Massapequa Herald 03_04_2026

Massapequa

Also serving Farmingdale, Massapequa, Massapequa Park and Plainedge

Village elections set for March 18

Page 3

Birch Lane celebrates 100 days of school Page 10

TOBAY, MPK cope with the Blizzard of ‘26

By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent

A major blizzard on Feb. 22–23 buried the Town of Oyster Bay and Massapequa Park Village under heavy snow, creating widespread disruptions and a massive cleanup effort.

The Town of Oyster Bay, which spans 104.4 square miles and maintains roughly 750 miles of local roads, faced the largest share of snow removal responsibilities within its borders, beyond state and county roadways.

Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino opened the Feb. 24 Town Board meeting by thanking town employees who plowed roads, driveways and municipal parking lots.

The storm blanketed the area with more than 20-inches of snow over the two days.

“Since all of our personnel are out in their vehicles continuing to clear away the snow, sanitation services would be delayed through the week,” said Saladino.

Saladino called it the most snow the town has seen in 30 years and described the storm as “both a blizzard and a hurricane.” He urged residents to clear snow from around fire hydrants on their property, noting that “the home you save may be your home or your neighbor’s home.”

As a final note, Saladino stated that “we appreciate people’s patience,” adding that “it is all very helpful when we all work together, and in the Town of Oyster Bay we’re known for just that.”

The Village of Massapequa Park, which covers 2.25 square miles and maintains about 30 miles of roads, also faced significant cleanup challenges despite its smaller size and workforce.

Village workers began preparing early Sunday morning and worked through 11 a.m. Monday, according to Mayor Daniel Pearl. “Within 24 hours all roads in the Village were open,” Pearl said. He thanked residents for keeping cars off the streets and for not pushing snow back into roadways after clearing their driveways.

Pearl said the village also focused on clearing access to its three elementary

Oyster Bay Town Board approves 2026 lineup of charity events

By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent

Oyster Bay Town Board on Feb. 24 unanimously approved a slate of charitable and community events scheduled throughout 2026, several of which will take in the Massapequas.

Among the first events on the calendar is the Town of Oyster Bay Special Olympics “Polar Plunge,” set for March 28 at TOBAY Beach. Last year’s event raised $130,000 to support Special Olympics New York, which provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino led participants into the water in 2025 and is expected to do so again this year.

The Special Olympics Spring Games will be held May 2 at Berner Middle School. More than 500 Long Island ath -

letes are expected to compete in track and field events designed to promote physical fitness and inclusion.

John J. Burns Park will host several events later in the year, including the Shootout for Soldiers lacrosse tournament on July 8 and 9. Held in cooperation with USA Lacrosse, the event honors American veterans and has raised more than $1.9 million for veterans organizations since its inception. One game is reserved exclusively for veterans, who participate free of charge.

The Challenger Jamboree Baseball Tournament, a Little League-sanctioned adaptive program for children with physical and intellectual challenges, is scheduled for Oct. 4 at Burns Park.

The U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Toy Drive will take place Dec. 5 at

Long Islanders were blanketed in snow during the recent blizzard.

schools, plowing close to curbs and widening lanes for school buses.

Buried fire hydrants again posed a problem, as they had during a January storm. Pearl said county plows clearing Sunrise Highway buried four or five hydrants along the south side of the roadway.

Local fire departments faced additional challenges. Unsure whether volunteers would be able to make it to the firehouses from their homes to answer calls, they maintained standby crews who staffed stations from Sunday afternoon to Monday night.

Both Massapequa and North Massapequa fire departments were on standbys at their firehouses.

“These were very dangerous conditions and we wanted to ensure a rapid response for our community,” said North Massapequa Fire Chief Joseph G. Ferrante who added that both the main headquarters on Broadway and substation on Hicksville Road were manned from Sunday through Tuesday. “I can’t thank the volunteers enough—and their families,” said Ferrante. “They did an outstanding job.”

Massapequa Fire Chief Jeffrey Friedland said standby was from 5 p.m., Sunday until 3 p.m. Monday. “We did not want to jeopardize the volunteers’ ability to navigate the streets and respond to calls for

James/Herald photos

help as quickly as possible,” he said. “The volunteers did a great—and awesome— job.”

During those hours crews responded to calls for a natural gas leaks, CO alarm and other automatic alarms and were able to respond quickly. “The volunteers always go above and beyond and we can’t thank them enough,” he said.

The storm also affected the Massapequa School District, though timing helped. Superintendent of Schools Dr. William Brennan said that during February recess, buildings and grounds crews removed snow mounds left from the January storm to make room for additional accumulation.

By Wednesday, when another two inches of snow, schools were open and people were able to navigate the roadways safely.

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks, and I know our entire community joins me, in expressing deep appreciation to our grounds crew, custodians, facilities staff and leadership who worked around the clock to clear our campuses, prepare our buildings, and ensure our buses are ready to roll,” Brennan said. “Their dedication and quiet commitment truly represent the very best of Massapequa – service, teamwork, and heart.”

- Carolyn James contributed to this story

Meet some of our scholars...

The following students were recently recognized for academic achievements and graduation at their respective colleges:

•Gabriella Gigante of Massapequa Park was recently named to the Dean’s List at The College of New Jersey. Gigante is majoring in Math Secondary Special Education.

•Justin Fillippelli of N. Massapequa was recently named to the Dean’s List at Wilkes University.

•Alyssa Massey of Massapequa was recently named to the President’s List at Hudson Valley Community College. Massey is studying in the Polysomnography academic program at the college.

•The following students were recently named to the President’s List at the University of Bridgeport: Anthony Matturro of Massapequa; Ryan Thomas of Farmingdale; and Matthew Hughes of Massapequa Park.

•Marie Meacham of Farmingdale was recently named to the Dean’s List at the University of Bridgeport.

•The following students were recently named to the Dean’s List at The University of Alabama: Samantha Kelly of Farmingdale; Lauren Misciagna of Farmingdale; Ryan Annunziato of Massapequa; Madison Balducci of Massapequa; Amelia Caramore of Massapequa Park; Emma DeAngelo of Massapequa Park; Peter Wetter of Massapequa Park; and Shaylin Fandacone of N. Massapequa.

•Will Worzel of Massapequa was recently named to the President’s List at The University of Alabama.

•Josue Pavon Alberto of Farmingdale was recently named to the Dean’s List at Hartwick College. Alberto is pursuing a major in Business Administration with a minor in Digital Marketing.

•The following students were recently named to the Dean’s List at Purchase College: Kylie Halpin of Massapequa; LIam Pheffer of N. Massapequa; Victoria Pierre-Louis of Massapequa, and June Horbach of Farmingdale.

Blood drive set for March 10 at Hicksville Athletic Center

Oyster Bay Town Clerk Richard LaMarca is urging residents to donate blood at a town-sponsored drive on Tuesday, March 10, from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Hicksville Athletic Center, 167 S. Broadway.

Donors to receive Islanders ticket vouchers old — 16 with parental permission and 76 or older with a doctor’s note — weigh at least 110 pounds and not have donated within the past 56 days. Those who received a tattoo in the past three months are ineligible.

With hospitals facing a nationwide blood shortage, LaMarca said donations are critically needed to help maintain local blood supplies.

