Glen Cove Herald 10-30-225

Celebrating a big birthday, and an extraordinary legacy

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

A man who once described himself as “afraid of girls” and so shy that “speech was incredibly painful,” Bob Praver has spent decades stepping forward as a leader. He was a Navy officer during World War II, built a home-construction business and became a dedicated volunteer in Glen Cove. Last Sunday, more than 100 family members and friends gathered at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County to celebrate his 100th birthday, honoring what many described as a life defined by perseverance and impact.

Born in Brooklyn on Oct. 21, 1925, Praver

was raised by parents of Eastern European Jewish descent. His father, Morris, had Polish roots, and his mother, Jean, emigrated from Ukraine with her family when she was 3. When his mother died at age 34, Praver was not yet 8.

He found purpose and identity in the Boy Scouts, calling scouting “my life” from age 12 until college. At 15, in November 1940, he was one of three American Boy Scouts selected to join a live trans-Atlantic radio broadcast with scouts in London on NBC’s WEAF during the Nazi bombardment.

“You force yourself to do it,” Praver recalled of overcoming his shyness on the airwaves. Speaking to British boys “in the

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County project will upgrade Shore Road

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

One of Nassau County’s most ambitious infrastructure projects is poised to reshape Shore Road and Prospect Avenue into a safer, greener, and more accessible waterfront corridor connecting Glen Cove, Sea Cliff, and Glenwood Landing.

IStretching nearly four miles and with a projected cost of more than $14 million, the project includes redesigned intersections, designated bike lanes, new sidewalks and major stormwater upgrades that local leaders say will help the community thrive long into the future. The improvements were detailed in new design renderings and engineering updates that county officials presented in a comprehensive slideshow last week at Glen Cove City Hall.

t’s going to make our area more like a residential community

LORA

CUSUMANO Glen Cove

“This project is one of the largest street-improvement projects that Nassau has had,” County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton told the Herald.

“Our traffic engineers and civic engineers have met multiple times with the community to ensure the public is a true partner, and to explain each phase of the project.” She praised residents for their “input, as well as patience,” and said the longawaited work is expected to move from the planning stage to construction in 2027. According to DeRiggi-Whitton, the county will begin with drainage improvements, addressing some of the most floodprone locations along the shoreline. The slideshow demonstrated how aging and disjointed stormwater systems have contributed to street flooding and tidal backflow for decades, especially around Scudders Pond, near Tappen Beach, 14 The Blvd. in Sea Cliff and the stretch of Shore Road between Carpenter Avenue and Hammond Road in Glen Cove. To correct these conditions, the county will replace compromised outfall pipes — including one undersized 24-inch line that

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PROVEN LEADER WITH DEMONSTRATED RESULTS

MARSHA SILVERMAN FOR MAYOR

TEAM GLEN COVE FOR CITY COUNCIL

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

We will identify wasteful spending, and operate our city like a professional business. Priorities will will include a revitalized downtown, reducing taxbreaks for developers and generating revenue streams that do not burden taxpayers such as the recently imposed sewer lateral fee or the water infrastructure charges.

TRANSPARENCY

Standard operating procedures are a vital component of a well-run business. The city does not have enough across departments. We will do a day-one review and ensure that all city processes are fair for staff, residents and business owners. We will govern proactively with longer term planning.

ACCOUNTABILITY

We will base decisions on reputable data, another hallmark of a well-run business that is not always evident in our city now. Residents need to know why one financial decision is made versus another, and it should come down to the data and the facts, not who you know.

Candidates for the Glen Cove City Council participated in a League of Women Voters of Port Washington–moderated forum at the middle school on Oct. 16.

Candidates differ on budget hearing at forum

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

The League of Women Voters of Port Washington visited Glen Cove on Oct. 16 to moderate a City Council candidates forum, where the city’s sudden closure of the public hearing on its proposed 2026 budget became the most contentious question of the night. Moderator Judy Esterquest directed a series of detailed, audience-submitted prompts that challenged the candidates on transparency, public trust, and how much time residents should have to weigh in before the city finalizes its fiscal plan.

Just two days earlier, on Oct. 14, the Glen Cove City Council voted to end public comment after a single hearing — a major departure from the city’s longstanding practice of holding two meetings for residents to review and weigh in on the spending plan. This year’s proposal totals roughly $69.3 million and includes no property tax increase. Republican members of the council defended the expedited vote as lawful and efficient, while Democrats on the council and in the audience blasted the move as unnecessarily shutting down community participation.

Esterquest asked each candidate to respond to three questions: whether residents should have sufficient opportunity to question the budget, whether a “several-minute presentation” is enough for such a large document, and whether they have a plan to ensure taxpayers can meaningfully participate in decisions involving public money.

Incumbent Republican Councilman Michael Ktistakis defended the decision to adopt the budget swiftly. “Of course, the public has every right to know, to discuss anything that might be done to the city council,” he said. He emphasized that when the plan was presented “the city did have the opportunity to come out, ask their questions.” With no tax increase planned, he argued it was fiscally responsible leadership to move forward. “It’s a sound budget,” he said, pointing to the city’s surplus. He credited Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck and Controller Mike Piccirillo, saying they “have done a phenomenal job in promoting this city through these last couple of years.” For those reasons, he said, he “second[ed] the motion of promoting to

pass this budget.”

Democratic challenger Carla Anastasio said she was “really stunned” when the public hearing closed so abruptly. Framing the issue as a fundamental civic right, she asked, “When is it ever a good idea to silence the public in a democracy?” She said this concern “is not a partisan thing,” remarking that free speech and public participation “make us American.” She argued that residents deserve more than a quick briefing. “A short presentation on a budget, a $68, $69 million budget no, a couple minutes is not [enough],” she said. The ability to analyze how tax dollars are allocated, she insisted, “is our responsibility as citizens.” Especially in Glen Cove, a community where she said people support one another “just because you lived here,” she called limiting input “very concerning.”

ing: “You need to be able to look at all of these things.” With a decade of budget experience, she said practice has “always been two” sessions, making this “a complete switch.” Still, she stressed that residents can always “find us, email us, come to meetings… I’m open to anything.”

W hen is it ever a good idea to silence the public in a democracy.

Republican candidate Ellen Pantazakos agreed that residents have “every right to ask questions,” but she stressed that constituents also have a duty to fully engage. “People need to go online and look at the budget,” she said, noting that department heads work hard to justify their requests. The document was posted publicly before the meeting, and she said council members were prepared to answer questions — yet none were asked. “The main thing was, why are you closing the session? You close the session because there’s no questions,” Pantazakos argued. She supports having multiple presentations where helpful, but emphasized regular civic involvement: “People need to come to city council meetings more and get more informed, and be more active in our city.”

CARLA ANASTASIO Democrat

Democrat incumbent John Zozzaro said the change came as much of a surprise to him as to the public. “We were told in pre-council that we would have it in two weeks,” he said, calling the move to close comment “completely ridiculous.” Democrats and Republicans alike, he argued, rely on transparency to govern credibly. “Why would we want to shut people from Glen Cove?” he asked. Zozzaro also raised concerns about long-term revenue projections tied to the county sales-tax shift. Conversely, Republican candidate Daniel Grabowski argued that the council acted well within the law. “There is not anywhere in the city code that requires the city council to prolong the vote until the October 4th deadline,” he said. Calling it “a good budget,” he said a single public hearing was enough and that Mayor Panzenbeck “does a fantastic job… getting the information out there.”

Marchesi took a much sharper stance, calling the timeline “absolutely outrageous.” She noted that typical legal correspondence allows seven days for a reply — far more than the public received before being expected to comment on a 70-page document. She expressed concern that fee hikes, rather than tax increases, may be buried in the plan. “What it says is what is hiding in there,” she said. She also said the Democrats on the council were “told they were going to be two weeks to look at this,” calling that “a misrepresentation made by this current mayor.”

Republican incumbent Kevin Maccarone praised the budget process overall, noting the high attendance at the hearing and insisting that “not one person got up and had a question” beyond one resident who raised a thoughtful point. He called statements suggesting taxpayer cost increases “blatantly a false statement,” arguing that long-term revenue projections are uncertain and should not be assumed as tax hikes. Maccarone added that previous budget cycles were less transparent, saying that during his earlier service, he and other Republicans “were not even allowed to see the budget until it was presented.”

Democratic incumbent Danielle Fugazy Scagliola said the process — not the tax impact — is the core issue. “A good budget, a bad budget, whatever it is, the public has a right to comment on it,” she said. If the council wanted to use a onenight format, that should have been communicated up front. The budget went online only the Friday before the hearing, giving residents “four or five days to read a 70-page document.” She said people need time to understand staffing decisions, raises, and departmental spend-

Republican incumbent Grady Farnan stood firmly by the decision to close the hearing. “Everyone in this room should look at the video of Tuesday night’s meeting,” he said, explaining that only one resident rose to speak after the mayor’s budget presentation. “When I look around and I see no one speaking about the budget… I made the motion to close. And it was a smart thing to do,” he said. He defended the plan’s 0 percent property tax increase, asking, “Who in this room doesn’t like it?”

