping energy policies, it should be upfront about the price so New Yorkers can decide which initiatives are worth it.
I am also proud to cosponsor another piece of legislation to prevent costs from spiraling further out of control. The AllElectric Buildings Act would drive up the cost of building new housing, and would jeopardize grid reliability by shifting the state to a winter peaking system as homes are forced to rely on electricity, rather than natural gas, for heat. While New York’s gas and electric prices have historically been higher than the national average, electric prices in particular have risen further above the national average since 2019, whereas natural gas prices are more closely aligned with the nation. That’s why I cosponsor legislation to repeal the All-Electric Buildings Act so that New Yorkers have the option to utilize cheaper natural gas.
Taken together, these proposals reflect a clear conclusion: New York’s current energy policies are driving costs higher, and require meaningful reform. The solutions are already on the table. It’s time to act. For too long, residents have carried the burden, and their calls for fairness, transparency and affordability must be heard.
Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick represents the 9th State Senate District.
Like members of many families in the Town of Hempstead, I sit at my kitchen table and look at the same numbers you do. Mortgage. Property taxes. Utilities. Groceries. Gas. Insurance.
Everything costs more than it did a year ago. When you’re stretching every dollar just to keep up, the least you should expect from your local government is straight answers about where your tax money is going.
That’s why I formally requested that the New York state comptroller conduct an independent audit of the Town of Hempstead’s finances.
The comptroller’s office exists to provide independent, professional oversight of municipal finances. That kind of objective review strengthens public confidence and protects taxpayers. When questions arise, independent verification reassures everyone.
The last publicly available audit on the town’s website is from 2019. Since then, leadership has changed. Budgets have shifted. Taxes have gone up. Financial decisions have been made that directly affect residents across the town.
Article XII, section 1205 of the Nassau County Charter makes it clear: “It shall be the duty of the county Department of Public Works as a county charge to remove snow as rapidly as may be from all county highways and county roads within or without any city or village.”
So too does Chapter 67, Section 3 of Hempstead Town Code:
“The Superintendent of Highways shall be responsible for the removal of snow from any and all specified areas, together with all Town parking fields, and shall have the right, subject to the approval of and financing by the Town Board, to hire personnel for such purposes and to provide for the supervision of such personnel.”
The directives are clear and straightforward, but as we know all too well in a hyper-partisan age of government, their execution is not always that simple.
After the Jan. 24-25 winter storm dumped nearly a foot of snow, sleet and
Yet updated, audited financial statements are not readily accessible to the public.
Earlier this year, the town acknowledged in a public filing that its audited financial statements for fiscal year 2024 weren’t submitted on time. Officials said that a third-party firm had missed the deadline. But accountability ultimately rests with the town.
iAn audit isn’t just a stack of paperwork; it’s the public’s window into how their government manages their money. It tells taxpayers whether finances are stable, whether spending is sustainable, and whether today’s decisions will become tomorrow’s tax increases. Without clear, timely audits, residents are left guessing, and guesswork is no substitute for accountability.
account. Reserve funds are meant to provide stability during true emergencies or unexpected downturns. Just like a family’s savings, that money is there for when something goes wrong.
When that savings account is tapped, residents deserve to understand why, how much was spent, and what the long-term plan is to replenish it. If savings aren’t rebuilt, the pressure often shows up later as higher taxes, layoffs, or reduced services.
’ve requested that the state conduct an independent audit of the town’s finances.
Last year the town approved a 12 percent tax increase. By the end of the year, officials boasted that they would deliver an 18 percent reduction. But many residents say they didn’t feel meaningful relief. Some homeowners, particularly those outside incorporated villages, are reporting higher 2026 town tax bills. When the government says one thing but families experience another, confidence erodes.
The town has also drawn from its reserve funds — essentially its savings
That’s why transparency matters now, not years from now.
I’ve spoken with neighbors who attended budget hearings, hoping for straightforward answers, only to leave more confused than when they arrived. I’ve heard from residents who submitted Freedom of Information requests and received extension after extension, delaying answers they’re still waiting for. I’ve watched financial questions at Town Board meetings get redirected instead of answered directly.