“Blood supplies are critically needed for local hospitals to meet the demand and continue saving lives,” LaMarca said. “Please consider participating in this blood drive to help bolster our blood banks and ensure as many people as possible can be helped.”

Appointments are preferred. Eligible donors must be 17 to 75 years

Officials recommend donors eat well and drink fluids before giving blood.

All donors will receive a voucher redeemable for two New York Islanders tickets and a voucher for a free Blizzard at Dairy Queen.

Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said a single pint of donated blood can save up to three lives.

For more information, call (516) 624-6380 or visit oysterbaytown. com/blooddrive to schedule an appointment.

Massapequa Chamber of Commerce accepting scholarship applications

The Massapequa Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for its $1,000 scholarship for a graduating senior.

Applicants must be a current chamber member in good standing. Applica -

tions are due by March 13. Massapequa High School students may apply through the guidance office. All other applicants can download an application at massapequachamber.org.

Hard to imagine now, but warm weather is coming and the town has set the annual Polar Plunge for March 28. Shown are those who ‘took the plunge’ in 2025.

Oyster Bay Town Board approves 2026

lineup of charity events

John Burns Park, where residents can donate new, unwrapped toys for Long Island children.

“We are thrilled to host so many wonderful events throughout the year that are not only free for our residents, but that also highlight the great work of organizations like the Special Olympics of New York, the Challenger Baseball Little League Program, and the Shootout for Soldiers, among others,” Saladino said. “Events like these help raise awareness about the importance of giving back, supporting local organizations and individuals of all backgrounds, ages and abilities.”

“These events help highlight the great work of important organizations

against the beautiful backdrop of our Town parks and beaches,” Councilman Steve Labriola said. “We are thrilled to offer these programs for our residents free of charge to provide families with a wonderful opportunity to not only have a great experience but know that in many instances they are helping a great cause.”

Councilwoman Laura Maier noted that many of the town’s programs have become annual traditions for families.

“From the largest car show experience on Long Island to fun sporting events that help raise awareness for important causes, many of our events have become a special annual outing for our residents to enjoy,” she said.

Picnic permits now available online for Oyster Bay parks

Families and community groups planning spring and summer outings at Oyster Bay parks can now reserve picnic pavilions online — including those at Marjorie R. Post Community Park in Massapequa.

Town Councilman Tom Hand announced that residents can apply for permits at any town park with a picnic area by visiting OysterBayTown.com/ picnic.

“Each location, from Roosevelt Beach in Oyster Bay to Marjorie Post Park in Massapequa, offers something unique for residents to enjoy,” Hand said in a statement. “We’ve streamlined the process to increase convenience and accessibility.”

Other parks with reservable picnic areas include Theodore Roosevelt Me-

Village elections in MPK set for March 18

Massapequa Park residents will head to the polls, Wednesday, March 18 to vote for two Village Trustees. Running unopposed are incumbents Dana Durso and Todd Svec.

Both trustees said they serve because of their commitment to the village and its residents.

Both candidates emphasized the

importance of cooperation on the Village Board. “We really have an amazing team,” Durso said. “We have our discussions but we’re very close and work easily together, so that it doesn’t even feel like work.”

Polls will be open on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park.

March 18.

morial Park and Beach in Oyster Bay, Harry Tappen Beach and Marina in Glenwood Landing, Syosset-Woodbury Community Park, and Plainview-Old Bethpage Community Park.

Permits are required for groups of 25 or more and grant exclusive use of the pavilion from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the day of the reservation. Some locations feature covered spaces, water access and barbeque areas.

To check availability, residents can filter by date, facility and amenities at OysterBayTown.com/picnic. New users must create an account to submit a reservation.

Town officials recommend booking early, as picnic spots tend to fill quickly. For more information, call the town at (516) 797-4139.

The Massapequa Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for its $1,000 scholarship for a graduating senior.

Applicants must be a current chamber member in good standing. Applica -

tions are due by March 13.

Massapequa High School students may apply through the guidance office. All other applicants can download an application at massapequachamber.org.

CRIME WATCH

The following incidents have been reported by the Nassau County Police Department’s 7th and 8th precincts and other local law enforcement and emergency service units:

LARCENIES FROM AUTOS

parked in front of 371 N. Kentucky Ave., February 20.

PETIT LARCENY

Massapequa: Nassau County Police arrested Dana C. Stack, 64, of Island Park, charging her with shoplifting at Shop Rite, 5508 Sunrise Highway February 20. The incident occurred at 8:30 a.m.

Massapequa: Personal items were stolen from within a vehicle parked in front of 116 Clark Avenue. The theft occurred between 6 p.m., and midnight, February 19.

North Massapequa: An unknown male was seen taking two pairs of Tori Burch sunglasses from a vehicle while it was

South Farmingdale: An unidentified female was observed removing an assortment of items at Stop & Shop at 55 Motor Parkway February 18. She left the store with the items, passing all points of purchase, and was arrested and charged.

People named in Crime Watch items as having been arrested and charged with violations or crimes are only suspected of committing those acts of which they are accused. They are all presumed to be innocent of those charges until and unless found guilty in a court of law.

YES Community Counseling Center

vidual, family and group counseling.

To request services or make a referral, please call (516) 799-3203 ext. 124.

YES Community Counseling Center, part of Project W.I.S.H., offers a safe space for parents and children impacted by domestic violence.

Free therapeutic services include indi-

For more information, visit yesccc. org.

Self Help/Crisis Hotlines

Residential Program: Beacon House

8255, namiqn.org/crisis-info

•AA Meetings Nassau County: For More Information on meetings and times call 866-504-6974 or go to findrecovery.com/aa_ meetings/ny/nassau-county/ Domestic Violence

Short-term, long-term and transitional housing is provided throughout Long Island in 58 group homes, emergency shelters, and select single-family residences. Those eligible include homeless veterans, veterans with families, veterans and nonveterans with substance abuse and mental health issues, women in need of supportive housing, and those living with HIV/AIDS. Every veteran resident has access to intensive case management, transportation and daily living essentials. For assistance, call 631 665-1571.

Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

•Maryhaven Center of Hope-New Hope 24hr. substance abuse crisis center: 516-5467070; maryhaven.chsli.org/new-hope

•N.C. Drug & Alcohol Hotline: 516-227-8255

•LI Crisis Center: 516-679-1111

•24/7 Behavioral health helpline: 516-227-

N.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence Crisis services for victims of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault; group/individual counseling for adults and children; bilingual court advocacy; legal consultation and representation; safe emergency housing; elder abuse services; referrals and systems advocacy; community education. Eligibility criteria: Nassau County residents or non-residents seeking safe housing in Nassau. Will serve undocumented immigrants. Payments accepted free or on sliding scale. Address is 250 Fulton Avenue, Mezzanine West, Hempstead. Call 516-572-0700; 24-hour hotline is 516 542-0404.

E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: cjames@liherald.com

286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com ■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: rglickman@liherald.com ■ PUBlIC NOTICES: Ext. 232 E-mail: legals@liherald.com

Camp has become a staple of the summer season. Each year, millions of children, youth and adults head to the hills, lakes, valleys, and parks to participate in the time-honored tradition of camp. And, while most people easily conjure up images of campfires and canoes, there is a lot more to the camp experience. Here are some things you may not have known about the camp experience, courtesy of American Camp Association.

