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Long-awaited answers in 9/11 records where the City of New York settled a lawsuit filed on behalf of 9/11 families, including the AlvaFor years, Phil Alvarez and his rez family. The legal battle began with a family have fought to uncover Freedom of Information Law what New York City request filed Sept. officials knew about 2023. Alvarez was the health dangers among those named near ground zero in in the request, repthe after math of resenting his late the Sept. 11, 2001, b r o t h e r. The terrorist attacks. request sought That effort has extensive city now resulted in the records concerning release of 170,000 what the for merpages of city Mayor Rudy Guilrecords, unsealed iani’s administraby officials on Sept. tion knew about 8, including docutoxins, air quality ments concerning and potential health air quality, health risks at Ground concerns and the Zero, as well as city’s response to records concerning the attacks. the city’s response For Alvarez, the in the aftermath of release represents PHIL ALVAREZ the attacks. more than a legal 9/11 advocate “For a long time, victory. It is another chapter in the legacy of his broth- first responders and 9/11 victims er, NYPD Detective Luis G. Alva- suffering from illnesses from the rez, a retired Bomb Squad detec- exposure down at Ground Zero tive from Oceanside who became had been wondering exactly what one of the nation’s most promi- the city knew about it,” Alvarez nent advocates for 9/11 respond- said. He pointed to research into the ers and survivors before his death long-term health effects as an from cancer in 2019. On the morning of Sept. 8, example of why access to historiAlvarez joined fellow 9/11 advo- cal records remains important. cates at New York City Hall, CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

By ABIGAIL GRIECO

agrieco@liherald.com

Courtesy Oceanside Schools

One last first day of magic Oceanside High School seniors kicked off their final first day of school Sept. 1, sporting nostalgic backpacks and embracing the district’s “Magic in Every Moment” theme as they began their last year in the halls they have called home. Story, more photos, Page 10.

New Yorkers have not forgotten By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com

For some, it is the sound of a plane overhead. For others, it is a name they still remember, a photograph they cannot forget or the exact place they were standing when the world changed. Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, those memories remain remarkably close for many New Yorkers. A new Mount Sinai South Nassau “Truth in Medicine” poll found that 73 percent of respondents in New York City and on Long Island who were at least 21-years-old at the time of the attacks said 9/11 remains vivid in their memories. 34 percent said it feels as though it “happened just yes-

terday,” while another 39 percent said they still feel its impact every day. The findings were discussed Sept. 8 during a panel at the Oceanside Library, where doctors, first responders and others who experienced the attacks firsthand reflected on why a day that happened a quarter-century ago still carries such emotional weight. For Dr. Josh Kugler, interim president of Mount Sinai South Nassau, those memories are closely tied to his experience as an emergency room physician on 9/11. Kugler was working in Manhattan as the attacks unfolded, preparing alongside other medical professionals for what they expected would be CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

pirit — and the responsibility to care for everyone who answered the call and everyone affected by 9/11 — is what this fight has always been about.

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School is back in session for a new year in I.P.

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com

The Island Park School District welcomed students back to the classroom on Sept. 2 as the 2026-27 school year officially got underway. Students across the district arrived ready at Francis X. Hegarty Elementary School and Lincoln Orens Middle School to begin a new year, greeting friends, meeting new teachers and settling into their classrooms. The excitement of the first day was evident throughout the district as students and staff reunited and began the school year together. For many students, the first day marked the start of a new chapter, bringing new classmates, teachers, routines and opportunities to learn. Staff members were also on hand to help students transition smoothly into the school year and create a welcoming environment. The energy continued throughout the day as students became reacquainted with their schools and classrooms and began looking ahead to the year ahead. The district celebrated the enthusiasm surrounding the first day and expressed its appreciation to the teachers, administrators, support staff and families who helped make the start of the school year a success. As the 2026-27 school year begins, the Island Park School District wished all students and staff members a successful and memorable year filled with learning, growth and new experiences. With the first day now behind them, students and staff can look forward to the many academic, extracurricular and community opportunities that will shape the year ahead.

Photos courtesy Island Park Public Schools

Francis X. Hegarty third graders Daniel Petry, left, and Declan McFadden were ready to begin another year of learning.

Elizabeth Peckham’s sixth-grade Family and Consumer Science students got a hands-on start to their class.

Eighth graders Vivian Scott, left, and Aileen Espinal celebrated the start of school with excitement.

Francis X. Hegarty fourth grader Jeffrey Mejia and Assistant Principal Gina Fazio welcomed the start of the 2026-27 school year.

Susan Krukas’ eighth-grade Algebra 1 class at Lincoln Orens Middle School settled into their new routines.

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near Saratoga Boulevard, causing him to be ejected over the handlebars. The rider suffered a severe head injury and was transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation and treatment. He is listed in critical but stable condition, police said. No other injuries were reported. — Abigail Grieco

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A 30-year-old man was critically injured after he was ejected from an electric scooter in North Long Beach on Sept. 8, according to police. The accident occurred at about 4:36 p.m. as the man was riding a Teewing high-perfor mance electric scooter southbound on Austin Boulevard, police said. According to the Nassau County Police Department’s Public Information Office, the man suddenly stopped

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.

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The wallet contained a New York state learner’s permit, a debit card, a credit card and an undisclosed amount of cash, police said. Detectives are asking anyone with information about the theft to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.

A 16-year-old girl’s wallet was stolen from the counter of a Taco Bell in Oceanside on Aug. 12, according to Nassau County police. Fourth Squad detectives said the incident occurred at about 11:40 p.m. at the Taco Bell at 3076 Long Beach Road. According to detectives, the girl was inside the restaurant when she placed her wallet on the counter. An unidentified man then allegedly took the wallet and fled.

AND

September 17, 2026 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

The Oceanside Fire Department is always looking for help in serving our community. If you live here or in any one of the adjacent communities and are interested in joining or just have any ques-

tions, stop into Fire Headquarters at 65 Foxhurst Road in Oceanside, visit JoinOFD.net, oceansidefd.net, or call (516) 766-2717. For fire or medical emergencies, dial 911 or (516) 766-0245.