Taken together, these concerns point to a simple conclusion: the need for clarity. An audit isn’t an attack. It’s a checkup. If everything is being managed properly, an independent audit will confirm that. If adjustments are needed, better to identify them now, before small con-
ice on our region, I took to the roads of Legislative District 3, and saw a significant difference in how Town of Hempstead roads were plowed. Take a look at the videos on my social media pages and you’ll see how Franklin Square’s roads were cleared more promptly than comparable residential roads in Elmont.
These communities pay taxes to the same township for the same services. Their roads aren’t used just by Democrats or Republicans — they’re roads everybody relies on. So why was there such a noticeable disparity in services?
the same county as other areas that were better served. Democrats and Republicans use this road and rely on the sidewalks to cross the overpass. What, then, is the common thread?
i n a hyperpartisan era of government, the execution isn’t always that simple.
Then there is the Woodfield Road overpass on the Southern State Parkway, an essential county road serving the communities of Lakeview and West Hempstead. Five days after the storm, an adjoining sidewalk remained untouched, forcing pedestrians to walk in the heavily traveled main road. With icy conditions directly adjoining, people were taking their lives in their hands every time they walked this path.
Again, Lakeview and West Hempstead taxpayers send their payments to
cerns become larger financial burdens for families already feeling squeezed.
I’m a Marine combat veteran. I later served as an NYPD officer and as a prosecutor. In each of those roles, accountability wasn’t optional; it was the foundation of trust. You follow the rules, meet deadlines, answer for your decisions. Government should operate by those same principles.
The same applies to the town animal shelter, a taxpayer-funded service that recently closed. Residents deserve clear explanations about decisions that affect services and tax dollars alike.
Families are working hard to stay in the Town of Hempstead. Seniors are trying to remain in the homes they’ve owned for decades. Young couples are wondering if they can afford to own a home and raise a family.
I know what matters to my family. Stability. Honesty. Affordability. Like you, we sit at the kitchen table and plan for the future. We count every dollar. We shouldn’t have to worry about surprises from Town Hall, because when every dollar matters at home, it should matter in government.
At the end of the day, this is about whether the people who built this community can afford to stay in it. That’s what I care about, and that’s what I’m fighting for.
Joseph Scianablo is the Democratic candidate for Town of Hempstead supervisor.
Snow removal should never be political, but in this case I can’t overlook the fact that the areas in District 3 that seemed to be neglected are bases of Democratic registration — and the areas that were cleared faster are in areas of traditional Republican strength. At present, the Hempstead Town Board is controlled by a 6-1 Republican supermajority, and county government is dominated by County Executive Bruce Blakeman, whose hyper-partisan approach to governance is well documented.
Faced with urgent needs, I felt there was no choice but to take matters into my own hands. I used my social media platforms to call out the Town of Hempstead’s inaction, communicate with constituents to identify trouble areas, and demand an equitable, prompt response from the town. In Lakeview, with traffic control assistance from the auxiliary
police, I joined a group of volunteers in clearing the Woodfield Road walkway. Public shame seemed to do the trick in this case: The following day, Blakeman dispatched County DPW resources to Woodfield Road at long last, and they cleared the sidewalk.
Let me be clear: I don’t fault the hardworking men and women at the town and county DPWs who toiled day and night to clear the snow after that first major winter storm. Their efforts were deeply appreciated, and their hard work must not go unnoticed. I just wish that, for residents in every corner of our town, there were more thorough preparation so that those workers could be better deployed by their superiors and the elected officials who are ultimately responsible for results.
We are in a La Niña cycle, and that means bitter cold and significant snow will likely be with us for the remainder of this winter season. It is incumbent on all of us to apply the lessons we learned during the January storm to achieve better results for all of Nassau County’s communities — and to take the politics out of the delivery of this most basic and essential service.
Carrié Solages represents Nassau County’s 3rd Legislative District.
Established 1998
Incorporating the Franklin Square/Elmont
very March we observe Sunshine Week, a national initiative dedicated to one of democracy’s most powerful disinfectants: light. This year, Sunshine Week will be celebrated March 15 to 21, anchored by Freedom of Information Day on March 16, the birthday of James Madison. The timing is symbolic and significant. Sunshine Week reminds us that open government is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
Launched in 2005 and rooted in the pioneering 1972 Colorado Sunshine Act, Sunshine Week was created to raise awareness of the public’s right to know. At its core is a simple but profound idea: Democracy works best when the people can see what their government is doing. Transparency is not about satisfying curiosity, it’s about accountability, trust and ensuring that power remains where it belongs: with the citizens.