Camp is older than dirt, almost literally Started in 1861, the camp experience turned an impressive 150 years young in 2011. The secret behind the longevity? “Camps are adapting to meet the needs of today’s campers,” says Tom Rosenberg, formr president/CEO of the American Camp Association.“At the same time, the impact camp has on campers, the lifechanging experience, has remained after all these years.”

Camp is worth its weight in gold, and then some!

The camp experience is life-changing –developing friendships and memories that last well beyond the final campfire. And, there is a camp for literally every budget. Often camps offer special pricing or financial assistance, and some camp experiences qualify for tax credits or for payment with pre-

Green is “zen.”

Research shows that first-hand experience with nature, like those at camp, reduce stress in children and help them better handle stress in

the future. In addition to teaching children how to be good stewards of the environment, camps are teaching children how to enjoy the world around them and take a minute to breathe deep and feel the nature, which ultimately teaches them how to de-stress the natural way.

Mommies and Daddies do it too.

Camp is not just for children and youth. There are family camp experiences, and camps for single adults, senior adults, and any adult that wants to relax and enjoy all camp has to offer. Adults benefit from the same sense of community, authentic relationships, and selfdiscovery that children do. Camp is an excellent vacation option, allowing adults to try a variety of new activities in a safe and fun environment.

Try this on for size!

Camp is a great place to try new activities and hobbies. Afraid of rock walls? According to ACA research, 74 percent of campers reported that they tried new activities at camp that they were afraid to do at first. And, those activities often leave lasting impressions. In the same survey, 63 percent of parents reported that their child continued new activities from camp after returning home.

Manners matter, and often linger.

The camp experience teaches more than just archery or lanyard making. The entire experience is made of teachable moments, perhaps one of the biggest is how to live with a group of people. Campers learn to pick up after themselves, respect each other’s property, and to say

“Please” and “Thank You.”

Camp gets those neurons pumping Education reform debate and concern over summer learning loss have pushed academic achievement into the spotlight. Research shows that participation in intentional programs, like camp, during summer months helps stem summer learning loss. In addition, camp provides ample opportunity for developmental growth, which is a precursor to academic achievement. And, because of the “hands-on” nature of camp, often children who struggle in traditional edu-

cation settings do well at camp.

Camp builds leaders for the 21st century and beyond Independence, resiliency, teamwork, problem-solving skills, and the ability to relate to other people these are the skills that tomorrow’s leaders will need, and the skills camp has been adept at building for 150 years.

Photo: Long after the final campfire fades, the skills and friendships built at camp continue to shine.

The sound of success

Unique ways music education supports academic achievement

In today’s schools, science, technology, engineering and mathematics often dominate the academic spotlight. Yet educators and researchers continue to point to another powerful driver of student success: music education.

According to the Arts Education Data Project, an estimated 2.1 million American students lacked access to arts education including music as of 2022. That gap is concerning, as mounting research shows that music instruction strengthens performance across multiple academic areas.

Mathematical Thinking

Music and mathematics share more than a passing resemblance. Reading rhythms involves fractions and division. Recognizing musical patterns mirrors algebraic reasoning.

A 2019 study published by the American Psychological Association found that students who learned to play an instrument and continued in band or orchestra performed nearly one academic year ahead of their peers in several subjects, including math. The structured logic of music timing, sequencing and symbolic interpretation reinforces the same analytical skills students rely on in advanced mathematics.

Boost Literacy And Language Skills

Music education also enhances reading and writing development. Learning to interpret

notes on a page parallels decoding words in a book. Both require attention to symbols, comprehension of meaning and the ability to selfcorrect.

Singing lyrics and studying musical storytelling introduce students to new vocabulary and poetic structure, strengthening comprehension. Research in neuroscience suggests that musical training activates brain regions associated with language processing, giving young learners an added advantage in literacy.

Build Discipline And Study Habits

Mastering an instrument takes time, patience and consistent practice. Students quickly learn that improvement comes from repetition and focus lessons that translate directly to homework, long-term projects and exam preparation.

The resilience developed while tackling challenging passages or preparing for performances can foster greater academic persistence overall.

Enhance Cognitive And Emotional Well-Being

Music engages multiple areas of the brain simultaneously, supporting memory, concentration and problem-solving. At the same time, it offers a creative outlet that can reduce stress and build confidence. Students who feel emotionally supported and

creatively fulfilled are often better equipped to handle rigorous coursework and classroom demands.

Foster Collaboration And Communication

Participation in band, choir or orchestra teaches students to listen closely, follow direction and contribute to a shared goal. Ensemble performance requires cooperation and accountability skills that mirror group projects in science labs, history presentations and other academic settings.

Balanced Learning

As schools continue to prioritize STEM ini-

tiatives, many educators advocate for a broader STEAM approach that includes the arts. Music education does more than enrich school culture; it strengthens cognitive development, academic performance and social skills. By investing in music programs alongside core academic subjects, schools create wellrounded learning environments that prepare students not only for higher test scores, but for lifelong success.

Best Buddies Fashion Show in Plainedge—an unforgettable event

The Plainedge School District held an unforgettable evening at the 5 th Annual Best Buddies Fashion Show February 12. The event was held before a sold-out crowd in the Plainedge High School auditorium. Many more residents and students were able to watch the event as it was live streamed.

The event recognizes the school and community’s commitment to “inclusivity, confidence and the beauty of being ourselves.”

The show was under the direction of Best Buddies advisors Amy Bernard and Naomi Knee with the assistance of PHS Peer Coaching & Adapted PE teachers.

To watch the event go to plainedgetv.com/bestbuddies.Feb 12 All photos courtesy of the Plainedge school district.

Author, baseball player inspires McKenna dreamers

It’s not every day that children get to meet a published author or a Major League Baseball player, but fifth graders at McKenna Elementary School in Massapequa had the pleasure of connecting with both on February 4.

Angela O’Hoppe, an educator in the Sayville School District and former speech therapist at McKenna, read her recently published book, “If You Choose to Believe Them.” The story is about her son, Logan O’Hoppe, a catcher for the Los Angeles Angels, who attended his mother’s first author appearance as he was still available for a few more days before heading to spring training.

The book is a true story of how Logan defied the odds to achieve his dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player. The messages of self-belief, resilience and perseverance encourage children to listen to the people who say, “Yes you can,” while blocking out the negative voices.

O’Hoppe, who was a speech therapist at McKenna from 1994 to 2004, read to approximately 85 students who eagerly anticipated the visit. They cheered as they watched a short highlight video that included footage of Logan being drafted, his first major league hit, first grand slam and exciting plays in the field.

The hallway leading to the library was lined with red and white balloons – the Angels colors – as well as posters that students made featuring the team logo and inspira-

tional messages, acrostic poems written from the word “Believe,” and writing pieces about their own dreams. All students and staff were encouraged to wear red. The visit was organized by fifth grade teacher Megan Cumming and speech therapist Denise Watson, O’Hoppe’s former colleague at McKenna.

After reading her book, O’Hoppe asked the students to share their personal dreams, and reminded them to surround themselves with people who will encourage and nurture those ambitions. The program concluded with a question-and-answer session with O’Hoppe and Logan.