Sept. 4 — Sept. 12 General Alarms: 16 Unit Calls: 4 Motor Vehicle Accidents: 6 Carbon Monoxide Alarms: 2 Medical Emergencies: 47 Mutual Aid: 1 Special Calls: 5 Total: 81

Year-to-Date General Alarms: 321 Unit Calls: 130 Motor Vehicle Accidents: 83 Carbon Monoxide Alarms: 70 Medical Emergencies: 1112 Mutual Aid: 34 Special Calls: 122 Total: 1872

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HERALD HOW TO REACH US

Our offices are located at 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530 and are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000 ■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/oceanside ■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: oceaneditor@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 265 E-mail: oceaneditor@liherald.com ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: subscriptions@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460 ■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: sales@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643 ■ PUBlIC NOTICES: Ext. 232 E-mail: legalnotices@liherald.com The Oceanside/Island Park Herald USPS 398610, is published every Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals postage paid at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to Oceanside/Island Park Herald, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Newsstand Price: $1. Annual Subscription Rates, $52 per year autopay or $65 one-time payment within Nassau County or $76 outside of Nassau County. Copyright © 2026 Richner Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Drones take to the water in new rescue effort agrieco@liherald.com

When someone is struggling in the water, every second can make a difference. Nassau County police are now turning to the sky for help. The Nassau County Police Department demonstrated a new water rescue capability for its recently launched Drone as First Responder program Sept. 10 at Masone Beach in Island Park, unveiling drones equipped with flotation devices that can be deployed to swimmers, boaters, kayakers and others in distress. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said the technology is especially important in a county surrounded by water, where beaches, boating and fishing are part of everyday life. “We are an island surrounded by water,” Blakeman said. “Our beaches are very important to us. Boating is very important. Fishing is very important.” The water rescue equipment is designed to reach someone in distress before police or marine units can arrive. According to Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, a 911 call reporting someone in trouble in the water is automatically geocoded, allowing a drone pilot at the department’s intelligence center to immediately send a drone to the location. “If there is a swimmer in distress, if there’s a kayaker or a boater, a missing person on the waterways, we will immediately deploy these drones,” Blakeman explained.

Abigail Grieco/Herald

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder demonstrated the NCPD’s newest water rescue technology Sept. 10 at Masone Beach in Island Park, showcasing drones equipped with flotation devices that can be deployed to people in distress. The drones can travel at speeds of up to 45 mph and remain airborne for roughly 25 to 30 minutes before needing to be recharged. They are also equipped with technology that can help locate people, including thermal imaging. Once the drone reaches a person in the water, it can drop a flotation device. A water-activated beacon on the equipment can be seen from more than a mile away, while the flotation device opens when it hits the water, giving the person something

to hold onto while emergency crews continue responding. Ryder said the goal is not to replace the department’s marine or aviation units, but to give people in trouble something to hold onto during the critical minutes before rescuers arrive. “We live on an island,” Ryder said. “Everybody knows, in the summer, our marine units do over 150 rescues a year. Five to 10 minutes can mean the saving of someone’s life.”

The drones are currently stationed at eight locations throughout Nassau County. Ryder said the department plans to expand the program to 24 drones by the spring. “We’ve already seen a large use,” Ryder said of the program. “We have dedicated pilots that are at the station waiting for those calls to come out.” The department has 40 FAA-certified drone pilots, with 12 currently dedicated to the Drone as First Responder program. The drones generally operate at about 200 feet but can descend to roughly 20 feet when necessary. The system is also designed to provide overlapping coverage, allowing another drone to be deployed if the first drone is searching for an extended period and its battery begins to run low. Weather remains one limitation. Strong winds and heavy rain can prevent the drones from flying, making the department’s marine and aviation units essential parts of the rescue response. The new equipment is being funded through asset forfeiture money seized from drug-related investigations rather than taxpayer dollars, Ryder said. For Island Park and other South Shore communities, the technology adds another layer of protection to waterways where residents and visitors spend much of the summer. “Everything we can do to keep our community safe, we will do,” Blakeman said. “We have made that commitment.”

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OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

By ABIGAIL GRIECO

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Sailors catch wind with fast start By BRIAN KACHARABA bkacharaba@liherald.com

CHACE MORRIS OCEANSIDE Senior FOOTBALL A YEAR AFTER LEADING Nassau County in touchdowns with 28 and rushing for 1,294 yards, Morris picked up where he left off in Oceanside’s season-opening 37-29 victory at Farmingdale Sept. 4. He carried 34 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns as the Sailors kicked off the new season on a winning note. Both of Morris’ scores came in the fourth quater from 10 and 11 yards as the visitors upped their 24-21 halftime lead.

GAMES TO WATCH Thursday, Sept. 17 Boys Soccer: Seaford at V.S. South......................5 p.m. Boys Soccer: Lawrence at Plainedge ...................5 p.m. Girls Soccer: South Side at Calhoun ...................5 p.m. Girls Soccer: North Shore at Wantagh..................5 p.m. Field Hockey: North Shore at Baldwin ..................5 p.m. Girls Soccer: Lynbrook at Plainedge ....................7 p.m. Girls Soccer: Lawrence at V.S. North ....................7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 18 Football: Mepham at Calhoun ........................3:30 p.m. Football: Seaford at EastRock/WestHemp ...........6 p.m. Football: Division at Plainedge .......................6:30 p.m. Football: Sewanhaka at Wantagh ........................7 p.m. Football: C.S. Harbor at Malverne .......................7 p.m. Football: Oyster Bay at Lawrence .........................5 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 19 Football: V.S. Central at New Hyde Park ...............1 p.m. Football: East Meadow at Uniondale ..............1:30 p.m. Football: Locust Valley at Lynbrook .................1:30 p.m. Football: Kennedy at Long Beach ...................1:30 p.m. Football: Bethpage at Elmont .........................1:30 p.m. Football: Baldwin at Carey ..............................1:30 p.m. Football: Clarke at South Side .............................2 p.m. Football: MacArthur at Garden City ......................3 p.m.

Give knee pain a red card.

Oceanside boys soccer coach Patrick Turk is seeing plenty of familiar signs from last season, but the Sailors are hoping the 2026 season ends differently. After going 13-2 last year and reaching the Nassau Conference AAA semifinals, Oceanside has opened 4-0-1 and is atop the standings in the early going. The Sailors have outscored opponents 17-3 through five games, with their lone blemish a hardfought 1-1 road tie against Freeport on Sept. 8. “We’ re pretty pleased, obviously, that we’re able to come out of the g ate as strong as we are,” Turk said. “That’s a testament to the boys’ off-season preparation and the work that they put in with us.” Oceanside has also carried the memory of two straight playoff exits that came in overtime. The Sailors lost 3-2 to Uniondale in extra time during the 2024 quarterfinals before falling to Syosset, 1-0, in double overtime in last year’s semis. “No disrespect to Syosset. They won the game, they beat us, but at the same time, we’ve got a chip on our shoulder,” Turk said. “And we have something to prove. So, we are absolutely single-minded focused on showcasing what we’re truly capable of.” Senior Jackson Langevin has been at the center of Oceanside’s fast start. He has seven goals and five assists, scoring in four of the team’s five games. Langevin had two goals and three assists in a 5-0 win over Valley Stream