Republican candidate James Greenberg focused on better communication channels moving forward. “One solution may be in the future to notify the public as far out in advance,” he said, suggesting direct text messages and emails to residents. But he also said citizens must take initiative: “You need to get involved and know what’s going on in your city if it’s so important.”

Democratic candidate Cathryn Harris

Democrat candidate Theresa Moschetta, who missed the hearing due to illness, said she nonetheless had questions about significant items, including a 4 percent reduction in commercial property taxes. She asked why a 0 percent change wouldn’t be more prudent: “Why wouldn’t we give them a 0 percent increase and shore up some of that money?” She also questioned staffing assumptions, including the building department’s part-time leadership. She called the speedy vote “really irresponsible” and suggested the motion “had to think that this was orchestrated.”

Democratic incumbent John Perrone offered one of the strongest condemnations of the night. “The budget that we closed after one hearing is a complete joke,” he said, stressing that the council “didn’t have to” end discussion so early. He said the presentation was high-quality — “The numbers balance. We have a phenomenal controller,” — but argued that residents and council members deserved more time. He reiterated that extending the hearing should have been a simple choice: “Absolutely.”

ON THE ROAD WITH A TAKEOUT

Writing While Biting, To Go

Ifind if I eat while I’m working, my ideas magically flow much more quickly. So, if I need to force myself to sit down and finish a writing assignment, I travel with my laptop from one café to the next and eat while I’m typing. If you relate to this in one way or another, there’s a trick: You can’t eat a tremendous amount in just one restaurant because you’ll be too full to travel to the next one and finish your work. This month, I managed to finish a writing project in one day by traveling to three new cafes and one favorite reopening diner. Here’s the way I made it work:

Sweet Harbor Coffee (1353 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn)

I carried my laptop into this new, Brooklyn-style, welcoming café and ordered my usual breakfast tea from a delicious list of beverages including coffee, tea, cappuccinos, lattes and more. At the counter, I noticed gourmet quality scones, croissants, muffins and cookies. I paired my tea with a thick chocolate chip cookie, sat down at a table with a view of the Village of Roslyn, and took bites as I typed. When I was ready to take a break, I got up and drove to:

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smoothies plus grab and go sandwiches and salads will also be offered. I plopped down at a table with my laptop and overnight oats and continued writing and biting. When it was time for another break, I traveled to:

Greenvale Townhouse Restaurant (149 Glen Cove Ave., Greenvale)

Following a kitchen fire last March, this popular diner had to close for six months. It has just reopened! All the marvelous mouthfuls I cherished have returned to the menu. To name a few, I was delighted to say hello to the Oreo pancakes, teriyaki and Mexican burgers, spinach pies, and the countless salads, entrees and omelets. Since I hadn’t finished my writing assignment and knew I’d need to move on at some point, I ordered an omelet without the bread and potatoes. I continued working, and when I needed one more break, I drove to:

Curcio Bakery & Café (10 Cedar Swamp Rd., Glen Cove)

Karmic Grind—a second location (69 Pine Hollow Rd., Oyster Bay)

Since I love the Karmic Grind café in Locust Valley, I was excited to try this new second location in Oyster Bay. My favorite foods from the original location lined the shelves. I was so happy to see the overnight oats; the King Street Brooklyn Bakery muffins, scones, bundt cakes and cookies; the avocado toast along with other breakfast sandwiches; and creative snacks. The shop owner mentioned, in a few weeks,

This new Italian bakery/café is an amazing addition to our neighborhood. You can grab goodies to go or sit at a table and munch on foods ranging from Italian-style croissants filled with Nutella or Italian pastry cream, to waffles Dubai, to bite-sized morsels of mini cakes, to chocolate pudding pie, to pizza, to breakfast egg dishes galore, and more. I’m obsessed with Linzer tarts, so I ordered one filled with pistachio cream. I took one bite, closed my eyes, and swooned, “Mmmmm.” As I swallowed the last crumb, I also finished my writing project: this column.

See you next month!

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Veterans Tribute Concert Returns to Glen Cove

By ROKSANA AMID

ramid@liherald.com

The Northwinds Symphonic Band will continue its annual tradition of honoring America’s veterans with a free concert on Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. at the Wunsch Arts Center in Glen Cove, featuring a patriotic program and a special tribute to U.S. Army veteran Scott Whitting.

The performance, titled “A Tribute to Our Veterans,” will take place under the direction of Conductors Helen P. Bauer and Brandon Bromsey. Bauer said that although the concert is always a salute to military service, the music itself changes each year to keep the event meaningful.

“First of all, we play a different repertoire at each concert,” Bauer said. “It will be different music, except for the patriotic ones that everybody wants to hear, like ‘God Bless America’ and ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever.’ We try to have an interesting mix of music.”

This year’s selections include “March of the Women Marines,” composed in 1943 for the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, and the “Armed Forces Medley,” which acknowledges each branch of the U.S. military. Other highlights include “The Light Eternal,” written in honor of four World War II chaplains who sacrificed their lives, and stirring American classics “Variations on ‘America’” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

Broadway vocalist Karen Murphy and tenor Joe Stroppel will also join the ensemble, contributing their voices to music by revered American composers Harold Arlen and Irving Berlin.

Planning the performance requires months of preparation. Bauer said selecting the repertoire alone takes several hours before the ensemble even begins rehearsals. The band began preparing for the show in mid-September and continues to rehearse weekly.

“Celebratory,” Bauer said of the concert’s atmosphere. “Celebrating our veterans and the wonderful things that they do, and also an afternoon of enjoying

beautiful music.We program a wide variety of music which takes the listener to many different emotional places, and that’s what a concert should do.”

In addition to honoring all veterans, the band will spotlight Major Scott Whitting, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran of the Vietnam War who received the Soldier’s Medal and the Bronze Star. Whitting later served in the New York Guard and has long been active as a lifetime member of the Glenwood Fire Company and through other civic roles.

Whitting’s dedication to service will be further recognized in February, when he receives the Tribute & Honor Foundation’s Legacy Award at its annual gala. The organization, along with The Herald and other local partners, is sponsoring the Nov. 9 concert.

Whitting’s daughter, Carolyn Wilson, said that although her father has become quieter with age, his humor remains a defining part of who he is. “As he’s gotten older, he’s definitely very quiet and introspective, but it’s still there,” she said.

Born in Glen Cove, Whitting grew up in Sea Cliff, where his family operated the original funeral home on Sea Cliff Avenue. He continued the family tradition, while staying deeply committed to local organizations including Kiwanis, the American Legion, and the Glenwood Fire Department.

Wilson said her father volunteered for the Army, becoming a Green Beret medic and a combat paratrooper who worked closely with indigenous communities during his deployment. “He will tell everybody that his fake name is Scott and his real name is Geronimo,” she added.

Whitting turns 83 on Nov. 28.

The Herald is among the event’s community sponsors, supporting the concert’s mission to honor local veterans. Wunsch Arts Center is located at Robert Finley Middle School, 1 Forest Ave., Glen Cove. The venue is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call (516) 3754957 or email helenpbauer@gmail.com.

Halloween magic at downtown parade

Glen Cove’s Downtown BID brought spooky fun to the city center on Saturday as families flocked to the annual Halloween celebration, filling the streets with costumes, candy, and community cheer. Youth enjoyed trick-or-treating at local businesses, festive music, and seasonal activities that turned downtown into a playful haunt for all ages. From superheroes and princesses to witches and classic monsters, residents showed off their most creative costumes while parents mingled and snapped photos. The event offered a safe and lively way for youth to celebrate Halloween while also supporting local shops — a tradition the BID continues to champion each year.

– Roksana

Amid

Four years in, Blakeman points to successes

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

Bruce Blakeman has had four years to make his mark as Nassau County executive — and he believes he has delivered. From boosting public safety to cutting taxes and protecting the county’s quality of life, his administration has stayed focused on core priorities. Blakeman, 70, spent his early political career in various offices in the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County. He was the commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 2001 to 2009, and was appointed to the Hempstead Town Board in 2015. Blakeman challenged then County Executive Laura Curran in 2021, and won.

As he seeks a second term, Blakeman told Herald reporters at a roundtable: “Now I have a record to run on.”

He acknowledged Las Vegas Sands’ withdrawal from its proposed casino project at the Nassau Hub, noting that alternative development plans are now progressing under a “Plan B” strategy. That alternate plan, Blakeman said, includes entertainment, residential, retail and hospitality components. Sands is now working with local developers to refine the new proposal, interviewing and vetting potential options, and Blakeman said he hoped to have information to present to the public in early January.

He expressed pride in the county’s partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — the first of its kind in the U.S. — which is using a portion of the Nassau County Correctional Center in East Meadow to hold detainees.

“I think the general public is very happy,” he said. “It’s made us a much safer county.”