Sunshine Week’s foundation is the principle that government records and proceedings belong to the public. Taxpayer dollars fund government operations; therefore, the public has both a legal and moral right to understand how decisions are made and how money is spent.
Freedom of Information laws at the federal and state levels give citizens access to public documents, from village board minutes to federal agency communications. But these laws are only as strong as the public’s willingness to use them. Like muscles, transparency laws weaken without exercise. When citizens
stop requesting records, attending meetings and asking questions, secrecy grows stronger.
Open meetings and public records are not bureaucratic technicalities; they are the mechanisms that keep democracy breathing. Transparency reveals how taxpayers’ money is spent, how contracts are awarded and how policies are shaped. It enables watchdog groups, journalists and everyday citizens to trace decisions from proposal to outcome.
Without openness, the risk of waste, fraud and abuse increases. History repeatedly shows that secrecy breeds complacency and, at times, corruption. Open government, by contrast, ensures that decisions must withstand scrutiny. It does not weaken institutions — it strengthens them. Sunshine Week underscores a critical truth: When the public can see the process, officials are more likely to act responsibly.
In times of crisis — economic downturns, national security challenges or public health emergencies — secrecy often expands. Officials may argue that swift action requires less oversight. While emergencies can justify temporary discretion, they must never become permanent excuses for opacity.
Democracy demands vigilance. Sunshine Week serves as an annual reminder that transparency must be defended, especially when it feels inconvenient. Freedom of information cannot be indefinitely sidelined without eroding public trust.
Supporting Sunshine Week means protecting democracy itself. Openness prevents the concentration of unchecked power and ensures that elected officials remain responsive to citizens rather than to special interests.
Transparency helps parents question school board policies, residents examine zoning proposals and taxpayers track infrastructure spending. It provides communities with the tools to advocate for fair and effective governance.
It also allows us, as journalists, to do our jobs. We rely on open-records laws to uncover stories about misuse of funds, conflicts of interest and public safety failures. It’s why studies show that the presence of a local newspaper in a community mitigates waste, fraud and abuse.
Public trust in government is fragile. One of the most effective ways to build and sustain that trust is through transparency. When agencies proactively release information and conduct business in public view, suspicion diminishes.
Transparency does not guarantee agreement. Citizens, and government officials, may still debate policies and priorities. But openness fosters understanding, and understanding is the bedrock of trust.
So this Sunshine Week, take a moment to reflect on the importance of open meetings and public records. And vow to step up whenever someone tries to turn off the light of transparency.
It’s ‘the power of the state against the people of the nation’
To the Editor:
Re Peter King’s column, “There are better ways to resolve the immigration crisis,” in the Feb. 12-18 issue: Immigration is a problem, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement exemplifies the real, much larger crisis. Immigration is a longstanding issue, and many “better ways” have been proposed over the past 30 years, as Mr. King knows. In fact, one such proposal was on track for bipartisan approval last year until President Trump and his allies killed it. ICE has operated for decades with little notice. Violence was seldom used, citizens were not arrested, and habeas corpus was observed — until Trump. The Border Patrol previously confined its racist brutality close to the Mexican border, until Republicans expanded the “border” to a 100-mile-wide
in the Town of Hempstead, we believe in putting compassion before convenience and responsibility before profit. That belief guides our approach to public safety, quality of life and, increasingly, animal welfare. Today it compels us to confront a growing problem in communities across the nation: unlicensed backyard breeding of cats and dogs. Let me be clear — this is not about responsible, licensed breeders who follow the law and treat animals humanely. This is about unregulated, profit-driven operations that put money over the well-being of animals. It’s about puppies and kittens born into overcrowded, unsanitary conditions. It’s about animals separated from their mothers too early. It’s about preventable suffering.
Protecting animals is not a fringe issue. It is a reflection of who we are as a community.