Erik Lee/Herald

Senior Sean Brosokas, right, is part of a solid and experienced midfield for Oceanside, which opened 4-0-1. Central on Sept. 3, scored the tying goal against Freeport and then recorded a hat trick in a 6-1 home rout of Great

Neck South on Sept. 10. His five assists already surpass his total from last season, when he scored 18

goals. “He looks better, and we’re very pleased with how he has improved,” Turk said. “And, this year, he is a more complete player, a more productive player, being able to work on assists and goals at the same time.” Langevin’s brother, junior Dylan, has added two goals and an assist, matching his total from last season. Sophomore Aiden St. Paul scored twice in Oceanside’s seasonopening 3-1 win at Hicksville on Sept. 2 and added a goal in a 2-0 win at Baldwin on Sept. 5. Freshman Richard Visone and junior Aiden Mkrtichian have also scored this season. Turk praised the experienced midfield trio of junior Brady Castoro and seniors Matthew Keegan and Sean Brosokas. Castoro has a goal and three assists, while the defense is anchored by junior Conor Schmid and senior Michael Molite. Senior goalkeeper Collin Schirrmacher has made 17 saves, including seven at Hicksville. “Collin is a brick wall,” Turk said. “There’s just no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He’s demanding in a good way. He knows how to set up the defense. He knows the standards that we want. He knows the standards that himself wants.” Oceanside faces a demanding stretch the rest of the month with games against Farmingdale on Friday, at Massapequa next Tuesday and at Syosset on Sept. 30. “This is where we’re really going to get tested and measured,” Turk said. “We’re excited to put the boys to the test.”

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Train like a champion, play like a kid at Rookies agrieco@liherald.com

For kids, fitness does not have to feel like a workout. At Rookies Kids Fitness & Athletics, the goal is to make children move, play and build confidence without necessarily realizing how hard they are working. The children’s fitness program officially opened its second location in Oceanside at 3648 Long Beach Road on Sept. 14, following the success of its original location in Bellmore. Owner Marc Dern said Oceanside stood out as a natural fit for the growing business. “It’s such a family-oriented community,” Dern said. “There’s a lot of kids, a lot of sports. It’s a very close-knit group of people. I felt like this was a good market for us.” Dern, who lives in Bellmore, said the community’s atmosphere, along with what he saw as an opportunity in the local market, made the location appealing. The Oceanside facility features a large, open space with navy blue turf and bright, kid-friendly colors. Rookies offers group fitness classes for children ranging from about 6 months old through age 14. “We love starting with them when they’re young because it enhances their performance later on in life — it really does build a foundation” Dern said. The programming combines fitness

with sports and coordination activities, with an emphasis on making exercise enjoyable. “It’s a very high-energy program,” Dern said. “It’s meant to be so fun that the kids don’t realize how hard they’re actually working.” The classes are designed to help children develop more than physical strength. Coaches incorporate hand-eye coordination, teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership into activities. “This teaches them to work as a team, for sportsmanship, as a leader, whether it be in a sport or a future career,” Dern said. One of the program’s mottos is “Train like a champion, play like a kid,” reflecting the balance between athletic development and simply having fun. The idea behind Rookies came from Dern’s own experience as a father. After working as a trainer for about 15 years, including at Equinox in Roslyn, Dern began taking his children to programs throughout Long Island. When his oldest child, Carter, was young, Dern noticed how much the quality of the coaching affected his experience. That helped inspire Dern to create Rookies in Bellmore, where he said there was a need for a similar program. The business has since expanded to Oceanside. For Dern, the coaches are one of the most important parts of the program. Rookies has an extensive interview and

training process, with an emphasis on creating coaches children want to see each week. “Part of our coaches training is motivating the kids,” he said. “We make sure all the kids have good sportsmanship, win or lose.” Inclusivity is also an important component. Coaches can modify activities based on a child’s abilities and experience, and the program has coaches with experience working with children of different abilities. “We do a really good job of making sure everyone in that class gets a touch and everyone is getting something out of it,” Dern said. Beyond classes, Rookies offers birthday parties, Kids Night Out events and themed activities during school breaks, including workouts with Santa Claus, Spider-Man and princesses. The business also hopes to establish relationships with Oceanside schools and community organizations, offering activities such as sports nights, field days, fun runs, assemblies and field trips. Ultimately, Dern said he hopes Rookies becomes more than a place for children to exercise. “Building friendships is one of my biggest takeaways,” he said. “The parents built the community. The kids made friends, just from being in their classes together.” For Dern, seeing that community

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

By ABIGAIL GRIECO

Courtesy Marc Dern

Marc Dern, owner of Rookies Kids Fitness & Athletics, opened a second location on Long Beach Road in Oceanside on Sept. 14. develop — now in two locations — has been among the most rewarding parts of the business. “I love being a hands-on owner and being so active with Rookies,” he said. “Watching the excitement of the kids when they have a breakthrough, it really is exciting.”

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For Howard Kopel, cost of living is a priority By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com

Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel is seeking his ninth term representing the 7th Legislative District, with public safety, the cost of living and preserving the character of the Five Towns among the issues he says remain most important to him. Kopel, 75, has lived in Lawrence since 1987, and has represented the district since 2010. He now serves as the Legislature’s presiding officer. Asked what he is most focused on as he seeks another term, Kopel kept his answer simple. “It’s a matter of public safety and costs,” he said. “We work on that.” Those priorities, he said, touch many of the issues district residents face, from emergency services and law enforcement to taxes and maintaining local infrastructure. Kopel added that he wants to keep county expenses and taxes manageable while maintaining the services residents rely on. He noted that sales taxes are an important source of county revenue, and that economic growth can help generate revenue without an increase in property taxes. “Sales tax is a large source of income for the county,” he said. “And that comes from growth, which is not painful, as opposed to increasing taxes directly, which is sometimes painful.” Public safety remains a particular concern for Kopel, who said that the county has strong law enforcement leadership, and praised Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder and officers in the local precincts. Combating antisemitism, Kopel said, requires both enforcement and education, particularly as incidents of hatred continue to affect communities across the

7 th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Jeffrey Bessen/Herald

Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel, the incumbent in the 7th District, is seeking re-election in November. region. “You’re always going to have the world’s oldest hatred, unfortunately,” he said. “But political leadership is there.” Kopel also pointed to funding for emergency services as one way in which the county directly supports public safety. He cited assistance for local ambulance services and marine rescue operations.