In regard to the state’s takeover of Nassau University Medical Center, also in East Meadow, Blakeman said

County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is seeking re-election, touted his successes over the past four years. From public safety to quality of life, he believes he has delivered what he promised for Nassau County.

that in recent years, New York’s leadership has eliminated the hospital’s funding. It was headed in the right direction, he said, under its previous leadership, eliminating its financial deficit and maintaining its commitment to treating underserved populations.

He said he believed the state’s actions suggest an intent to either close the hospital or repurpose it as a mental health facility. “I think it’s nefarious,” he said, “and I think that it’s deleterious to the health of the community.”

NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE

Blakeman expressed support for his civilian deputy force, which he said is not a “militia.” Under state law, he said, county executives have the right to declare emergencies and deputize people for service.

“I created nothing more than a database of people who are willing to serve, who will be willing to train without getting paid,” he said. Most are military veterans or former law enforcement, he added, and will undergo firearms training in accordance with state law.

He also defended the county’s transgender sport ban, which prevents transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams at county-run parks and facilities. The bill, he said, received highly publicized support from Caitlin Jenner.

Blakeman also highlighted rising home values, the hiring of 600 new law enforcement officers, and seven Wall Street credit rating upgrades over the past four years — indicators, he said, of a structurally sound and fiscally responsible county budget.

Blakeman acknowledged that there is a need to address housing affordability for young people and senior citizens, but added that he disagreed with the state’s attempts to supersede local control.

“We’re densely populated, and we don’t have the land, and the public doesn’t want the density,” he said. “That’s why people move to the suburbs, and out of an urban environment.”

Koslow is focused on transparency and unity

By JORDAN VALLONE

jvallone@liherald.com

Seth Koslow wears many hats — husband, dad, attorney and legislator in Nassau’ County’s 5th District. This year the Democrat has taken on a new challenge: running for county executive against incumbent Bruce Blakeman. His campaign has focused on values like transparency, common-sense policies and bipartisan communication.

Koslow, 43, grew up in Baldwin, and now lives in Merrick with his wife, three children and their rescue dog, Coco. After college he worked in a variety of sales jobs before returning to law school. He started his career as a prosecutor in the Queens district attorney’s office, and now has his own law practice.

In 2023, he won an open seat in the 5th District, which encompasses Merrick, Freeport and parts of North Bellmore. When the opportunity arose for him to run for county executive, he decided to take it.

“The same way I wanted to make a difference in my district,” he told Herald reporters at a roundtable interview, “I want to make a difference in the county.”

Koslow was critical of the Blakeman administration’s communication with the Legislature’s minority caucus, and he pointed to the Nassau University Medical Center as a “perfect example” of where the county lacks transparency. The public hospital in East Meadow, which serves all patients regardless of their ability to pay for medical care, was taken over by New York state earlier this year.

“Instead of actually working with the state to save the hospital, (Blakeman) fought with them, and now we lost control,” Koslow said.

He said he had similar concerns about the Nassau

Tim Baker/Herald

County Legislator Seth Koslow is Bruce Blakeman’s Democratic challenger for the county executive seat. He was critical of the county’s lack of transparency and bipartisan communication.

County Correctional Center, also in East Meadow. The county agreed to a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is using a portion of the jail to hold detainees. In September, a Honduran national in custody at the jail died, roughly 18 hours after he was detained.

“We don’t know what’s going on with the buildings at the jail, whether ICE is using buildings indepen -

dently,” Koslow said. “It’s a lack of transparency — it’s a lack of planning for the county.”

With Las Vegas Sands officially stepping away from its casino proposal at the Nassau Coliseum site, Koslow said that while he doesn’t have a real estate background, he is open to partnering with others to find the best path forward for the Nassau Hub. He outlined a vision that includes a convention center, a hotel and housing, elements he believes would support revenue generation, boost tourism and promote development.

Koslow was very critical of Nassau County’s “militia” — a unit of armed volunteer residents that, he said, makes the county “less safe” and raises chain-ofcommand and liability issues. Koslow said that the Nassau County Police Department does a great job, describing them as “well-trained” and “very responsive,” and he couldn’t picture a situation in which armed volunteers would be necessary.

He also disagreed with the county’s transgender sport ban, which prevents transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams at countyrun parks and facilities.

“Let the (local) leagues handle it,” he said. “It’s not a county issue.”

Koslow said that the county needs to return to a “traditional” separation of the branches of government. If elected, he said, he would let legislators “do their jobs.”

“If I don’t necessarily like a law they pass, I have the right not to sign,” he said. “But that also gives me some leverage to negotiate.”

Local government, he said, has to work to support the people. “We’re talking about life and death here,” Koslow said. “We’re talking about your safety. We can’t play games in local politics.”

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The Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce recently honored outstanding community members and businesses at its annual awards celebration. Pictured are award recipients: Antonio and Olga Mazilu, New Business Award – Scoop N Fruist Ice Cream; Allen Hudson, Leadership Award – Glen Cove High School Principal; Ian and Adam Siegel, Small Business Achievement Award – The Shoppe by Trubee Hill; Dean Mayreis, Community Service Award; and Kris Baker, Corporate Achievement Award.

Chamber celebrates changemakers in style

The Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce hosted its 23rd annual awards night on Oct. 24, at Soundview Caterers in Bayville, where guests enjoyed a Masquerade Cocktail Affair featuring hors d’oeuvres, grazing and carving stations, raffles, and a cash bar while celebrating local changemakers. The event recognized individuals and businesses whose leadership and dedication have strengthened the Glen Cove community, including Corporate Pinnacle Award recipient Kris Baker of Baker Air, Leadership Award honoree Allen Hudson III of Glen Cove High School, Small Business Achievement Award winners The Shoppe by Trubee Hill’s Adam and Ian Siegel, Community Service Award honoree Dean Mayreis, and Scoop N Fruit Ice Cream owners Antonio and Olga Mazilu, who received the New Business Award. Proceeds from the evening helped support the Dr. Glenn Howard Jr. Scholarship and other community initiatives.

HMTC hosts Bob Praver as he turns 100

throes of attacks every night,” he asked how they supported the war effort, and learned that they were delivering messages by foot or bicycle through the destruction.

At just 16, Praver entered Syracuse University as an engineering student. After turning 17, he was recruited into the Navy’s V-12 program, and completed six additional semesters at Cornell University, preparing to become an officer. His parents, he said, strongly encouraged him, and in November 1945, two months after Japan’s surrender, he was commissioned as an ensign. He spent the following six months helping to transport soldiers and Marines home from the Pacific.

“There’s a lot of waiting in the military,” he said. “In six months, we must have spent six days in the Pacific … but the mission was to help bring our boys home.”

Following his service, Praver returned to New York, and briefly worked for the Long Island Lighting Company as a junior engineer before joining his father and brother in home construction. In 1962 he established Homes by Bob Praver, shifting his focus to high-end homes with strong architectural design. His son Josh worked alongside him on many projects, and he remained active in development until his retirement in 2008.

His family grew as well. Bob and his late wife, Jeanette, had four children — Susana Praver-Perez, now 68, Josh, 66, Shaul, 65, and Sholom, 59 — and they joined him at Sunday’s celebration, along with 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. In her remarks at the gathering, Praver-Perez said his milestone birthday reflected his resolve. “When you see something that has to be done, you do it,” she told her

father. “Your determination got you through it … You’re really my inspiration, Dad, in so many ways.”

After moving to Glen Cove 16 years ago, Praver found new ways to stay engaged. Living in an apartment building with a tiny 18-seat theater, he began hosting movie screenings and leading discussions afterward. “It was a labor of love,” he said. Later he brought the program to the Glen Cove Public

Library.

It was another film screening — this one at the Holocaust Center — that led Praver to one of his best-known local contributions. Around 2011, he noticed that the Children’s Memorial Garden at the center was suffering from neglect. “It was so clouded with weeds,” he recounted, and at the time he thought, “I’ve got to do something about this.” So he introduced himself to the center’s leadership and, drawing on his building experience, got to work.

“Bob came to me and he goes, ‘You know what? We could do better,’” the center’s vice chair, Jolanta Zamecka, recalled. Working with landscapers and donors, they created an amphitheater and installed stanchions displaying quotes from Holocaust victims, survivors and resistors — transforming the garden into a reflective outdoor classroom that now serves tens of thousands of students each year.

Volunteer Robert Topping recalled Praver’s direct leadership style in the garden. “Here’s this old guy with a clipboard, ordering me around,” Topping joked, adding, “He’s a very intellectual man … and his stories are wonderful.”

Praver sees his years of action as the defining thread of his life. “I was a bit of a leader,” he said. “I wanted to do things. I didn’t want idle time.” He summed up his approach in four words: “I’m just a doer.”

DELIA DERIGGI-WHITTON RE-ELECT MINORITY LEADER

DISTRICT 11

GENERAL ELECTION Candidates

County Executive

Ejecutivo del Condado

Amendment to Allow Olympic Sports Complex In Essex County on State Forest Preserve Land. Allows skiing and related trail facilities on state forest preserve land. The site is 1,039 acres. Requires State to add 2,500 acres of new forest land in Adirondack Park. A yes vote authorizes new ski trails and related facilities in the Adirondack forest preserve. A no vote does not authorize this use.