Principal Amanda Lowry and Assistant Principal Mary Anne Ferraro noted the book was read in all fifth-grade classes, making O’Hoppe’s visit even more special for them. After listening to the story, students took part in thoughtful discussions about goal-setting and engaged in activities that connected directly to the book’s message. Lowry added that this message aligns with district social-emotional learning initiative, RULER—Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing and Regulating.

“We are so happy and grateful that Logan took time out of his busy schedule to come here and share his story with each of the kids, along with his mother’s wonderful book that highlights his journey,” Lowry said. “Together, their story shows that with belief and determination, they too can rise above challenges and achieve their goals.”

HERALD NEIGHBORS

Birch Lane kindergartners reach 100th day in style

The counting that began in early September reached triple digits in late February for kindergartners at Birch Lane Elementary School. They reached the 100th day of the school year and of their educational journeys in the Massapequa School District.

On Feb. 26, there were celebratory activities in classrooms. Teachers read aloud books about the 100th day of school. Students decorated paper cupcakes with 100 sprinkles, did 100 jumping counts and found 100 consonant-vowel-consonant words.

The big celebration actually occurred a day later, when parents and grandparents joined the youngsters to mark the milestone. Each kindergartner invited one special guest and together they made gumball machines with 100 marker dots, counted by tens. Children also wore special shirts with 100 objects, such as beads, stickers, googly eye balls and marshmallows. In class fashion shows, teachers announced each student, what was stuck on his or her shirt 100 times, and why that object was chosen.

Kindergartners, from left, Giuliana Brady, Johnny Biancaniello, Joseph Giordano, Katerina Dahlstrom and MacKenzie Anselmin showed of their special 100-day T-shirts.

Teacher Tara Mathers announced her students and their festive shirts during the 100-day fashion show.

New ICE office in Woodbury sparks concerns

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.

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

•Town of Oyster Bay Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting: 7 p.m., Town Board Hearing Room, Town Hall North, 54 Audrey Ave., Oyster Bay. For more information, call (516) 624-6333.

•Massapequa School District Board of Education Meeting: 8 p.m., Board Room, 4925 Merrick Rd., Massapequa. For more information, call (516) 308-5000.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

•Simpson United Methodist Church Thrift Shop: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 30 Locust Ave., Amityville. For more information, call (631)-7892569.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8

•Simpson United Methodist Church Thrift Shop: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 30 Locust Ave., Amityville. For more information, call (631) 7892569.

MONDAY, MARCH 9

•Massapequa Fire District Regular Monthly Meeting: 7:30 p.m.,

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

District Administration Building, 1 Brooklyn Ave., Massapequa. For more information, call (516) 798-9849.

TUESDAY, MARCH 10

•Town of Oyster Bay Town Board Meeting: 10 a.m., Town Board Hearing Room, Town Hall North, 54 Audrey Ave., Oyster Bay. For more information, please call (516) 624-6380.

•Town of Oyster Bay Board of Ethics Meeting: 4 p.m., Town Board Hearing Room, Town Hall North, 54 Audrey Ave., Oyster Bay. For more information, please call (516) 6246860.

•Plainedge School District Board of Education Meeting: 7:30 p.m., High School Cafeteria, Plainedge High School, 241 Wyngate Dr., Massapequa. For more information, call (516) 992-7450.

•Emotional Health Recovery and Support Group: 7:30 to 9 p.m., Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9592, 55 Hickory Lane, Levittown. Free weekly, in-person meeting of Emotions Anonymous, a 12-step support

group for anyone experiencing emotional difficulties. For more information, call Steve at (631) 332-0552 or Jill at (516) 220-7808. All calls are confidential.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11

•Farmingdale School District Board of Education Meeting: 8 p.m., Howitt Middle School, 70 Van Cott Ave., Farmingdale. For more infor -

mation, call (516) 434-5189.

• Emotional Health Recovery and Support Group: 7:30 to 9 p.m. Free weekly, virtual meeting of Emotions Anonymous, a 12-step support group for anyone experiencing emotional difficulties. For more information, call Steve at (631) 332-0552 or Jill at (516) 220-7808. All calls are confidential.

Calendar items are printed for non-profit organizations, as space permits, or when an event, service or information is being sponsored by a profit-making organization without charge to readers. Submit items to us at Richner Communications, attn:Massapequa Editor, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530; or email: dconsola@liherald.com at least two - three weeks prior to the publication date in which the item must appear. Sorry, but open-ended requests without the specific dates of the events are not acceptable. While we make every attempt to accommodate each request, we cannot guarantee publication of any items. For more information, call 516-569-4000.

ATTENTION FAMILIES AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Family members and funeral directors may submit obituary notices to us at: Massapequa Herald Post, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530 or may call us at 516-569-4000 ext. 329.

We hear kind words consistently.We’re proud that people feel comfortable enough with us to openly tell us how much they appreciate what we did for them. In fact,it’s this appreciation that drives us to offer the very best in comfort,compassion and service.

Classes competed against each other in tug-of-war at center court during Amityville Memorial High School’s Battle of the Classes on Dec. 23.

Battle of the Classes at Amityville Memorial High School

Amityville Memorial High School concluded its Spirit Week in festive fashion with a Battle of the Classes held in the school gymnasium.

The lively event brought together students from all grade levels, with classes competing head-to-head in a variety of fun and energetic games. Activities included Hungry Hungry Hippo, a potato sack race, stacking towering cardboard

boxes, a mummy wrap contest, and an enthusiastic tug-of-war showdown.

The gym buzzed with school spirit as students packed the bleachers, proudly cheering on their classmates and celebrating friendly competition to close out the week. After a competitive afternoon of events, the seniors emerged as the winner of Battle of the Classes.

Students played several rounds of a musical chairs basketball challenge.

The physical therapist with a mission to serve

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.

At South Nassau, a steady hand in cardiac care

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.”

Why Some Dogs Have Black Tongues

What it really means — and what it doesn’t

Does the black spot on a dog’s tongue mean he’s a Chow mix because Chow Chows have a trademark blue-black tongue?

Nope.

Many mixed breeds and certain purebreds — including Golden Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Dobermans and at least 30 other breeds — can have black-spotted tongues.

Veterinarians say tongue pigmentation is usually nothing to worry about and is simply a matter of genetics.

Pets, Pets, Pets...

JOANNE ANDERSON

Chows are an ancient breed, believed to have originated in China or Mongolia. Recent DNA mapping supports that belief. Chows have been around for more than 2,000 years and are easily recognizable in pottery and sculpture dating to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 22 A.D.).

How the Chow Chow got his blue-black tongue is still a mystery. An old fable offers an explanation: When God was painting the sky blue, He spilled a few drops of paint as he worked. The Chow followed, licking up the paint, and from that day on, the Chow had a blue tongue.

The Chow is not the only breed with a blue-black tongue. The Chinese Shar-Pei shares this trait. A few other mammals have black tongues, including giraffes, polar bears and several breeds of cattle, including Jersey.

Spots on canine tongues are deposits of extra pigment — similar to birthmarks or freckles on people. Dogs often have dark pigment on their skin as well, hidden beneath their coats. These spots may be large or small, many or few.

If a Chow’s tongue has a pink spot on it, does that mean it’s not purebred?

No.