Another issue he continues to focus on is the preservation of the Five Towns’ suburban character, particularly as development and traffic increase. “You’ve got congestion issues,” Kopel said. “And you’ve got overbuilding. It’s happening.” Existing infrastructure, he said, is struggling to accommodate the growth. “The infrastructure was built 100 years ago, give or take, around there, and it really can’t support too much more,” he said. “And there’s no room to expand it.” Kopel said he wants to continue pushing back against development that he believes places additional pressure on roads and other infrastructure. “I just want to try to preserve the way of life that people have moved out here to obtain,” he said. Kopel has publicly criticized the Peninsula Public Library board of trustees, and said he believes the library needs state attention. He said he has worked with state and local elected officials to raise concerns. “I think the situation is awful,” he said. “They’ve been effectively, in my opinion, destroying the place.” After more than a decade in office, Kopel said he continues to run because he believes he can still contribute. “As long as I’m able to help people and do it effectively, that would be a reason,” he said. “And at the point when I’m not, that’s when it stops.”

Doug Segan campaigns on health and safety By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com

Dr. Doug Segan, a 71-year-old Woodmere native and a longtime emergency medicine physician, is challenging Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel for the 7th District seat, saying his medical and legal background would bring a different perspective to county government. “I believe that I have a unique skill set,” Segan said. Segan spent 35 years working in emergency medicine, at hospitals in Michigan and several Naval facilities. He has taught first-year medical students at Hofstra University’s Zucker School of Medicine for a decade. “There are many issues in Nassau County that impact on health,” Segan said. “To just name a few, car accidents, violent crime, all sorts of pollution, overcrowded housing.” He cited a recent conversation with a 911 operator about staffing shortages as an example of why he believes his medical expertise could be valuable in the Legislature. “If a person had to be on hold four minutes for a 911 call, I’m not sure the average member of the … Legislature understands four minutes for a medical emergency is an eternity,” he said. “You have somebody in cardiac arrest, four minutes is the difference between brain recovery and not.” Affordability, Segan said, is the issue residents raise most often as he campaigns door to door. “This is their main concern: How do I afford to stay in this home in Nassau County?” he said. Public safety is another major priority for Segan, who said his years in emergency rooms have made the consequences of crashes and violent crime personal.

Jeffrey Bessen/Herald

Woodmere native Doug Segan, Kopel’s Democratic challenger, has made a career in emergency medicince, and, he said, “I believe that I have a unique skill set.” “These issues are not theoretical statistics or buzzwords,” he said. “I’ve told people that they’ve lost a loved one due to violent crime. I’ve told people they lost a loved one in a car accident. Those conversations

stay with me forever.” Road conditions, speeding, poor roadway lighting, potholes and a lack of sidewalks are among the concerns he has heard about from residents. “Public safety is government’s number one responsibility to our citizens,” he said. Segan also said that protecting houses of worship and combating antisemitism and other hate crimes would be priorities if he were elected. “People have to feel safe when they enter their house of worship,” he said. “People should not be afraid to go to their house of worship for fear of being attacked.” Elected officials, he added, should lower the temperature of political rhetoric. “Our leaders have to tone down the rhetoric, to set an example,” Segan said. He also wants to support police and volunteer firefighters, and has visited several firehouses, Volunteers need additional help with recruitment and retention, he said. “It’s a big ask for someone to be a volunteer firefighter,” he said. “Training, the time, the interruption of sleep and work and family life. It’s a big ask. And we should show our appreciation.” Asked about development, Segan said he supports what he called smart and careful growth rather than either unrestricted construction or no development. “We have massive traffic problems on West Broadway and Broadway already,” he said. “We have problems with flooding, and we have to be very respectful of our green spaces.” Ultimately, Segan said, his campaign is centered on utilizing his professional experience to benefit residents. “Public health, affordability, public safety,” he said. “Those would be my three top priorities from Day One.”

Molloy is among Time’s top 100 colleges bkacharaba@liherald.com

Courtesy Molloy University

Molloy University is ranked No. 85 among the nation’s top 100 colleges and universities in Time magazine’s inaugural America’s Best Colleges list for 2026-27. Time used information including the cost of tuition, graduation rates and graduate salaries. “A lot of this data is available publicly through something called IPEDS” — the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System — “which is a system we all have to report to,” he said. “It was a pleasant surprise.”

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The recognition follows another national ranking based on student outcomes. Lentini noted that Molloy was ranked No. 75 by the Wall Street Journal last year. “It was great that these two publications, and this one being Time, are the same kind of results based on student outcomes,” he said.

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Molloy University has been named to Time magazine’s inaugural America’s Best Colleges list for 2026-27, placing No. 85 among the top 100 colleges and universities in the nation. Molloy was one of 14 New York institutions on the list, and the only Long Island college or university to receive the distinction. It was recognized alongside Columbia University, Barnard College and New York University. Time evaluated colleges based on student outcomes, learning environment and attractiveness to students. Student outcomes accounted for 75 percent of an institution’s overall score, including graduation rates, graduate earnings and economic value for students. The remaining 25 percent of the score factored in educational costs, student resources and demand. Molloy earned an overall score of 79.93. For President James Lentini, the recognition came as a surprise, because the university was not asked to submit information. “It was totally a surprise to me,” Lentini said. “They did their own research by pulling up return-on-investment info and all kinds of metrics that are out there that people can find, and so, yeah, it was a surprise.” Lentini said that

The distinction, Lentini added, reflects Molloy’s focus on students. “It says a lot about what we’re doing here and the high quality of the work, and what we’re doing for our students here,” he said. “We have the kind of institution that offers degrees where they’re highly regarded in health care and the arts and business and education, and it just speaks highly of the work that’s happening at Molloy.” Lentini attributed the success of the university’s students in part to its mission and student support. “I think we’re a different kind of place,” he said. “Our mission, being a Catholic school, I think the kind of care our students get, the kind of way we treat each other, the attention we pay to each student, I think it’s a lot missionbased, and I think it speaks to retention rates and graduation rates. “Those kinds of things speak to the fact that our students feel a sense of belonging here,” he added. “They stay, and they get nurtured in a way where they succeed when they graduate.” Time’s recognition, Lentini said, could bring attention from prospective students and families. “I think it should give [us] a boost,” he said. “We’re right in the backyard of a lot of these great students, so we’re worth a look from all these students, and we hope that more recognition will even take us further.”