Enmienda para Permitir Complejo Olímpico de Deportes En el Condado de Essex en Tierra de Reserva Forestal Estatal. Permite el esquí e instalaciones relacionadas de pistas en tierra de reserva forestal estatal. El sitio es de 1,039 acres. Requiere que el Estado añade 2,500 acres de nueva tierra forestal en el Parque Adirondack. Un voto afirmativo autoriza nuevas pistas de esquí e instalaciones relacionadas en la reserva forestal Adirondack. Un voto negativo no autoriza este uso.

DEM,MOD Seth I. Koslow REP,CON

Bruce A. Blakeman

District Attorney

Fiscal del Distrito

DEM, MOD Nicole Aloise REP, CON

Anne T.

Comptroller

Controlador del Condado

DEM, MOD Wayne H. Wink, Jr. REP, CON

Elaine R. Phillips

County Clerk

Secretario

DEM, MOD Joylette E. Williams REP, CON Maureen C.

Glen Cove Mayor

Alcalde

DEM, MOD Marsha F. Silverman REP, CON Pamela D. Panzenbeck

Surrogate

ELECTIon’25

actual ballot, but a composite of several sample ballots so as to reflect all the districts within the communities covered edition of the Herald. Complete reporting on candidates running in districts covered by the Herald may be found at under the Elections ’25 tab. For election results after the polls close Tuesday night, go to LIHerald.com

Glen Cove Council Member

Danielle Fugazy Scagliola

Daniel A. Grabowski

John Frank Zozzaro

Kevin P. Maccarone

Theresa Moschetta

Grady M. Farnan

County Legislator

M. DeRiggi Whitton

John L. Perrone

Michael I. Ktistakis

Carla Anastasio

James M. Greenberg

Cathryn Harris-Marchesi

Ellen Pantazakos

County Court Judge

Bogle Howard E. Sturim

Family Court Judge

District Court Judge

Justice of the Supreme Court

Steven A. Pilewski

Mark A. Cuthbertson

Margaret C. Reilly

Joseph C. Pastoressa

James W. Malone

Carl J. Copertino

Bronwyn M. Black-Kelly

Surrogate Court Judge

HERALD

ATTENTION STUDENTS:

THE HERALD IS HOLDING A CONTEST TO DESIGN HOLIDAY WRAPPING PAPER

THE WINNING DESIGNS WILL BE PRINTED AS HOLIDAY GIFT WRAP IN 12/4/25 & 12/11/25 ISSUES OF YOUR HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

CONTEST RULES:

Who can enter: There will be 2 categories: Students in grades k-5. Students in 6-12 One entry per student

Deadline: Entries must be received by 5 p.m.

Friday, November 14, 2025

Requirements: All entries should have the student’s name, age, address, telephone number, email, grade and school printed on the back. Design can be reflective of all religious holidays. Entries will not be returned.

Mail or hand-deliver to:

Wrapping Paper Contest

Herald Community Newspapers

2 Endo Boulevard, Garden City, NY 11530 OR Scan and email to:

(No Photos of Artwork Will Be Accepted). Winners will be notified by email or phone by November 21

Baker/Herald

Herald supports Cohen Children’s Medical Center

Herald Community Media and RichnerLIVE presented a $2,000 donation to Cohen Children’s Medical Center, the charity beneficiary of the Herald Women’s Executive Summit on Sept. 9 at the Crescent Beach Club.

The medical center is home to Long Island’s first Pediatric Heart Failure and Transplant Program and a nationally recognized team of specialists. This year the hospital earned its third con-

Creative Tips

• Must use 8 1/2 x 11” unlined paper, copy paper or construction paper.

• Be creative & original.

• Use bright colors.

• Fill the entire page.

secutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, underscoring its mission to help families raise stronger, healthier kids. Phyllis Quinlan, the medical center’s director of Holistic Services Administration, noted, “We are on track to offer over 5,000 15-minute holistic services to the CCMC staff, parents/family caregivers, and admitted pediatric patients in 2025.”

Stuart Richner, CEO of the Long Island Herald, left, with Phyllis Quinlan, director of Holistic Services Administration at Cohen Children’s Medical Center; Amy Amato, executive director of RichnerLIVE; and Sofia Agoritsas, vice president of operations at the medical center. For more information contact Ethan Kimbrell at ekimbrell@liherald.com or 516.569.4000 x 313

Compiled by Herald staff

Destin Guerrier

9, Uniondale

I love going shopping for my costume! I want to be a Minecraft character this year.

Courtesy Ebony Guerrier

What are do you like best about Halloween?

Delilah Mandell

6, Atlantic Beach

I like eating candy, picking candy from people and dressing up!

Melissa Berman/Herald

Stella Madero Massapequa

Seeing the kids dress up and enjoy it. I love giving kids their candy and seeing the excitement on their faces.

Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald

Lucia 1st grade, Merrick I like going trick-or-treating.

Major Shore Road project will begin in ’27

will be rebuilt at twice the diameter — and install stormwater treatment systems to capture debris before it enters coastal waters. At Scudders Pond, a timber baffle currently obstructing flow will be removed, new weir boards will be installed at the proper elevation, and four catch basins will be added along Littleworth Lane. The newly engineered drainage systems will be sized to handle a 10-year, 24-hour storm event, helping protect homes and roadways from flood damage.

Above ground, safety is the driving force behind an overhaul of the roadway layout. Sections of Shore Road that currently include two lanes in each direction will be reduced to one lane each way, with dedicated bike lanes on both sides and a new five-foot wide sidewalk. ADA-compliant curb ramps will be installed throughout the corridor.

A skewed and confusing intersection at Prospect Avenue and Glen Avenue/Locust Place will be reconstructed at a more standard angle to enhance visibility and bus travel, and a new traffic signal will be installed at the Prospect Avenue entrance to Tappen Beach to safely accommodate pedestrians crossing there. County engineers also plan to install five overhead radar speed-awareness signs, to discourage aggressive driving and remind motorists that they are traveling through residential neighborhoods.

The county presentation further detailed streetscape upgrades — including decorative lighting, new trees, benches in designated areas, and a more defined parking lane — aimed at highlighting the waterfront while creating a pleasant experience for walkers, cyclists and families heading to parks and the beach.

After heavy rains, residents of Shore Road frequently see ankle-deep flooding.

myself, I was hoping that it was going to break ground for 2026, but it looks like it’s going to be more the beginning of 2027,” she said. “It’s going to make our area more like a residential community. It’s going to make it better for walkers and bikers to enjoy the beauty that we have. It’s a spectacular place to sit down on a park bench, walk, ride your bike.”

Daniel Flanzig, a Sea Cliff resident and the president of the New York Bicycling Coalition, who has been biking and running along the road for 12 years, said the upgrades would significantly improve comfort and safety. “These improvements are going to make this a much more walkable and bike-able area, because we’re going to increase the shoulder width in bike lanes,” Flanzig said. “We’ll have sidewalks on both sides of the street. And it will just make it a more enticing and safer place to bike and walk.”

He noted that narrowing the roadway will help reduce the speeding common among drivers using the route as a cut-through. “There’s a tendency for people who are using it as a cut-through to drive way too quickly, not realizing that their cut-through is our neighborhood, is our home,” Flanzig said.

“This is one of the most transformative infrastructure projects in Nassau County,” Cusumano said, “not just because of its scale, but because of the vision behind it.”

While residents were excited to see progress, Cusumano is realistic about the timeline. “Even

For Shore Road Neighbors founder Lora Cusumano, who has advocated for these changes since 2018, the community’s persistence is finally paying off.

Residents will continue to shape certain elements as construction nears. Cusumano said that future meetings would give stakeholders the chance to weigh in on things like lighting styles and park seating. “Great design is worth the wait,” she said, emphasizing that the improvements represent far more than repaving — they will modernize the waterfront for generations to come.

DeRiggi-Whitton agreed. “We are looking forward to this project moving from the planning stage to the beginning of construction,” she said. “This is a oncein-a-generation opportunity to improve Shore Road for the future.”

STEPPING OUT

Director Cindy Rosenthal steps up to the challenge of this rarely performed play, based on a story from Chaucer.

A tale of eternal friendship

Hofstra’s Shakespeare Festival takes on ‘The Two Noble Kinsmen’

By Abbey Salvemini

Shakespeare’s final — and perhaps most overlooked — play steps into the spotlight as “The Two Noble Kinsmen” arrives on Hofstra University’s celebrated Globe stage. Now in its 77th year, the annual Shakespeare Festival invites audiences to experience a production that follows the intense journey of two noble cousins, Palamon and Arcite, whose unbreakable bond is shattered when they fall in love with the same woman.