Chow puppies’ tongues are pink at birth. The blueblack color develops as their eyes open. Sometimes the pigment change is slower, but the blueblack tongue pigment is usually complete by the time the puppy is 8 to 10 weeks old. Some tongues may mature and retain small spots or splashes of pink. Elderly Chows, and Chows with the dilute coat colors, cinnamon and blue, sometimes lose tongue pigment as they age and develop pink spots.

Chows are members of the large Spitz family of Northern Hemisphere breeds, which includes the Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Malamute, Keeshond, Akita, Shiba Inu, Norwegian Elkhound and even tiny Pomeranians. Spitz breeds share basic characteristics — similar body structure, tails carried over the back, pointed triangular ears and thick coats. Dogs resembling Chows but with pink tongues are probably

not Chows, but mixes of other Spitz-type dogs.

The American Kennel Club standard is stricter about Chow (and Shar-Pei) tongues. Tongues must be black — the darker, the better. A dog is disqualified from the show ring if the top surface or edges of the tongue are red or pink, or if the dog has one or more spots of red or pink.

For adoption through Last Hope Animal Rescue, 3300 Beltagh Ave., Wantagh:

Molly is a lovely Beagle, about five years old, who would love to join you in a diet and exercise routine. Pumpkin Spice is a delightful and smart seven-month-old orange tabby. He is at Last Hope’s satellite store location, PetSmart Bellmore on Merrick Road.

For more information, call 631-671-2588. A Chow mix with a black tongue at Babylon Shelter several years ago.

An invisible threat in Long Island’s waters

Researchers study acidification and its potential effects on the future of oysters and clams

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.

RISING TIDES

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

Rising acidity, rising stakes for coastal shellfish

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.

Acidification, by the numbers

■ 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.

Setting course for a healthier future

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.”

STEP RIGHT UP

Ringling reinvents the Big Top

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

STEPPING OUT

courtesy Feld Entertainment

A 150-year tradition leaps into the future as the reimagined spectacle delivers fresh thrills, bold artistry and gravity-defying feats that redefine the modern

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.

Jessie’s Girl

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.

South Shore Symphony welcomes Jane Monheit

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.

Your Neighborhood CALENDAR

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‘Everybody Loves Raymond: Celebrating 30 Years’

Visit the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame for an immersive exhibit (designed by LIMEHOF Creative Director, renowned designer Kevin O’Callaghan). It features the 70-foot-wide set from the show’s recent 30th anniversary TV special on CBS, never before on display. Visitors can walk into the world of the Barone family and explore their home through original studio sets, which include the living room, the kitchen and other areas of the house. Also see a variety of iconic items, including original clothing, the famous fork and spoon, and the Christmas toaster, among other classic items from the series. Multimedia clips, including behind the scenes and rare out-takes and a range of related videos play in LIMEHOF’s surround sound theater.

• Where: 97 Main St., Stony Brook

• Time: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Contact: limusichalloffame.org or (631) 689-5888

Oyster Bay Zoning Board of Appeals meets

The Town of Oyster Bay will be holding their next ZBA meeting. All are welcome to attend.

• Where: Town Board Hearing Room, Town Hall North, 54 Audrey Ave., Oyster Bay

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: (516) 624-6333

Massapequa BOE meets The Massapequa Board of Education holds their next meeting. All are welcome to attend.

• Where: Massapequa High School Board Room, 4925 Merrick Rd., Massapequa

• Time: 8 p.m.

• Contact: (516) 308-5000

Thrift Shop

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Stop by Simpson United Methodist Church’s Thrift Shop for some unique finds.

• Where: 30 Locust Ave., Amityville

• Time: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 789-2569

St. Mary’s Thrift Shop

Stop by St. Mary’s Thrift Shop to check out some found treasures. Choose from collectibles, glassware, clothing and other gently used items.

Celtic Woman

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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

through the area. Great singing skills aren’t necessary to join the fun, and residents are welcome to attend without performing. No registration required for this program. A full karaoke machine, song list and light refreshments will be provided.

• Where: Mondays, Marjorie Post Center, 451 Unqua Road, Massapequa Park; Wednesdays, Glen Head Community Center, 200 Glen Head Road, Glen Head; Thursdays, Hicksville Community Center, 28 W. Carl St., Hicksville.

• Time: Mondays and Wednesdays at 1 p.m., Thursdays at 11 a.m.

• Contact: oysterbaytown.com or (516) 797-7916

Massapequa Fire District meets

The Massapequa Fire District holds their regular monthly meeting. All are welcome to attend.

• Where: District Administration Building, 1 Brooklyn Ave., Massapequa

• Time: 7:30 p.m.

• Contact: (516) 798-9849

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An intimate chat with Valerie Bertinelli

• Where: St. Mary’s, 175 Broadway, Amityville (enter from rear parking lot)

• Time: 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 464-4899

‘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

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Professional Championship

Bull Riders Buckle up — ’cause you ain’t seen nothin’ like this before. The 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

Larson Legacy Concert

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 run in London. 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

Climate Change: How To Help Our Planet

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

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Senior Karaoke Program

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The Town of Oyster Bay invites seniors to participate in their karaoke program held at various community centers

Long Island LitFest hosts an appearance by the actress-turned-author 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.

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

• Time: 7 p.m.

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

Having an event?

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

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

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

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

NOTICE OF FORMATION of Bedrock Security Group LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/04/2026. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to 300 Nassau St, Bellmore, NY, 11710. Purpose: any lawful act.

26-37. 2/25, 3/ 4, 11, 18, 25, 4/1

Notice of Formation, Hill City Homes LLC Articles of Organization Filed with the Secretary of New York (SSNY) on 10/28/2025 Office Location: Nassau County SSNY designated for service of process & shall mail copies of any process served against the LLC to: 266 Glengariff Rd, Massapequa Park, NY 11762 Purpose: any lawful purpose of activity

26-30. 2/18, 25, 3/4,11 18, 25.

Notice of Formation of Specline Tech LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/18/2026. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 9 Seneca St E, Massapequa, NY 11758. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

26-31. 218 ,25, 3/4, 11, 18, 25

INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF MASSAPEQUA PARK NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK

NOTICE OF SALE OF TAX LIENS FOR UNPAID VILLAGE TAXES

NOTICE OF TAX LIEN SALE OF VILLAGE OF MASSAPEQUA PARK, NEW YORK IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT, in pursuance of the provisions of the Real Property Tax Law of the State of New York and of a resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Inc. Village of Massapequa Park, Nassau County, New York passed at a meeting thereof held on February 9, 2026, I, CHRISTOPHER

R. BRIGGS, Village Treasurer of said Village of Massapequa Park, will sell at public auction in the manner provided by law on the 12th day of March, 2026 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning in the Court Room in the Municipal Building in said Village of Massapequa Park so much of each of the following parcels of real estate upon which Village Taxes remain unpaid as will be sufficient to discharge the taxes, fees, interest and charges which may be due thereon respectively at the time of such sale and which shall continue the same from day to day until the said sale shall be completed.

Each purchaser at such tax sale shall pay the amount of his bid to the Village Treasurer within ten days after the sale. Upon such payment, the Treasurer shall give to the purchaser a certificate in writing describing the real property purchased and the sum paid therefore. Each such certificate shall be presumptive evidence that the sale and

all proceedings prior thereto, including the assessment of the land and the levying of the tax were regular and according to the provisions of this section and of all laws relating thereto.