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

By BRIAN KACHARABA

September 17, 2026 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

Students across Oceanside head back to school By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com

The Oceanside School District welcomed students back for the 2026-27 school year on Sept. 1, filling classrooms and hallways with excitement as students reunited with friends, met new teachers and settled into new routines. This year’s return to school comes with a little extra magic. Each year, the district selects a theme to help inspire its students and staff, and this year’s theme is “Magic in Every Moment.” The theme was highlighted during the district’s annual Superintendent’s Conference Day, setting an enthusiastic tone for the year ahead. Students returned to the district’s schools, including School No. 6 (UPK and Kindergarten), and elementary schools including School No. 2, School No. 3, School No. 4, School No. 5, School No. 8 and School No. 9E. The new school year also began at Oceanside Middle School, Oceanside High School and OHS Castleton. For students, the first days of school brought opportunities to reconnect, make new friends and begin another year of learning and growth. With “Magic in Every Moment” as its guiding theme, the district is looking forward to a school year filled with memorable experiences, new opportunities and moments to celebrate.

Photos courtesy Oceanside Schools

School No. 2 fifth graders Matthew Abrams, left, Ryan Katsoulas, center, and Bryce Pickett, right, were all smiles as they began a new school year in Oceanside on Sept. 1.

School No. 5 first graders Emileigh Policastro, Olivia Chacche, and Salvatore Chacche joined teacher Peter Weber for a year of new lessons.

Kailey Marie Juarez, far left, Madison Senft, Maddyn Hirsch, Jordyn Battino, Victoria Orlando, Noelle Latouche and Ava Schmidt, far right, first graders at School No. 3, started the new year surrounded by classmates.

School No. 3 sixth graders Vivian Cretella and Summer Strong stepped into the school year ready to make memories.

Kindergarteners Rory and Kyle Breen reunited with their former pre-K teacher, Maria Kelly, at School No. 6.

First grader Summer Sefchek brought some back-to-school sparkle to School No. 9E.

9/11 memories remain vivid for New Yorkers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Abigail Grieco/Herald

Panelists reflected on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at a forum Sept. 8 at the Oceanside Library. From left were Dana Sanneman, vice president for public affairs and development at Mount Sinai South Nassau; Former New York City Fire Commissioner Tom Von Essen; Dr. Josh Kugler, interim president of MSSN; Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair, Department of Medicine, MSSN; Phil Alvarez, 9/11 advocate, brother of Luis Alvarez; and Joe Calderone, senior vice president, communications and development, MSSN. Von Essen, who led the department during 9/11, pointed to the thousands of first responders and others who have developed illnesses since working at Ground Zero and in the surrounding area. “There’s a lot of volunteers that came and helped,” he said. “I’m not sure they’ve been getting any help today. The program is still open and will be for a long time. You’ve got to keep getting these things checked.” But the legacy of 9/11 extends beyond the physical and mental health conse-

quences. For many, the attacks also changed the way Americans viewed one another and brought strangers together in the aftermath. Joe Calderone, a former Daily News reporter who covered the attacks, remembered walking toward what was then simply called the pile the day after the towers fell. “It was unlike anything I’d ever seen — a war zone,” Calderone said. Yet amid the destruction, he witnessed something that has stayed with him for 25 years: people coming together.

“What I was struck by mostly on the 12th was the thousands of volunteers that showed up,” Calderone said. “They were just regular folks who answered the call and came down to help in any way they possibly could.” For the people who remember 9/11 firsthand, however, remembering does not require a history lesson. The day remains part of their lives. “As much as we say, ‘never forget,’ I’ve always wished I could, to tell the truth,” Von Essen said. “But you can’t, and you shouldn’t.” Those memories live on in the people who lost loved ones, the responders who continue to battle illnesses, the doctors who treated those affected and the ordinary New Yorkers who watched their city and country change overnight. Phil Alvarez, whose brother, former NYPD Detective Luis Alvarez, became sick after working at Ground Zero, offered a simple message during the discussion about how to honor those lost. “We have to look at each other as humans, that’s the best thing we can do for each other,” Alvarez said. “If you don’t learn from history, you’re doomed to repeat it.” 25 years later, that may be one of the simplest ways to remember a day that so many New Yorkers still carry with them. “One thing is clear, 25 years later,” Calderone said. “Don’t bet against New York.”

Dr. Sutter helps give back your smile

r. Steven Sutter, founder of Ocean Implants & Oral Surgery in Long Beach, has been placing dental implants for over 20 years. He promotes dental implants as the preferred permanent solution for replacing any missing teeth. Implants do not require drilling down of neighboring teeth, compared to traditional bridgework. Most patients return to normal activities the day after their surgery. Due to its increasing popularity, strides have been made to provide patients with implant options that meet their needs. Dr. Sutter, who conducts these oral surgeries daily, has become an implant expert, prepared to meet each patient’s unique situation, with professionalism and ease. “Some people don’t realize they’re even a good candidate for implants,” he said. “They’ve been told they need bone grafts, or complicated sinus procedures, but there are implants available with proven long term results, that are made smaller and stronger, allowing successful placement without the need for bone grafting or sinus surgeries.” The most common dental implants are made of titanium, which is a unique metal that the jaw bone accepts and fuses with, creating a permanent, pain-free sturdy base to support your new tooth or teeth. The complete fusion process can take three to six months, depending

functional needs and esthetic preferences of the individual patient. “The patient is part of that process when it comes to the shade of the teeth and contours,” Sutter said. Implants are permanent and designed to function forever, but the shade will not change over time, so some people prefer to bleach their teeth prior to getting the final implant tooth. “An implant is the closest thing to getting your old tooth back,” Dr. Sutter said.

COURTESY DR. STEVEN SUTTER AT OCEAN IMPLANTS & ORAL SURGERY, DR. STEVEN SUTTER COMBINES ADVANCED IMPLANT DENTISTRY WITH COMPASSIONATE CARE, HELPING PATIENTS OVERCOME DENTAL ANXIETY.

on the quality of the bone at the time of placement, and your medical history. The amount of time before the temporary solution can be converted to the permanent implant supported tooth varies, and should be determined by your implant surgeon. “Once it integrates, the implant is stronger than any tooth in your mouth,” Dr. Sutter said. Implant dentistry can also support several teeth “Patients wouldn’t necessarily need an implant to replace every missing tooth in their mouth,” Dr Sutter said. “Sometimes two to four

implants can be placed as a substructure, to replace an entire quadrant or arch of missing teeth.” Another popular implant solution for patients who suffer from loose dentures, is to get two implants underneath the existing denture, to allow the denture to snap in. This creates a secure denture fit without having to fabricate a new denture, replacing the need for traditional denture glue. The design of the permanent teeth over the implant is done on computer software, and can be modified to the

Implants still require routine maintenance once installed. “You still have to keep things healthy with proper hygiene,” he said. “If you have an implant tooth mixed in with existing natural teeth, normal brushing and flossing is necessary. But if you have a full arch of implant teeth, you must clean around them with specially designed brushes and rinses.” If you’re interested in how a dental implant solution would benefit you, Dr. Sutter recommends scheduling a consultation with him to discuss the different options, and create a treatment solution that addresses your specific dental and cosmetic needs.