As the headline production, this tragicomedy sets the tone for a rich, two-week long festival season that includes “What Fools!,” a whimsical, one-hour version of A “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” ideal for children; also Hofstra Collegium Musicum’s concert of Elizabethan and Jacobean music inspired by Shakespeare’s era. Together, these performances promise a dynamic festival experience for audiences of all ages.

Directed by drama professor Dr. Cindy Rosenthal, the production brings to life a powerful story about friendship, competition and the messy realities of love. Whether you’re a Shakespeare devotee or new to his catalogue, this rarely-performed play offers a fresh, thought-provoking look at the Bard.

According to Rosenthal, the decision to produce “The Two Noble Kinsmen” is rooted in its relative obscurity — and its potential. She acknowledges that among her fellow theater historians, not many have studied the play or seen it performed.

“In that there is opportunity,” she says.“We may be the one production of this play that our audience members see. The question is: How can we best present this under-illuminated text by the greatest writer in the history of civilization? Let’s make the most of whatever ways we think it has value and interest. That’s the job.”

She recognizes that taking on the play is a learning curve for both herself and her students. Still, the opportunity to present something rare and meaningful made it worth the challenge.

“We would be able to offer something to our

• Now through Nov. 2

• Tickets are $15, members of the Hofstra community may receive up to two free tickets

• Visit hofstra.universitytickets. com to purchse tickets; more festival information at events. hofstra.edu

• John Cranford Adams Playhouse, South Campus, Hempstead.

audiences that they don’t get to see — and very likely won’t see again in their lifetime.”

She’s particularly interested in exploring the play’s layered emotional dynamics and how they speak to today’s audiences. The staging doesn’t shy away from the text’s “queer sensibility,” which runs throughout, making it an integral part of the storytelling.

This play “absolutely brings forward the value and the strength of same-sex relationships,” Rosenthal says, describing the work (that Shakespeare co-wrote with John Fletcher) as a significant reflection of today’s lineage of queer love.

Hofstra’s Globe stage — considered the most authentic recreation of Shakespeare’s original stage in North America — adds a unique dimension to the production. Rosenthal refers to the stage as “a real phenomenon.”

While she has directed for previous Shakespeare festivals at Hofstra, this is her first time with the Globe replica.

“Performing on the Globe stage makes it feel like we are part of history. It’s a beautiful achievement. Just being able to engage with the set is another part of the experience I look forward to sharing with the students and our audience,” she says.

Guiding her student actors on a play that few had encountered before was both a challenge and a joy for Rosenthal. Among the aspects most interesting to all involved is how the play celebrates love, both heterosexual and queer.

“It does that all the way through the text, both with women and men. Scholars have studied and written about the queer sensibility that permeates this play. I’m excited and the students are excited to explore and bring life to the relationships among the characters,” she adds.

Anthony Avalos, of Roosevelt, is among Rosenthal’s young cast who fully embraces his director’s enthusiasm. Avalos, who does the roles of both a soldier and a knight, declared that his appreciation for the play grew with every reading of it.

“When I actually saw everyone molding these characters, that’s when I really fell in love with the story,” he says.

Rosenthal’s visual approach is designed to blend tradition with fresh interpretation.

“We want to find a way to bridge the gap and to resonate with our own community,” she notes.

Costume choices, for example, were guided by the characters’ journeys and how those stories can connect with audiences today — incorporating playful, contemporary touches into the overall aesthetic.

Rosenthal recalls visiting Hofstra’s Globe to see a performance of “Hamlet,” on a school trip as a student at Jericho High School, The experience, she says, led her to realize just how much she loved and admired both the show and Shakespeare’s language.

“It’s an amazing full-circle moment for me.”

For those who may not know the play — or Shakespeare at all — she invites them to approach it with curiosity, offering a simple message: “Have an open mind.”

Adam Glaser

The always-enthralling South Shore Symphony invites ghosts and goblins of all ages to its first Halloween Spooktacular at its longtime Madison Theatre home. Music Director and Conductor Adam Glaser leads his musicians — all decked out in costumes — in orchestral favorites. The audience is encouraged to join in the fun by wearing costumes, but are also welcome, of course, to “come as you are.” The spirited program includes six most popular and accessible works. In fact, nearly all of them will be familiar given their usage in movies, television shows and cartoons. For instance, many will instantly recognize the concert’s opening, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: by French composer Paul Dukas. This piece was the “soundtrack” for the beloved segment in Disney’s “Fantasia.” during which Mickey Mouse plays the role of the apprentice who begins practicing his boss’ magic tricks.

Saturday, Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m. $35, $30 seniors, $10 students. Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. Tickets available at madisontheatreny.org or (516) 3234444.

Orchestre National de France

Music Director Cristian Macelaru guides the Orchestre National de France on its first U.S. tour in nearly 10 years at Tilles Center, during their brief three-concert tour. Joined by pianist-extraordinaire Daniil Trifonov the orchestra performs repertoires that lie at the core of its identity: Maurice Ravel (to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his birth), Elsa Barraine and Camille SaintSaëns. This masterful program brings the listener on a picturesque journey from start to finish. The programming of Elsa Barraine’s Symphony No. 2 with its gumptous string lines that compliment the playfulness of the work’s structure sits beautifully in the program with Ravel’s Daphnis & Chloé.

Saturday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or tillescenter.org or (516) 299-3100

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CALENDAR

NOV 1

Art explorations

Converse, collaborate and create with kids at Family Saturdays at Nassau County Museum of Art. Get inspired by the art and objects in the galleries and then join educators at the Manes Center to explore and discover different materials to create your own original artwork. Kids and adults connect while talking about and making art together. A new project is featured every week. $20 adult, $10 child. For ages 2-14. Registration required. $20, $10 child; members free.

• Where: 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor

• Time: Noon-3 p.m.

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

Film Screening

NOV

5

Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County invites all to a special screening of Tatami, followed by a panel discussion and dessert reception. This extraordinary film, directed by Zar Amir and starring Arienne Mandi, delivers a gripping portrayal of integrity under pressure, human resilience, and the strength to stand up for what’s right. $30, $10 students.

• Where: Manhasset Cinemas, 430 Plandome Road, Manhasset

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: hmtcli.org or (516) 571-8040

Board of Education Meeting

The Board of Education meets at Glen Cove High School.

• Where: 150 Dosoris Lane, Glen Cove

• Time: 7:30 p.m.

Monthly meditation

Sands Point Preserve’s historic mansions and waterfront grounds are the backdrop for an evening of nature-based mindfulness and meditation with Hildur Palsdottir, first Thursday monthly. Classes are held in the beautiful rooms of the Preserve’s mansions, or in the Hempstead House Garden when weather permits. Explore techniques specifically aimed at stress reduction. Hildur adapts ancient Buddhist teachings to modern applications for calming the mind. With transformative practices you will access wisdom and clarity to live a more compassionate life. In addition to facilitating these monthly groups, Hildur offers support with establishing a home meditation practice. No feeling is final. $17 per class.

NOV

Ted Nash’s ‘Presidential Suite’

Ted Nash’s Big Band brings the Grammy Award-winning “Presidential Suite” to the Tilles Center stage. This fascinating program pairs historic speeches by figures like Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, and others with bold, jazz-driven orchestrations. With Nash’s thoughtful direction and expressive playing, the hard swinging band offers a powerful and resonant performance that bridges history, music and the spirit of swing. Each movement is tied to a different speech by world leaders, giving the words new resonance through music. Presidential Suite is considered Nash’s most significant work. Inspired by great political speeches of the 20th century dealing with the theme of freedom, it is rich with social and political awareness. It involved a very creative approach; Nash transcribed the speeches for their actual musical pitches and created themes, placing them into contexts that embraced the speakers and the location and era of the speeches. A longtime member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Nash has spent 25 years blending intellect, emotion and bold creativity through his compositions. Acclaimed as one of the most innovative voices in modern jazz, he’s known for his boundless creativity as an arranger and performer. Nash leads multiple innovative projects while remaining at the forefront of the jazz scene with a demanding touring schedule as a core member of the JLCO. From pushing boundaries with the Jazz Composers Collective — of which he’s a co-founder — to appearing on “best-of” lists in the New York Times, The New Yorker and Billboard, Nash continues to redefine what jazz can be. He has that uncanny ability to mix freedom with substance, blues with intellect and risk-taking with clarity.

• Where: 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point

• Time: 6-8 p.m., also Dec. 4

• Contact: sandspointpreserveconservancy. org or call (516) 571-7901

Historical lecture

North Shore Historical Museum invites all to an evening with historian Richard F. Welch, who discusses Long Island’s Gold Coast Elite and the Great War. The engaging lecture explores how World War I reshaped the lives, values, and legacies of Long Island’s most prominent families, revealing the connection between global conflict and local identity. Attendees will gain a deeper appreciation for the region’s layered past through rich storytelling and discussion.

• Where: 140 Glen St., Glen Cove

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: northshorehistoricalmuseum. org or call (516) 801-1191

Ecotherapy Walk

Focus on self-care with certified guide Linda Lombardo on an Ecotherapy Walk at Sands Point Preserve.