If any purchaser at any sale of lands for unpaid taxes made pursuant to the provision of this section, neglects or refuses to pay the amount of his bid within the time prescribed, the Village Treasurer may state an account against such purchaser and may recover the same with costs from such purchaser by an action brought in the name of the Village Treasurer, or such Village Treasurer may cancel such sale to such purchaser and the parcel so sold shall be deemed to have been purchased by the Village. IMPORTANT

THE NAME OF THE OWNERS SHOWN ON THIS LIST MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS OWNING THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME OF THIS ADVERTISEMENT. SUCH NAMES HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM THE ASSESSMENT ROLLS PREPARED AS OF FEBRUARY 1, 2026, AND FREQUENTLY DIFFER FROM THE NAMES OF THE OWNERS AT THE TIME OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE NOTICE. IT MAY ALSO BE THAT SUCH OWNERS ARE NOMINAL ONLY AND ANOTHER PERSON IS ACTUALLY THE BENEFICIAL OWNER.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF THE PARCELS OF REAL ESTATE LIENS TO BE SOLD TOGETHER WITH A STATEMENT OF THE AMOUNT OF THE

Public Notices

TAX FEES, INTEREST AND CHARGES THEREON, TO WIT: TAX LIEN SALE –MARCH 12, 2026 @ 10 AM

2025/2026 UNPAID TAXES

UNPAID TAXES/ FEES

Section 48, Block 209, Lot 79

Frances Zweidinger

$ 1,924.07

279 Pittsburgh Avenue Massapequa Park, NY 11762

Section 48, Block 221, Lot 176

Walter & Esther Schmidt

$ 1,623.72

383 Second Avenue Massapequa Park, NY 11762

Section 48, Block 357 Lots 423, 424, 425 Boyd Puetz

$ 2,217.11

259 Aster Street Massapequa Park, NY 11762

26-33. 2/18, 25, 3/4

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: Notoriously Made Photography LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 12/19/2025. NY Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as an agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to: 11 Clarissa Drive, Syosset, NY 11791 Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity.

26-14. 1/18, 2/4, 11, 18, 25, 3/4

Notice of Qualification of BHOGADI MEDICAL, PLLC, a domestic professional service limited liability company (PLLC).

DOS ID: 7838103

Filed with Sec’y of State (SSNY) on 02/12/2026

Principal business address: 16 Middle Neck Road #630, Great Neck, NY 11021

SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy of process to: InCorp Services, Inc., One Commerce Plaza99 Washington Ave., Suite 805-A, Albany, NY 12210-2822.

General Professional Purpose: medical services.

26-39. . 3/4/11, 18, 25, 4/1, 8

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. Knowledge JAM79 LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on _01_/_20_/_2026_. NY Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as an agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to: 80 Demille Ave, Elmont NY 11003

Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity.

26-41. 3/4 ,11, 18, 25, 4/1, 8

Notice is hereby given that a license, Application ID: NA-0340-26104008 for liquor, beer, wine, and cider has been applied for by the undersigned to sell liquor, beer, wine, and cider at retail in a Restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 1912 Wantagh Ave, Wantagh, NY 11793, County of Nassau, for on premises consumption at Bellace 104 LLC.

26-42. 3/4, 11

Legal notices are posted online and are available to the public at no cost. Go to masapequa post. com

LEGAL NOTICE AVISO LEGAL

NOTICE OF ANNUAL ELECTION AVISO DE ELECCIÓN ANUAL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Election of the Incorporated Village of Massapequa Park will be held on the 18h day of March 2026 between the hours of 6 AM and 9 PM. SE NOTIFICA que la elección anual de Incorporated Village of Massapequa Park se realizará el día 18 de marcha de 2026 entre las 6 a.m. y las 9 p.m.

Village District 1

Polling Place: VILLAGE HALL, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

For all voters residing south of Sunrise Highway within the Village Boundaries.

Village District 1

Lugar de Votación: Village Hall, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

Para todos los votantes que residen al sur de Sunrise Highway dentro de los límites de la aldea.

Village District 2

Polling Place: VILLAGE HALL, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

For all voters residing south of Spruce & Euclid to Sunrise Highway.

Village District 2

Lugar de Votación: Village Hall, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

Para todos los votantes que residen al sur de Spruce & Euclid hasta Sunrise Highway.

Village District 3

Polling Place: VILLAGE HALL, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

For all voters residing on Spruce & Euclid north to Parkway.

Village District 3

Lugar de Votación: Village Hall, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

Para todos los votantes que residen en Spruce & Euclid al norte de Parkway.

At said election, the following Village Offices are to be voted for:

En dicha elección, se votarán las siguientes oficinas de la aldea:

ONE (1) VILLAGE JUSTICE - 3 YEAR TERM – TO FILL UNEXPIRED TERM

UN (1) JUSTICIA – MANDATO 3 AÑOS -PARA CUBRIR EL PERIODO RESTANTE DEL

Krista C. Palleschi

52 Pacific Street

Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

TWO (2) TRUSTEES – 2 YEAR TERM

DOS (2) FIDUCIARIOS - PLAZO DE 2 AÑOS

Dana M. Durso

416 Eastlake Avenue

Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

Todd A. Svec 24 Third Avenue

Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

LINDA TUMINELLO, RMC VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR

By order of the Board of Trustees

Por orden de la Junta de Fideicomisarios

Inc. Village of Massapequa Park

Dated: February 24, 2026

Fecha: Febrero 24, 2026

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4, 2026

LEGAL NOTICE (NOTICE AND SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION)

The resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted on January 26, 2026, and an abstract thereof has been published and posted as required by law and the period of time has elapsed for the submission and filing of a petition for a permissive referendum and a valid petition has not been submitted and filed. The validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Massapequa Park, in the County of Nassau, New York, is not authorized to expend money or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication of this notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the date of publication of the notice, or such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the constitution.

Linda

Tuminello Village Clerk

BOND RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE OF MASSAPEQUA PARK, NEW YORK, ADOPTED JANUARY 26, 2026, AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS IN A PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $300,000 TO FINANCE THE ACQUISITION OF MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT FOR USE BY DPW, STATING THE ESTIMATED MAXIMUM COST THEREOF IS

Public Notices

$300,000 AND APPROPRIATING SAID AMOUNT FOR SUCH PURPOSE

The object or purpose for which the bonds are authorized is the acquisition of machinery and equipment for use by DPW, at the estimated maximum cost of $300,000.

The period of probable usefulness of the bonds is fifteen (15) years.

The maximum amount of obligations authorized to be issued is $300,000. A complete copy of the bond resolution summarized above shall be available for public inspection during normal business hours at the office of the Village of Massapequa Park, Village Hall, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, New Yark. 26-43 3/4

LEGAL NOTICE (NOTICE AND SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION)

The resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted on January 26, 2026, and an abstract thereof has been published and posted as required by law and the period of time has elapsed for the submission and filing of a petition for a permissive referendum and a valid petition has not been submitted and filed. The validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Massapequa Park, in the County of Nassau, New York, is not authorized to expend money or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication

of this notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the date of publication of the notice, or such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the constitution.