Ocean Implant & Oral Surgery Center 202 W. Park Ave., Long Beach, NY 11561 Phone: 516-442-7722 Fax: 516-442-7720 oceanoralsurgery202@aol.com

Herald Content Studio articles are produced by the Herald's marketing division and independent of the newsroom. The Herald may be compensated by featured companies or purchases made through these articles, which does not constitute the Herald's endorsement.

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

an overwhelming influx of patients. But the patients never came. “Like everyone else, we were very prepared for something that never really panned out,” Kugler said. “You didn’t see anyone coming in.” What remained, he said, was the psychological impact of the attacks. “There are people out there that are suffering that have real illnesses,” he said. “Mental and physical.” The poll found that 25 percent of respondents said they still experience trauma or a mental health disorder stemming from the attacks. Another 24 percent said an immediate family member experiences trauma-related effects. For Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair of the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau, those findings demonstrate why the passage of time does not necessarily mean the effects of 9/11 have disappeared. “There’s a big thing with firefighters — you should be able to tough it out,” Glatt said. “And it’s simply not the way it works. Soldiers who are strong can easily get PTSD, and it can dramatically impact their lives. This is a real illness that we need to make sure there are sources available in the healthcare system.” The physical toll of 9/11 has also continued to emerge in the years since the attacks. Former FDNY Commissioner Tom

September 17, 2026 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

Trucking program at NCC offers fresh start Former NBA All-Star Jayson Williams’s course prepares trainees for new careers behind the wheel By JULIA GILLEGO jgillego@liherald.com

Rebound on the Road celebrated the graduation of its sixth cohort at Nassau Community College earlier this month, recognizing students who completed an intensive program designed to prepare them for careers in commercial trucking while providing support focused on mental health, recovery and personal growth. The graduation, on Sept. 3, marked more than the completion of an eightweek training program. It represented a new beginning for many participants. The program, founded by former NBA star Jayson Williams, is a partnership between Rebound on the Road, Nassau County and NCC. The program offers vocational training to people seeking a second chance, helping participants earn commercial driver’s licenses. For Jerry Kornbluth, NCC’s vice president of community and government relations, the most meaningful part of the ceremony was seeing how much the students had changed over the course of eight weeks. “And when you see them, eight weeks later, at a graduation, and what they’re saying to the other people, and the camaraderie that they built, and the family that they built, they’re going to

Julia Gillego/Herald

Emil Arthur-Ricketts celebrating his completion of the Rebound on the Road program at Nassau Community college with his father, Martin Ricketts. stay forever,” Kornbluth said. “They’re never going to go back to their old ways.” The program, Williams said, emphasizes professionalism, safety and discipline. Participants train in driving, pretrip inspections and other skills needed to become commercial drivers. But the program also places a strong emphasis on mental health. Students began their mornings with time devoted

to reflection and discussion with mental health professionals before moving into their driving lessons. “I don’t want to put them behind 80,000 pounds if they’re not feeling it,” Williams said. “The psychiatrist and the psychotherapist are very important in what we do.” The combination of training and support, he added, helps turn the participants not only into better drivers, but

professionals prepared for long-term careers. “The thing I’m most proud of is that we become family here,” Williams said. That sense of community was echoed by graduate Emil Arthur-Ricketts, who said the program gave students an environment in which they could support one another while working toward a common goal. “I really enjoyed it,” Arthur-Ricketts said. “I love the fact that it’s family-oriented. It’s more than just trucking itself. It’s really about people coming together — brotherhood, fatherhood — and we all have a common goal in life.” The impact of the program extends beyond graduation day. Kornbluth said that more than 100 students who have graduated from the program have gone on to work driving trucks throughout the United States. Williams said that graduates also remain connected, returning to support one another and helping open doors for future cohorts. For the students celebrating at NCC, the ceremony marked both an ending and a beginning: the end of eight weeks of demanding training, and the start of careers built on responsibility, stability and the promise of a second chance. For more information, visit ReboundontheRoad.org.

Suozzi pushes protection for worshippers ramid@liherald.com

More than two dozen religious leaders representing a number of faiths stood together at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center last week as U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi called for passage of federal legislation intended to protect people from intimidation and harassment at religious services. Suozzi highlighted the bipartisan, bicameral Right to Worship Act at a Sept. 9 news conference at the center in Glen Cove. Alan Mindel, chairman of HMTC’s board of directors, said that protecting religious freedom is central to the organization’s mission. “This bill grants necessary protections to houses of worship so as to protect the constitutional rights of freedom of religion granted to all Americans,” Mindel said. “In the current climate, where people have been obstructed from entering their house of worship, this new law will allow each American, regardless of faith, to freely enter their church, synagogue or mosque for their constitutionally protected right to pray, without obstruction or harassment.” Suozzi said that people should not have to put themselves at risk simply to practice their faith. “Exercising your right to worship should not require you to exhibit partic-

Roksana Amid/Herald

U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, top center, joined religious and advocacy leaders on Sept. 9 to call for passage of the bipartisan Right to Worship Act. ular courage as you enter your synagogue, church, mosque, temple, mandir or gurdwara,” he said. The legislation would establish a 100foot zone around pedestrian and vehicular entrances to houses of worship, beginning one hour before a scheduled service and ending an hour afterward. Within that area, conduct intended to hinder, deter, threaten or intimidate people attending services would be prohibited. Peaceful expression protected by the First Amendment would remain protected. Violations would carry civil penalties, with fines ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 for repeat offenses. The measure would also allow affected worshippers

to pursue civil action, and permit the U.S. attorney general and state attorneys general to bring cases against violators. The Right to Worship Act grew out of Suozzi’s SACRED Act — Safeguarding Access to Congregations and Religious Establishments from Disruption — which he introduced in April, and which included criminal penalties. Negotiations over the legislation, he said, centered on balancing two constitutional rights, freedom of speech and freedom of worship. “Finding a balance between the two is a real challenge,” he said. “It’s why it hasn’t been done — it’s why it’s been controversial.”