Ecotherapy, also known as Forest Bathing, is not simply hiking in the woods, or a walk on a beach. The focus is on connection and relationship, allowing the heart to open to the beauty of the natural world, and at the same time, understand our belonging in that world. Register for individual walks or a series of three. $135 for series of 3, $120 members; $49 per session, $44 members.

• Where: 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point

• Time: 2 p.m.; also Dec. 14

• Contact: sandspointpreserveconservancy. org or call (516) 571-7901

In concert

Sands Point Preserve’s reserve’s historic mansions and waterfront grounds are the backdrop for the latest edition of its unique chamber music series at Hempstead House, themed “Autumn’s Graceful Waltz.” In a graceful waltz of time, with leaves falling and the light filtering through the trees, like a dream of contentment, autumn is a dance of graceful transition in a masterpiece of color and light. The sonic

• Where: Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: ticketmaster.com or tillescenter.org or (516) 299-3100

flavor of Shakuhachi takes everyone to Japan, transporting all to autumns of the past, where times were slower and rituals of our communities were celebrated. The program features music from the Medieval period to today, performed by duoJalal ensemble-in-residence featuring Kathryn Lockwood, viola and Yousif Sheronick, percussion, with violinists Miho Saegusa and Ben Russell, cellist Raman Ramakrishnan and Zac Zinger on Shakuhachi. Wine reception follows. $56, $45 members.

• Where: 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point

• Time: 3 p.m.

• Contact: sandspointpreserveconservancy. org or call (516) 571-7901

12

Friends of the Glen Cove Public Library meet

The Friends of the Glen Cove Public Library hold their next in-person meeting to discuss upcoming programs, fundraising efforts, and ways to support the library’s mission of serving the Glen Cove community. All members and anyone interested in joining the Friends are welcome to attend.

• Where: 4 Glen Cove Ave., Glen Cove

• Time: 11 a.m.-noon

• Contact: glencovelibrary.org or call (516) 676-2130

Owl Prowl

NOV

13

Sands Point Preserve welcomes all to a fascinating evening with these creatures of the night. Learn how to identify owls by sight and sound, and attract these beneficial birds to your own backyard. Then head out to the woods for a very quiet guided night walk in search of owls and other nighttime wildlife. A presenter from the Center for Environmental Education & Discovery, teaches everyone how to develop your night vision – flashlights are not needed! Spaces are limited and registration required.

• Where: 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point

• Time: 7:30-9 p.m. adults only; also Nov. 14, 7-8:30 p.m., families with children 8+

• Contact: sandspointpreserveconservancy. org or call (516) 571-7901

NOV

27

Turkey Trot 5K

Participate in the Glen Cove Education Foundation’s annual Turkey Trot 5K, starting at Glen Cove High School.

• Where: 150 Dosoris Lane

• Time: 8:30 a.m.

• Contact: (516) 801-7680

11

Veteran’s Day Tribute

The City of Glen Cove and VFW Post 347 welcome all to honor and remember the brave men and women who served our country at Glen Cove Public Library.

• Where: 4 Glen Cove Ave.

• Time: 11 a.m..

• Contact: (516) 676 - 2000

Having an event?

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

Public Notices

Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12 Not applicable.

13. Publication Title: GLEN COVE HERALD.

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: SEPTEMBER 25, 2025

7. Complete Mailing Address of

Office of Publication: 2 ENDO BLVD, GARDEN CITY,

11530 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, Nassau County, NY 11530.

9 Full Names and Complete Mailing

Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor. Publisher: Richner Communications, Inc., Stuart Richner, 2 ENDO BLVD, GARDEN CITY, NY 11530. Editor: ROXY AMID, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, Nassau County, NY 11530. Managing Editor: JEFF BESSEN, 2 ENDO BLVD, GARDEN CITY, NY 11530.

10. Owner: Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, Nassau County, NY 11530; Clifford Richner, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, Nassau County, NY 11530; Stuart Richner, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, Nassau County, NY 11530.

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders

LEGAL NOTICE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Glen Cove City Council adopted the following Ordinance at the City Council Meeting of October 28, 2025: BE IT ORDAINED, that the City Council hereby amends Sec. 265-44. Schedule XII: No Stopping, as it relates to Harbor Hill Road.

Add:

Name of Street Harbor Hill Road Side North

Location

From a point 308 feet west of Hammond Road to a point 27 feet west therefrom

Harbor Hill Road

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: a. Total No. Copies: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 5000; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 5000.

b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions stated on Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 100; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 97(2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 2396 Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 2353(3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, and Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 755; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 716. (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 0; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published

Nearest to Filing Date, 0. c. Total Paid Distribution: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 3251; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 3166. d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution( by Mail and Outside the Mail) : (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 911; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 953 (2)Free or Nominal In-County as Stated on Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 0; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 211 (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other classes Mailed Through the USPS: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 0; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 0. (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 300; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 0. e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution:

Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 1122; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 1253. f. Total Distribution: Average No. Copies Each Issue During

Preceding 12 Months, 4373; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 4419

g. Copies Not Distributed: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 627; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 581. h. Total: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 5000; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 5000.

i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 74.34%; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 71.65%.

16. This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the October 30 2025, issue of this publication.

17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: Stuart Richner, Owner; Date: October 1, 2025 I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material information requested on the form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

1322431

To Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232

Collecting handmade items for veterans at City Hall

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

A group of Glen Cove City Hall employees is working toward collecting 1,111 handmade winter clothing items for disabled veterans across Long Island, with donations accepted through Nov. 7, 2025.

The effort is led by the Glen Cove City Hall Knitting Club, a volunteer group founded by longtime city employees Susan Tripp and Angie Colangelo. The project aims to honor veterans ahead of Veterans Day, with the number of items — 1,111 — symbolizing Nov. 11.

Island (DAV), a nonprofit organization that provides assistance and advocacy for disabled veterans in Glen Cove and throughout the region.

Tripp said the initiative has received strong support. “The response has been incredible,” she said. “What started as something small has become a way for us to give back in a meaningful, personal way. Every stitch is made with gratitude for our veterans.”

The Glen Cove Senior Center Knitting Club has already contributed 200 items toward the total. Csillag said the group is committed to ensuring the project succeeds. “We’re proud to be part of something that not only brings people together but honors those who’ve given so much,” she said.

Community members and local organizations are encouraged to participate by donating new or handmade scarves, hats, gloves, or socks. Items may be dropped off Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Building Department or the Office of the Mayor, both located on the third floor of Glen Cove City Hall, 9 Glen St.

This Ordinance shall take effect 3 days after publication.

Tina Pemberton City Clerk 156558

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

DISTRICT-WIDE SAFETY PLAN

NORTHSHORE MIDDLE SCHOOL CAFETERIA 505 GLEN COVE AVENUE

GLEN HEAD NY 11545

Thursday December 11, 2025 AT 745 PM

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that a 2nd public hearing will be held on Thursday December 11, 2025 at 7:45 PM at the North Shore Middle School Cafeteria 505 Glen Cove Ave , Glen Head

SouthFrom a point 335 feet west of Hammond Road to a point 125 feet west therefrom

NY 11545 at which time and place the Board of Education of the North Shore Central School District will discuss the 2024-25 District Wide Safety Plan developed by the District Wide School Safety Team pursuant to Commissioner’s Regulation Part 155.17 ( c ) (1) and ( c) (3) and NYSED changes post the plans original adoption on July 8, 2025 concerning the addition of Sudden Cardiac Arrest language known as Desha’s Law. This plan includes the Emergency Remote Instruction Plan. The District Wide Safety plan is available for public comment at North Shore Central School District office, located at 112 Franklin Ave, Sea Cliff NY

11579 between the date of this notice and the public hearing. The public hearing shall be held at the time and place stated herein. 156556

LEGAL NOTICE VILLAGE OF LATTINGTOWN PLANNING BOARD

PUBLIC NOTICE

A public hearing will be held by and before the Planning Board of the Incorporated Village of Lattingtown, Nassau County, New York, on November 18, 2025 at 6:30 p.m., at the Village Hall - 299 Lattingtown Road in the Village. The hearing will be on the application of 91A Peacock LLC, owner of a 4.76 acre parcel of land located at 91A Peacock Lane in the

The club began when Tripp and Colangelo spent their lunch breaks knitting together. They later partnered with knitting instructor Kate Csillag and her mother, Cindy Curtis, who volunteer their time to teach free knitting and crochet lessons at the Glen Cove Public Library, the Bayville Library and Congregation Tifereth Israel. With their support, the group expanded to include about 10 City Hall employees who meet weekly to create handmade items.