When breeding is left unchecked, the consequences ripple far beyond a single household. Overpopulation strains local shelters. Inbreeding leads to serious, lifelong health problems. Animals raised without proper veterinary care
or humane conditions often become sick or behaviorally distressed. Too many are ultimately abandoned or surrendered when medical bills mount or behavioral challenges become overwhelming.
At the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, we see the results firsthand. Our dedicated staff works tirelessly to rehabilitate, treat and rehome animals that deserved better from the start. I’m proud to say that our shelter is a no-kill facility, committed to longterm case management, specialized rehabilitation, behavior training and strong partnerships with rescue groups and sanctuaries. But even the best shelter can’t solve a problem that begins with irresponsible breeding practices.
waccountability where, too often, there has been none.
e’re cracking down on the unlicensed breeding of cats and dogs.
Additionally, the legislation limits female cats and dogs to no more than one litter in a 12-month period. This will help prevent overbreeding, which can be physically taxing and dangerous for animals. The law will also prohibit the transfer or adoption of puppies or kittens before they are 8 weeks old, unless a veterinarian determines it is medically necessary. Those first weeks are critical to an animal’s development. Separating them too early can lead to long-term health and behavioral issues.
on proper medical care. They rely entirely on us. When breeding becomes a backyard business driven by quick cash, animals pay the price — with their health, their safety and sometimes their lives.
This legislation is about prevention. It targets a root cause of shelter overcrowding and animal suffering. By requiring registration, limiting excessive litters and ensuring that basic standards are met, we can reduce the number of animals that end up abandoned, neglected or surrendered in the first place.
That’s why we are passing legislation to crack down on unlicensed backyard breeders and establish meaningful oversight.
Under our proposal, any litter of puppies or kittens born in the Town of Hempstead must be registered with the town within 30 days. The registry — operated through the animal shelter — will document the approximate birth date, species and breed, the address where the animals are housed and the veterinarian providing care. This simple step will introduce transparency and
zone. Even then, cities were not invaded — not even El Paso or Brownsville, much less Portland or Milwaukee — until Trump.
The Department of Homeland Security pursued its intended mission: defending against 9/11 or Beirutand Benghazi-style attacks by foreign terrorists, seldom making the news. Then Trump decided that the homeland itself — Chicago, Los Angeles, Springfield, Ill. — was the “enemy within,” rife with “domestic terrorists” like Alex Pretti, who must be prevented from voting. Meanwhile, Trump allied himself with Saudi Arabian interests, the major sources of the 9/11 and other “homeland” assaults. Remember Jamal Khashoggi.
The FBI, formerly our premier law enforcement agency, is now Trumpified, refusing to investigate homicides by federal agents, interfering with state ballots, arresting journalists and charging members of Congress with sedition. In earlier times, Peter King himself might have been among those in such felonious jeopardy. The depth, breadth and pervasiveness of corruption in all of this is obvious, with beneficiaries openly paying well for more of this new form of republican government — modeled on ancient Rome’s republic of patricians and plebes, paterfamilias all. Our government is using the power of the state against the people of the nation. That is the crisis. Currently, the best — and perhaps only — way to resolve both the crisis and the problem is to end MAGA’s abuse of government, from Blakeman and Garbarino to Vance and Trump.
BRIAn KELLy Rockville Centre
Violations would carry fines starting at $250 and increasing to $500 for repeat offenses. But our goal is compliance, not punishment. Enforcement will largely be complaint-driven, empowering residents to report suspected illegal breeding in their neighborhoods. Our Building Department and the animal shelter will work together to investigate and enforce the law.
Some may ask: Why focus on this? Why make it a priority?
Because the way we treat animals speaks volumes about our values.
Animals cannot advocate for themselves. They cannot report abuse, demand clean living conditions or insist
Communities across the country are grappling with the consequences of backyard breeding. Here in the Town of Hempstead, we intend to lead. We have long been at the forefront of animal welfare initiatives, and we will continue to make animal safety a priority of this administration.
Protecting animals is not only the right thing to do — it strengthens our entire community. Fewer animals in crisis means fewer strained resources, safer neighborhoods and more successful adoptions. Most important, it means fewer animals suffering in silence.
In the Town of Hempstead, we are proud to say: paws before profits. And we will continue working every day to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
John Ferretti is the Town of Hempstead supervisor.