Suozzi eventually joined Republican Rep. Brad Knott, of North Carolina, to develop a single proposal that could attract broader support. The House legislation is accompanied by a Senate measure backed by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, of Texas, and Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, of Michigan. “You shouldn’t have to show courage to go attend your religious services,” Suozzi said. Brandi Katz Rubin, the Anti-Defamation League’s New York/New Jersey deputy regional director, said that harassment at houses of worship has made such protections increasingly important. “No one should have to push through a hostile crowd, shout over a bullhorn or endure targeted threats while simply trying to enter a house of worship and pray,” Katz Rubin said. The ADL, she added, recorded nearly 530 incidents of antisemitic harassment at synagogues nationwide in 2025, along with dozens of protest-related incidents. According to Suozzi, there was discussion of moving the legislation through the Senate as early as this month. If that doesn’t happen, he said supporters could pursue passage during the lame-duck session in November or December. “We really want to get it done this year,” he said, citing momentum from religious organizations and lawmakers in both parties.

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OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

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September 17, 2026 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

Oceanside hero Luis Alvarez’s legacy lives on CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Courtesy Phil Alvarez

Following the release of 9/11 records, Phil Alvarez, second from left, the brother of Luis Alvarez, of Oceanside. stood with Mayor Zohran Mamdani at City Hall on Sept. 8. The release includes the October 2001 memorandum known as the Harding memo, previously undisclosed 68 boxes of records and documents concerning World Trade Center 7. The city said the portal will be updated as additional records are reviewed and personally identifiable information is removed. “The very least our city owes the families, survivors and first responders whose lives were forever changed by the September 11th attacks is transparency and accountability,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. “For too long, New Yorkers have had to fight for access to records that should have been available to them in the first place.” Mamdani also noted that toxic air quality and asbestos was found “nearly everywhere” at Ground Zero. “People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air,” he said. The portal allows the public to search the records, potentially giving researchers, families and members of the public access to information that has remained difficult to obtain for decades. “We hope that it will help generations to come,” Alvarez

said. “We hope that it will help health programs, researchers, doctors, experts, to continue to treat these first responders and survivors and those suffering from 9/11 illnesses. That work carries particular significance for Alvarez because of his brother. Luis Alvarez, a former U.S. Marine, joined the NYPD in 1990 and was promoted to detective in 1995. As a member of the Bomb Squad, he was involved in rescue and recovery work following the World Trade Center attacks. He eventually retired in 2010 because of illnesses related to his work at Ground Zero and died June 29, 2019, at 53. His death was deemed in the line of duty by the NYPD and the New York City Police Pension Fund. In the final months of his life, Luis became a powerful public advocate for 9/11 responders and survivors. His testimony before Congress, alongside activist and comedian Jon Stewart, helped rally support for permanently extending the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The resulting legislation was named the “Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act,” providing funding through 2092. His legacy has continued to be honored through a street renaming in Long Island City, an NYPD K-9 named after him and a memorial park on Terrell Avenue in Oceanside. “It was about community for Lou,” Alvarez said. “The responsibility to care for everyone who answered the call and everyone that was affected by it.” That responsibility, he said, extends beyond those who were physically present at Ground Zero. “You didn’t have to be at Ground Zero to be affected by this horrible day 25 years ago,” Alvarez said. “People from all over the country, people from all over the world were in those towers. That spirit — and the responsibility to care for everyone who answered the call and everyone affected by 9/11 — is what this fight has always been about.”

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Over the River and Through the Woods Written by Joe DiPietro A comedy about generational love and letting go

Directed by Emily Vaeth

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OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

“It’s things like that that led our families to file Freedom of Information requests from the city,” Alvarez said. But the records did not come easily. “Those requests had gone unanswered, or they said, ‘We don’t have anything,’” Alvarez said. “Historically, it came out that they did, in fact, have this information.” In June 2024, 9/11 Health Watch — an independent advocacy group that tracks and protects health and compensation programs for Sept. 11 victims and survivors — formally filed an Article 78 proceeding in New York State Supreme Court in New York County against the city. An Article 78 proceeding challenges an unfair decision, action or inaction by a government agency or public official. The case was brought with the assistance of pro bono attorneys Matthew McCauley of Turken Health & McCauley LLP and Andrew J. Carboy. The lawsuit followed the city’s failure to produce records that advocates had sought through the FOIL request, including after city agencies had indicated documents could not be located. According to Alvarez, the attorneys investigated whether records the city said did not exist could be located. “They were ferocious about doing investigations to find out if there were emails out there,” he said. “Turns out, they eventually found boxes upon boxes of information that existed.” The discovery of those records became a critical development in the case. At the end of May 2026, New York Supreme Court Judge James G. Clynes ruled in favor of 9/11 Health Watch, finding the city’s actions in the records dispute were “arbitrary and capricious.” The legal battle culminated just ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks, when the city announced the settlement and unveiled a public portal containing 170,000 pages of records.

Aiming to ease emissions on Car Free Day By BRIAN KACHARABA bkacharaba@liherald.com

Long Island residents are being encouraged to rethink how they get around when the region marks its 14th annual Car Free Day, an initiative in which participants are asked to replace at least one trip made alone by car with a sustainable option. Car Free Day, on Sept. 22, is observed in cities around the world. Long Island joined the movement 13 years ago with a campaign focused on raising awareness of transportation choices and measuring emissions saved when people leave their cars behind. Mindy Germain, co-chair of Car Free Day LI and program manager for Transit Solutions, said the goal is not for participants to eliminate driving for an entire day. “All we ask you to do is swap out one drive-alone car trip,” Germain said. That could mean walking to a store, taking the train or bus, bicycling, or sharing a ride with someone who would otherwise drive separately. Organizers measure the emissions saved through pledges received leading up to the event, and calculate the total for Long Island. Germain said the campaign had already reached about 75 tons of saved emissions based on those pledges. Transportation, she said, accounts for about a third of the emissions con-

Brian Kacharaba/Herald

The Long Island Rail Road is among the transportation alternatives that Car Free Day LI organizers hope more residents will consider on Sept. 22. tributing to Long Island’s environmental impact, making alternatives to driving important for air quality and efforts to slow global warming. Participation this year is on pace to reach 5,000 pledges, which Germain said would be the most since the pandemic. She also pointed to changing patterns in transit use. In June, the Long Island

Rail Road recorded 5 million rides, a record, with many trips for purposes other than commuting. People are increasingly using the railroad for leisure, she said, while students use it to travel to the city for internships and programs. Family ridership has also increased thanks to an LIRR program that allows

children 17 or younger to ride for $1 when accompanied by a parent. For Germain, the most meaningful measure of success is seeing people actually using alternatives to driving. “What really is exciting to me is seeing that 20-something-year-old take the NICE bus to get to Farmingdale State College,” she said, referring to the Nassau Inter-County Express bus service, “or to see the employees at Northwell Health walk to lunch that day, the actions themselves, and the excitement it generates.” While Car Free Day is held once a year, Germain said the coalition promoting it works throughout the year with municipalities, transit partners, academic institutions and health care organizations. Improving transportation choices, she said, can also expand mobility for people who don’t drive, including older adults who have stopped driving and younger people who can’t afford cars. “I think that mobility offers so much freedom,” Germain said. People who live or work in Nassau or Suffolk counties can take participate by making a pledge on the Car Free Day LI website. Participants can also enter a raffle for prizes, including two hybrid bicycles, a Lululemon bundle and an LIRR weekly ticket. More information, and the pledge form, are available at CarFreeDayLI.com.