The donations will support the Disabled American Veterans of Long

Village, designated as Section 30, Block B, Lots 1263 & 1264 on the Nassau County Land and Tax Map and located in the Village’s R-4A (4-acre) zoning district. The Applicant seeks a Freshwater Wetlands Permit, Floodplain Development Permit, Coastal Erosion Hazard Area permit, Site Grading and Excavation Permit and Tree Removal Permit

from the Planning Board to permit the construction of a new single-family dwelling with detached garage, in-ground swimming pool with spa, patios, and outdoor kitchen, new driveway, boulder retaining walls, and other associated site improvements all as shown on the plans entitled “Site Plan of Lots No. 1263 & 1264 on a Certain Map entitled “Map of

More information about the Disabled American Veterans of Long Island is available at davny.org.

Peacock Point”” prepared by Northcoast Civil, L.S. & P.E., P.C., and last dated July 29, 2025. The above application is on file at Humes & Wagner, LLP, Attorneys for the Village, 147 Forest Avenue Locust Valley, New York 11560, where it may be seen by appointment only, during the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday until the time of

hearing, or on the Village’s website at:

OPINIONS

Trump has written first chapter of a new Mideast history

President Trump’s achievement of reaching an agreement to end the two-year war in Gaza is a truly historic moment. It is a tribute to Trump’s leadership, and to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s determination to stand firm against an amalgam of critics ranging from the simply misinformed to virulent anti-Israel and/or antisemitic voices.

The return of the hostages who are still alive and the enactment of a ceasefire are critical and monumental. Even more significant in the quest for a lasting peace is how the major Arab nations, and a leading nonArab Muslim country like Turkey, have lined up against Hamas. Trump capped off the significance of the moment by delivering a fiery speech to the Israeli Knesset before jetting to Egypt for a Gaza agreement signing ceremony with the Arab leaders and President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

Just months ago, all this would have been deemed improbable, if not impossible. But as important as these monumental steps are, they are only first

steps. Much difficult work remains for Trump’s overall plan to succeed.

Who will carry out the weapons inspections to ensure that Hamas has fully disarmed? How and when will a transition government for Gaza, without Hamas, be formed?

Which of the nations will provide the troops for the peacekeeping force that will maintain the agreement? How much will it cost to rebuild Gaza? All of these questions are real, but should not be allowed to derail the agreement, which has provided the greatest opportunity for real peace since Israel’s creation as a nation state in 1948.

But any reluctance to remain fully engaged will incentivize Hamas.

ist organization is fanatical and suicidal, and will take whatever disruptive action it can. If it refuses to show evidence of complete disarmament, the United States must support the Israel Defense Forces going in to forcibly take away Hamas’s weapons. If Arab nations don’t provide the necessary troops for the international peacekeeping force, Trump must do what he does best, and bring to bear whatever pressure is required for them to live up to their obligations.

Trump will have to stand strong behind the agreement that he formulated and brought to fruition. It is clearly in America’s national interest to make it work. The president will have to resist the anti-Israel/antisemitic attacks and the isolationist rants from uninformed elements in his MAGA base. Any reluctance to remain fully engaged will incentivize Hamas and lead to the crumbling of Arab nations’ support for the agreement.

Now that we are so fully engaged, the United States cannot afford to back away. Hamas realizes that if this agreement survives, Hamas won’t. The terror-

As for bringing together a Hamas-free transition entity, the United States must work with Israel and other key regional countries to have our intelligence agencies coordinate an effective vetting process to ensure that Hamas does not infiltrate the transitional governing body that must be created. Trump would be well advised to work with Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair throughout this process, and make use of his proven diplomatic and peacekeeping abilities. Rebuilding Gaza is essential. Gaza is wrecked, much of it reduced to rubble. Rebuilding it seems insurmountable. But so did rebuilding Germany and Japan after World War II. The United States realized that it was in our national and economic interests to have those coun-

Presidents make mistakes, but

Ltries rebuilt and stabilized, and formulated the Marshall Plan to coordinate the rebuilding of Germany. In Japan, Gen. Douglas MacArthur was given the power to create a democratic government and a free economy. With American leadership, these two nations created strong democratic societies while rebuilding their countries with vibrant economies. None of this came easy. President Harry Truman had to fight off resistance from isolationists and remnants of the discredited America First movement, which had kept the United States from being fully prepared for World War II. Truman was able to effectuate this by coordinating efforts with national security-minded Republicans to rebuild Europe and establish NATO, which, over the course of four decades, deterred Soviet aggression, overwhelmed the Russian economy and led to the collapse of the Communist government there, the disintegration of the Iron Curtain and the liberation or Eastern Europe’s captive nations. Today’s isolationists have no sense of history, and naively claim that “nation building” must be disregarded. Trump must stand firm behind his Gaza agreement and solidify his position in history as a true peacemaker.

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.

this one was a doozy

ong Island is a populous region. It is estimated to have a combined two-county population of just under 3 million people. The island boasts many famous names, including Billy Joel and Billy Crystal. One name that keeps cropping up, not in the category of highly respected people, is that of former U.S. Rep. George Santos a wellknown regional figure for all the wrong reasons. In August 2024 Santos pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud and identify theft. In April he was sentenced to seven years in a federal prison — and Long Islanders were able to turn their attention to other, more serious matters. That was so until two Fridays ago, when President Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he was issuing a commutation of Santos’s sentence. Sadly, within hours, Santos was freed from prison after having served less than three months.

There aren’t many news items that

can jolt Long Islanders, but that commutation hit many like a ton of bricks. For the better part of 2024, the media had had a field day with Santos. While he had been a member of Congress, representing the Island’s North Shore, friends from as far away as Florida and California flooded my phone with inquiries about whether I knew Santos, and what he was like. Other than being familiar with his name and the allegations, I was glad that our paths never crossed.

During my many years on earth I have heard of hundreds of pardons and commutations, issued by presidents and governors, but very few have stunned me like this one. I can cite name after name of people who have benefited from this variety of kindness. Presidents of both parties have pardoned or commuted the sentences of such famous names as the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, and Patty Hearst. Any American with a knowledge of history knows of President Gerald Ford’s pardon of the disgraced President Richard Nixon. The first recorded act of American governmental discretion was the amnes-

N ot many news items jolt Long Islanders, but George Santos’s pardon did.

ty issued to participants in the Whiskey Rebellion in the early 1790s. George Washington granted relief to those who were convicted. Bill Clinton pardoned financier Marc Rich and Roger Clinton, his half- brother. President Biden issued a blanket pardon of a number of members of his family. To date, Trump has pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than a dozen present or former public officials.

So what’s the big deal about George Santos? No figure from our region has been the subject of so much public scorn from so many people in both political parties. Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman and County Chair Joe Cairo both called for Santos’s expulsion from Congress. Wellknown Democrats including Congress members Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen asked for similar action.

Regrettably, Santos has become the poster boy for conduct that we have never experienced in our fairly closeknit community. His exaggerations about his record, when he presented himself to the Island’s voters, are now part of our political folklore. He claimed so many false things about his life that

there are too many to recite in one column. But his mistruths eventually caught up with him, and he wound up being sentenced to federal prison. Santos’s release following his presidential gift continued to attract political scorn from Republican Congressmen Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota, who were among those who had called for his expulsion from the House. Since he was released, he has claimed that he would consider becoming a “prison reform” advocate. Absent proof in the future, his post-prison remarks very much resemble his original exaggerations.

Those of us who live in the political world are very cognizant of the quality of the people who sign their sworn oath of office and promise to abide by the Constitution of our republic. We ask that they be true to us in order to gain our trust. They sometimes stray from their path, but most of them toe the line and don’t ignore their pledge to America.

Santos was a big disappointment, and all of Long Island regrets the leniency he was given that he didn’t deserve.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. Comments about this column? jkremer@ liherald.com.

Incorporating

When disaster strikes, the Red Cross responds

2 Endo Boulevard

City, NY 11530

Phone: (516) 569-4000

Fax: (516) 569-4942

Web: glencove.liherald.com

E-mail: glencove-editor@liherald.com

Twitter: @NSHeraldGazette

Copyright

HERALD

When disaster strikes — from Amityville to Alaska — the American Red Cross answers the call. It’s one of the most recognized humanitarian organizations in the world, yet its reach is often most powerful in our own neighborhoods.

On Long Island, the Red Cross stands as a beacon of compassion and readiness, providing aid when emergencies leave families shattered and communities reeling.

The Red Cross exists to meet human need, fast. Whether it’s a house fire in Baldwin, flooding in Freeport or a snowstorm that knocks out power across Nassau and Suffolk counties, the American Red Cross on Long Island mobilizes within hours to provide food, blankets and shelter. The organization’s volunteers are often the first to arrive and the last to leave. They help displaced families find stability, deliver health services and connect victims with longer-term recovery resources.

Beyond disaster relief, the Red Cross supports hospital networks and local blood drives, trains residents in lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid, and educates communities about home safety. Perhaps its most impactful local program is the Sound the Alarm campaign, in which free smoke alarms are installed in homes

LETTERS

across Long Island. These simple devices have saved hundreds of lives nationwide and dozens here at home — tangible proof that prevention is just as important as emergency response.

The organization’s effectiveness stems from its people. Across Nassau and Suffolk, the Red Cross is powered by volunteers from all walks of life — doctors who lend their expertise in medical emergencies, retired police officers who bring calm to chaos and educators who teach safety preparedness in schools.