Linda Tuminello Village Clerk BOND RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE OF MASSAPEQUA PARK, NEW YORK, ADOPTED JANUARY 26, 2026, AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS IN A PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $200,000 TO FINANCE THE CONSTRUCTION OF IMPROVEMENTS TO VILLAGE PARKING LOTS, STATING THE ESTIMATED MAXIMUM COST THEREOF IS $200,000 AND APPROPRIATING SAID AMOUNT FOR SUCH PURPOSE

The object or purpose for which the bonds are authorized is the construction of improvements to Village parking lots, at the estimated maximum cost of $200,000. The period of probable usefulness of the bonds is ten (10) years. The maximum amount of obligations authorized to be issued is $200,000. A complete copy of the bond resolution-summarized above shall be available for public inspection during normal business hours at the office of the Village of Massapequa Park, Village Hall, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, New York. 26-44 3/4

LEGAL NOTICE (NOTICE AND SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION)

The resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted on January 26, 2026, and an abstract thereof has been published and posted as required by law and the period of time has elapsed for the submission and filing of a petition for a permissive referendum and a valid petition has not been submitted and filed. The validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Massapequa Park, in the County of Nassau, New York, is not authorized to expend money or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication of this notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the date of publication of the notice, or such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the constitution.

Linda Tuminello Village Clerk

BOND RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE OF MASSAPEQUA PARK, NEW YORK, ADOPTED JANUARY 26, 2026, AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS IN A PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $2,000,000 TO FINANCE THE CONSTRUCTION OF IMPROVEMENTS TO VARIOUS ROADS IN THE VILLAGE, STATING THE ESTIMATED MAXIMUM COST

THEREOF IS $2,000,000 AND APPROPRIATING SAID AMOUNT FOR SUCH PURPOSE

The object or purpose for which the bonds are authorized is the construction of improvements to various roads in the Village, at the estimated maximum cost of $2,000,000.

The period of probable usefulness of the bonds is fifteen (15) years.

The maximum amount of obligations authorized to be issued is $2,000,000.

A complete copy of the bond resolution summarized above shall be available for public inspection during normal business hours at the office of the Village of Massapequa Park, Village Hall, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, New York.

26-45 3/4

LIA Research Institute finds that Farmingdale State College has profound effect on local economy

The LIA Research Institute recently issued an economic impact analysis on Farmingdale State College (FSC) and evaluated expenditures on operations and construction as well as spending by students and visitors from 2020-2025.

The study found that the multiplier effect of the institution on the economy was nearly $1 billion and almost 10,000 jobs were created during this time.

“Farmingdale State College is an economic engine for our region, enabling Long Islanders to obtain a quality education and secure jobs while also serving as a major employer and community asset,” said Matt Cohen, LIA President and CEO. “The LIA was proud to partner with Farmingdale to conduct this illuminating analysis to demonstrate its ripple effect throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties.”

The LIA Research Institute is the research arm of the Long Island Association (LIA), the leading non-profit and non-partisan regional business organization for the past 100 years.

“Colleges and universities are truly remarkable public assets, not only through our role as a major regional employer, but also as an engine of social mobility, workforce development, and innovation,” said Robert S. Prezant, President of Farmingdale State College. “FSC plays a vital role in the local and regional economy and the report produced by the LIA solidifies this role with real, meaningful data. Through our unique and innovative programs, FSC continues to attract energetic and talented students who will be the future of Long Island’s workforce. We are proud of the work we do on campus and the impact we have on our surrounding community.”

are everyone’s busines.

The LIA Research Institute conducted the analysis on behalf of FSC, which was established 114 years ago as a farming and horticultural institution, and now educates more than 10,000 students annually in highly regarded academic programs including engineering, health sciences, business, and computer science.

“What Farmingdale creates for our community goes well beyond its campus,” noted Steven Kent, Chief Economist of the LIA Research Institute.

“The colleges’ spending, construction, students, and visitors activate the broader economic chain within Nassau and Suffolk Counties, but it is not just dollars, the college transforms its students who mostly stay on Long Island, get high-paying jobs and create a virtuous circle for our region .”

In 2025 alone, the impact of FSC totaled $272 million and was driven primarily by university operations expenditures which included administrators, faculty and support staff. The college has also increased investments in its physical infrastructure to accommodate new academic programs and is experiencing a construction boom with new and renovated buildings, including the 50,000 state-ofthe-art Computer Sciences Center in progress. The future economic impact of construction on campus through 2028 is projected to be approximately $250 million.

The LIA Research Institute utilized the IMPLAN calculation process to estimate the economic impact of FSC, which includes direct spending by the college from 2020-2025, indirect spending by employees, students and visitors and induced impacts including the effect on regional businesses.

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE

Full Time/Part Time

Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department. Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc. STRONG knowledge of EXCEL a must! Knowledge of DATABASE maintenance or postal regulations a big plus. Qualified Candidates must be computer literate, able to multi-task, dependable, reliable, organized, energetic, detail oriented and able to work well under deadlines. Salary Range is $17 per hour to $20 per hour. For consideration, please send resume & salary requirements to: circulationassociate@liherald.com

DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time and Part Time

Positions Available!

Busy Print Shop in Garden City

is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers. Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience. Hours Vary, Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $21 per hour Night Availability is a Must. Please Email Resume to careers@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239

DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

Company Car/ Bonuses. Clean Driving Record Required, Will Train. Retirees Welcome!

$22 - $27/ Hour

Bell Auto School

516-365-5778

Email: info@bellautoschool.com

EDITOR/REPORTER

Part Time & Full Time. The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to jbessen@liherald.com

MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

MULTI MEDIA ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT

Inside Sales

Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. Compensation ranges from $35,360 + commissions and bonuses to over $100,000 including commission and bonuses. We also offer health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286

OUTSIDE SALES

Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $35,360 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses. Compensation is based on Full Time hours

Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250

PRINTING PRESS OPERATORS

FT & PT. Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for Printing Press Operators in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $20 per hour to $30 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

RECEPTIONIST F/T

Valley Stream Subaru Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM Answer Phones, Light Clerical $17.00/Hour, Benefits, 401K Call Therese 516-825-8700

Household Help Offered

Hudson Steals the Show

Taking a contractor to court

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.

Cards. Call Today! 1-866-782-4069

Cleaning

Services

WENDY'S CLEANING SERVICES INC. Commercial/Residential. We Specialize In Houses, Apartments, Offices, Airbnb & More. Good References. Free Estimates. Call/Text Wendy 516-406-5375 Or Email wencruzpa@gmail.com

Electricians

E-Z ELECTRIC SERVICES, INC. All Types Residential/Commercial Wiring, Generators, Telephone/Data, Home Entertainment, Service Upgrades, Pools, Spas. Services/Repairs. Violations Removed. Free Estimates Low Rates. 516-785-0646 Lic/Ins.

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L.I. pays the price for New York City’s failed leadership

Long Islanders work hard for what they have. Families here build their lives around safe neighborhoods, good schools and the ability to provide for their children. The suburban way of life exists because generations believed in responsibility, accountability and earning their success through hard work.

Increasingly, the policies shaping Long Island’s future are not coming from Long Island. They are coming from New York City. That reality became unmistakably clear on Feb. 11, during a public hearing in Albany. As ranking member of the Assembly Local Governments Committee, I was questioning New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in a televised hearing. My questions focused on public safety, antisemitism and the realworld consequences of the Mamdani administration’s decisions.

In the middle of my questioning, my microphone was turned off. The supporters of the mayor, who control the committee, silenced the ranking mem-

ber while he was performing his official duties. Other legislators were permitted to continue speaking freely. My questioning was stopped the moment it became uncomfortable for Mamdani.

That moment revealed everything Long Islanders need to understand. If the elected representative of suburban communities can be silenced while questioning the mayor of New York City, the voices of everyday Long Islanders are even easier to ignore.

IThis imbalance defines how Albany operates. Legislative priorities are driven by New York City’s political pressures. Housing policies punish property owners. Regulations expand government control. Tax burdens continue to rise. These policies may serve New York City’s political leadership, but they undermine the suburban communities that form the backbone of New York state.

across the state, including Long Island families.

Mamdani frequently speaks about working people. He has never lived the life of a working-class laborer. I have.

n the middle of my questioning of Mayor Mamdani, my mic was turned off.

I’m originally from Franklin Square, and I am a carpenter who has spent five decades swinging a hammer, building homes and working with my hands. I understand what it means to wake up early, work in the heat and cold, and earn every dollar through physical effort.

Working people deserve leaders who understand their lives, not politicians who only talk about them.

ties like ours.

This issue is bigger than party labels. Long Islanders care about preserving their suburban way of life. Residents want safe streets, affordable living and leadership that respects the people who built these communities.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has demonstrated that suburban communities can be protected and strengthened. His leadership has prioritized public safety, fiscal discipline and defending the interests of Long Island residents. He understands that Long Island is not an extension of New York City. Long Island is its own community, with its own values and its own identity.

Mamdani recently proposed raising New York City property taxes by nearly 10 percent while draining billions from reserve funds. That approach reflects a pattern of fiscal irresponsibility. When New York City mismanages its finances, Albany responds with policies that place additional pressure on taxpayers

Long Islanders live those values every day. Residents here prioritize safe communities, homeownership and fiscal responsibility. Families invest their savings in their homes and neighborhoods because they believe in stability and opportunity. These principles created the quality of life that makes Long Island one of the most desirable places to live.

New York City’s political leadership increasingly embraces a different model. Government expands. Taxes rise. Accountability disappears. The consequences spread far beyond city limits and reach suburban communi-

New York state needs leadership that understands that distinction. Long Island deserves a governor who will stand up for suburban communities, restore balance in Albany and ensure that our voices are never silenced or ignored.

The events of Feb. 11 were a reminder of what’s at stake. Long Islanders can’t afford to remain silent while decisions are made that shape our future without our input.

Long Island deserves to be heard, deserves to be respected and deserves leadership that will fight for its future.

Ari Brown represents the 20th Assembly District.

We’re finding out how expensive wind power really is

Ashort article appeared in Newsday last month, announcing that New York state had canceled new wind power bids. This was a big deal that required wider coverage. And then, two weeks later, another article appeared, with the headline that wind farms’ impact on average Long Island electric bills had increased near fivefold since 2019. This story spelled out what many of us had warned for years: The true cost of wind power is coming in at costs far higher than the initial low-balled estimates.

This is an enormous fall from grace for wind power, which was supposed to be the panacea for our costly energy needs.

Courts reversed President Trump’s decisions to halt wind projects that were already underway, and rightly so. But there was no such protection for newer projects.

These projects should have to rise

and fall on their own merits, and for too long they were propped up by misinformation and huge ratepayer and taxpayer subsidies. We have long argued that the public was not getting a transparent accounting of what these offshore wind projects were going to cost.

AIn fact, the woke, virtuesignaling politicians in Albany were just signing off on these projects without even knowing how much they would cost. When then Gov. Andrew Cuomo boasted at a 2019 press conference that these massive new windmills would cost about 73 cents per month per customer, he was clearly drifting in the wind. It is estimated that by 2028, the true cost will average $3.54 per month. This is in addition to fuel, delivery and other increases that will come about. The impact on commercial users will be even greater.

Imagine if we didn’t have adequate natural gas capacity as we weathered this brutally cold winter.

Here’s what our center wrote two years ago about these potential costs, after Newsday reported that officials were signing off on these projects having no idea of their true costs:

lbany was signing off on these projects without even knowing how much they’d cost.

“The head of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which oversees offshore wind contracts and bidding, admitted that she did not know what the total cost will be of the project for the construction of wind turbines off Suffolk County.”

You can’t make this stuff up.

So many of these pols simply wanted to placate the burgeoning wind power cottage industries — which showered them with substantial donations — and repeat the mantra that wind was clean and cheap and would save the day from fossil fuels. But as we now know, wind power isn’t cheap, and it’s not reliable.

“When asked by a Newsday reporter how much the ballyhooed Sunrise wind project will cost, she stated: ‘The total cost of the project, I defer to Orstad.’” Orstad is the private company constructing the offshore wind turbines. When the spokesperson for that company was asked the cost, she had the temerity to state: “That’s something that publicly we do not share.”

Are you kidding us?

This isn’t to say that some wind projects could not be an important supple-

ment to an “all of the above” strategy. But our legislators were making dangerously foolish decisions to block natural gas pipelines and close down upstate nuclear power plants, all while banking on the idea that solar and wind were going to save the day. They wouldn’t, and they couldn’t.

When the true price of these windmills became known, people started clutching their pearls. These policies are partly responsible for our having seen a 50 percent increase in energy rates over the past five years in New York. See our center’s white paper on this subject at cenetrforcosteffectivegivernment.org.

Now the subsidies are gone, and wiser folks are saying “no more” until we can see that wind power is truly reliable and affordable. We can have more wind projects, but they must be costeffective, and they cannot, at the present time, replace natural gas, either in cost or reliability.

The fantasy has finally come to an end.

Steve Levy is executive director of the Center for Cost Effective Government, a fiscally conservative think tank. He has served as Suffolk County executive, as a state assemblyman and as host of the podcast “On the Right Side.” He can be reached at steve@commonsensestrategies.com.

Ira

HERALD

Sunshine week keeps democracy in the light

every 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

opinions

What does ‘academic freedom’ mean?

while the accusations and demands of the federal government against Harvard, Columbia and other elite institutions garner national 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 speculation, experiment, and creation. It is an atmosphere in which there prevail ‘the four essential freedoms’ of a university — to determine for itself on

Letters

academic grounds who may teach, what may be taught, how it shall be taught, and who may be admitted to study.”

But 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.

sleadership?

urprisingly few college trustees have any professional experience in higher education.

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.

We know these priorities and principles. Do we know how to protect them? How do we prepare university trustees for their roles as fiduciaries and guardians of them? How do we prepare campus presidents for their duties as “chief purpose officers” responsible for ensuring that the principles guide decisionmaking? How do we prepare faculty for their responsibilities in governance 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 Beirut- and 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

Boards of trustees are responsible for preserving academic freedom and free 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, not out of selfinterest or the interest of a particular constituency, including alumni or a governor. The duty of obedience means that boards must uphold the institution’s charter and mission, maintaining public trust through transparent stewardship.

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

Framework by Tim Baker

thought of as educators, the keepers of an institution’s mission and legacy for 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. Both require balanced budgets.

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, not just memories of how mentors fulfilled their roles.

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.”