Among them is Jennifer Keane, athletic director and trainer in the Wantagh School District. Keane was one of the Long Island chapter’s heroes for helping to save the life of referee Joe Gaskin at a Nassau County boys’ basketball finals game in March. With a medical team administering CPR and Keane using an automated external defibrillator, they revived Gaskin after he collapsed. Keane stayed by his side, reassuring him and helping to calm him as he regained consciousness.

The results speak for themselves. Every year the American Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters nationwide. In the Greater New York region that includes Long Island, the organization responds to roughly 2,300 emergencies each year, from building collapses to home fires to flooding.

The shutdown is ‘malpractice’ by both parties

To the Editor:

Re U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi’s op-ed in last week’s issue, “How does this shutdown finally end?”: The question should be, How was this made to happen from the beginning? We have military personnel serving and not getting paid. We have air traffic controllers and other federal employees working and not getting paid. Yet we have a Congress not working and getting paid.

Are they truly representing the people, or their party affiliations and their own selfish interests?

When leverage is discussed, it isn’t about the people affected, but the perception of which party thinks it has the upper hand. We have politicians who, when they were the majority party, were for continuing resolutions, and now, because they are the minority party, are against them. How much damage of people’s personal lives are they willing to hold out for?

There are issues that should be discussed, but shutting down the government isn’t the way to go about it. This is not only an embarrassment, but a disgraceful malpractice committed by both parties toward the citizens of this country.

TONY GIAMETTA Oceanside

Thanks to those smoke alarm installations, the Red Cross has prevented tragedies before they could happen.

These outcomes ripple far beyond the crises at hand. Each act of service strengthens community resilience, teaching residents how to prepare for the next emergency and ensuring that no one faces it alone. The Red Cross model proves that organized compassion, backed by training and teamwork, can turn heartbreak into hope.

The success of that mission depends on all of us. You don’t need a medical degree or a uniform to make a difference. You can join a disaster response team, train to install smoke alarms, or simply contribute funds to support relief efforts. Every dollar, every hour volunteered helps save lives and restore dignity to those in need.

When a crisis strikes, the Red Cross shows that humanity’s greatest strength lies in our willingness to help. On Long Island, it’s not just an organization; it’s a community of neighbors ready to act.

In moments of disaster, the Red Cross doesn’t just respond. It reminds us who we are — a region, and a nation, defined by generosity, courage and the unyielding belief that no one should face tragedy alone.

To learn more or to become a Long Island volunteer, call (516) 747-3500, or go to RedCross.org.

OPINIONS

Authoritarianism is the shadow we choose not to see

Election season is a fitting time to take stock — not only of what our leaders have and have not done, but also of what we have tolerated from them, and from ourselves.

Truth be told, there’s an unease in the air — not just about elections or economics, but about something deeper: the slow erosion of trust, the hardening of contempt, the growing sense that truth itself has become negotiable. These aren’t the hallmarks of a confident democracy. They’re the early shadows of something dangerous. When people hear the word “totalitarian,” they imagine parades and police states, not school boards or town councils. But the most enduring form of authoritarianism doesn’t arrive with tanks; it creeps in through the corrosion of truth-telling, respect and shared responsibility. Totalitarianism, in its embryonic stage, works to silence disagreement, to treat opponents as enemies, to bend institutions toward personal or partisan ends. It begins when loyalty to a leader becomes more prized than integrity, and when public life becomes less about dialogue than domination.

That, increasingly, is the shadow stretching across our civic landscape. We are losing the antibodies that protect us from tyranny.

At the federal level, we’ve seen the guardrails of restraint weaken. Laws once thought firm are now bent to accommodate personal power. Agencies created to serve the public are recast as instruments of political loyalty. Facts — about elections, pandemics or climate — are recast as matters of opinion. At the state level, officials redraw district maps to predetermine election outcomes, Boards of Education decide which books and histories may be taught.

Iruption scandal fades because “they all do it.” Cynicism replaces vigilance. And soon the line between disappointment and danger blurs.

t begins when loyalty to a leader becomes more prized that integrity.

The civic contract — our shared assumption that good-faith debate is possible — is fraying.

Even in our towns and neighborhoods, the tone has changed. School board meetings devolve into shouting matches. Civic volunteers are harassed. Journalists and teachers second-guess whether candor is worth the backlash. Citizens withdraw, exhausted, convinced that their voices no longer matter.

History teaches that authoritarianism rarely arrives announced. It spreads through small acts of indifference. A lie goes unchallenged because correcting it seems tedious. A cruel remark passes as “just politics.” A cor-

LETTERS

Sharing memories of Woodmere with Randi

To the Editor:

I loved Randi Kreiss’s column last week, “Returning to autumn in New York, 2025.” I grew up in Woodmere myself. We lived off West Broadway, on a little dead-end street called Crestwood Road. The street contains some seven houses. Four guys, including me, who grew up there still get together for lunch now and then.

I graduated from George W. Hewlett High School in 1957, and remember Woodmere Dock and the rowboat rentals. I remember it as Simon’s dock. Thanks for the memories, Randi!

KEN WALKER Amityville

Sharing memories of grandparents with Jordan

To the Editor:

Thanks to Jordan Vallone for her recent column, “My grief for my late grandma is love imploding.” I’m now 79 years young, but still miss my Harry and Nanny, my Bronx maternal grandparents. That bond is unbreakable. Thanks to what they gave me, I now have a similar bond with my youngest grandson, Jackson, 5. One way to honor the departed loved ones is to pass the love on. This makes the days with the little guy very special. So I hope Vallone enjoys and rejoices in the memories of her grandmother. Such wonderful relationships make the world a better place.

RICK HERMAN Lido Beach

The response to this drift isn’t louder slogans or angrier partisanship. It’s reclaiming the daily practices of citizenship. Voting is one, but only one. Equally vital are reading beyond sources that simply echo what we already believe, defending the legitimacy of local journalism and supporting honest education even when it challenges our comfort. It means expecting integrity from leaders — not because they share our ideology, but because they serve the public.

That same principle applies to law enforcement and border security. A nation must protect its citizens, but it must also protect its character. The rule of law loses its legitimacy when it is enforced with cruelty or indifference to human dignity.

We can also reclaim the moral vocabulary that once anchored our public life — words like decency, fairness, humility and truth. These aren’t partisan terms; they are the language of citizenship. They’re the quiet, everyday antidotes to authoritarian temptation.

Some people hear warnings about democracy’s decline and shrug. They prefer to focus on tangible things: business, markets, growth. Yet authoritari-

anism is no friend to those, either. Where power consolidates, corruption follows. Unpredictable governance and politicized law breed instability. Investors and entrepreneurs, like citizens, rely on the predictability of fair rules. When those rules are warped by loyalty or fear, commerce and civic peace both suffer.

The defense of democratic institutions isn’t a liberal or conservative cause; it’s a stability cause. It is in everyone’s self-interest to preserve the conditions in which disagreement remains peaceful, contracts remain reliable and the law applies equally.

Ordinary citizenship takes courage — the courage to insist on truth when it’s inconvenient, to practice civility when it’s unfashionable, to defend fairness even when it costs us something. The survival of democracy has always depended on the willingness of ordinary people to do the unglamorous work of maintaining it.

The future of this country won’t be decided by the loudest voices; it will be decided by those who keep faith with the idea of shared citizenship. The health of our democracy doesn’t depend on who holds office next year; it depends on whether we still believe, collectively, that truth and decency are worth defending.

Michael Blitz is professor emeritus of interdisciplinary studies at the City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

As the President and Founder of Destiny International Realty, Grace serves the Gold Coast of Nassau County as well as the greater New York Metropolitan area with her team of outstanding real estate professionals to provide exemplary customer service, extensive knowledge and guidance, impeccable integrity, and uncompromising dedication to their clients and customers. With over 30 years of real estate industry experience, Grace has built valued relationships which have grown into treasured friendships with her numerous clients. Her passion for serving others combined with her extraordinary work ethic create a winning combination to foster successful results and smooth transactions. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, Grace’s years of experience and knowledge are put to work for your benefit and your success.

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Awards and Memberships

A+ accredited rating with the Better Business Bureau Marquis Who’s Who in America Who’s Who among Business and Professional Leaders

New York State Assessors Association

Years of Community Service as Chairman of the Board of Assessment Review Power Agent - Less than 1% of realtors in the nation are Power Agents

Client Reviews

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I have known Grace Slezak, of Destiny Realty, for over 4 years. We had completed multiple transactions (both residential and commercial) very successfully, Grace is the consummate professional. Her attention to detail is second to none. We even completed two transactions during the pandemic, which added many additional complications, and yet she remained consistently attentive to their successful completion, I would absolutely recommend (and have done so) Grace to anyone looking for a realtor who will become a friend.

Grace Merrell Slezak, B.A., M.A. Licensed Broker/ President

Direct: 516-768-1000