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September 17, 2026 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

STEPPING OUT

Michael Carbonaro returns with

he music — that’s what keeps him coming back MARY TRAVIS Wife, Randy Travis

Randy Travis’s music lives on, forever and ever

‘More Life’ tour features country star and guest vocalist, James Dupré By JORDAN VALLONE

ountry Music Hall of Fame legend Randy Travis is bringing one of the ﬁnal dates of his acclaimed “More Life” tour to Long Island, wrapping up an emotional two-year run that has taken the show to 54 cities across 24 states. The dynamic performance arrives at Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair on Sept. 25. The show begins at 8 p.m. Travis’s four-decade long career generated iconic No. 1 hits, including “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “On The Other Hand,” and “Three Wooden Crosses,” among others. While Travis no longer performs due to the side effects of a stroke he survived in 2013, he joins his wife, Mary Travis, on stage throughout the show, interacting with fans and celebrating his music alongside longtime members of his band and guest vocalist James Dupré.

Randy Travis carries his country music legacy forward

Travis, 67, is a North Carolina native whose music helped usher in a new traditionalist movement of modern country music when he released. Recognized for his baritone voice and an earnest approach to music, he won backto-back Country Music Association Song of the Year awards in 1986 and 1987. The seven-time Grammy award winner has sold sold over 25 million albums, generating 23 No. 1 hits and 31 Top 10s. He was named a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1986 and inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016. Though a near-fatal stroke has left him unable to perform, Travis’s recovery and commitment to his fans and music has inspired many. “The music — that’s what keeps him coming back,” Mary Travis told the Herald on a call with the country music legend. “That was Randy’s heart, his soul. That’s all he ever wanted to do was make music.” In 2024, Travis released “Where That Came From” through Warner Records Nashville, his

first new recording in over a decade, developed through the use of artificial intelligence software which helped recreate his vocals. It was overlaid on an existing recording of the song from his longtime collaborator, Dupré. Dupré, 42, of Louisiana, became a YouTube sensation in 2007 which led to a performance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Since then, he’s released multiple albums, appeared on NBC’s “The Voice” in 2015, and was eventually handpicked by Travis and his wife in 2019 to be the guest vocalist for the “More Life” tour. Dupré and Travis first worked together for a 2015 film, “The Price,” which tells the story of an aging country music singer aspiring to reconnect with his son. Years later, when Travis’s team discussed the possibly of him touring again, Dupré emerged as the best choice for long-term collaboration. “When Tony Conway, Randy’s manager said, several years after the stroke, ‘If we wanted to go back on the road, who would you have sing the music?’ — we immediately said James Dupré,” Mary recounts. “We remembered the connection that the two of them had, and it has proved correct. When you see the two on stage, you can see the relationship and the magnetism. It just works perfectly.” • Friday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m. Dupré’s collaboration with Travis, and the release of “Where That • Tickets begin at $35 per person Came From,” helped launch a new chapter of advocacy for Travis and • Flagstar at Westbury Music his wife, who used the song as a platform to champion creators’ rights Fair, 960 Brush Hollow Road, and responsible AI protections for artists. Westbury “It was a good way to introduce AI to be used in a good way,” • Visit RandyTravis.com for Mary says.“Randy’s heart and soul was still in it. He’s still involved with more details the production of it. It’s not taking his voice and using it and abusing it in some other realm.”

About the ‘More Life’ tour

Travis’s tour debuted as “The Music of Randy Travis,” but last year, his team changed the name to the “More Life” tour. “More Life” was one of the last songs Travis recorded before his stroke. “When we were in the hospital, it kept me going because it’s such a beautiful song,” Mary says. “We decided to name the tour ‘More Life’ because that’s what we felt like we got — more life — as a gift.” She describes the show as more than a “regular concert.” Travis’s songs are performed by Dupré, alongside members of his original band, but there’s also videos of Travis shown to the crowd spanning the entire length of his career. Mary also joins Travis and Dupré on stage to tell stories about her husband and his music. “It’s very interactive,” Mary says “It’s almost like a biopic of Randy Travis. It’s not just a concert — it’s a story, and it’s sad, it’s sweet, it’s happy. It’s just Randy Travis, and it’s a beautiful thing.” Travis’s team looks forward to bringing the show to Long Island and sharing his music and life with many longtime fans. “We get to play at some of the neatest (theaters), which I think is kind of cool, because of Randy Travis and the nostalgia of Randy Travis, and the years he’s been here to raise a lot of us on his music,” Mary says, “and Westbury’s a perfect place for us to land over there in Long Island with you all.”

“Wonderboy,” his all-new live tour. Packed with audience participation, sly improv, and his signature realitytwisting illusions, Carbonaro, from the star of truTV’s “The Carbonaro Effect,” delivers a high-energy, laugh-ﬁlled experience for all ages. Part magician, part comedian, all mischief-maker — “Wonderboy” is where magic is the superpower, laughter is the sidekick and reality doesn’t stand a chance. The multitalented actor-magician-comedian has built a career turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. He’s made millions laugh in astonishment by blending quick-witted comedy with jaw-dropping illusions in everyday settings. This tour is where audiences discover him as the Hero of Mischief, in a world where magic is the superpower and laughter is the sidekick.

Friday, Sept. 18, 7:30 p.m. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.

Eddie Griffin Get ready to laugh until your sides hurt! Over his decades-long career, Eddie Grifﬁn has become known for his sharp social commentary and animated storytelling. The popular comedian-turned-actor blends personal experiences with cultural observations and shifts seamlessly from biting satire to playful crowd work, making him a consistent draw for live audiences nationwide. Acclaimed for his appearances in “Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo,” “Chappelle’s Show,” 2018’s “A Star Is Born,”and star of “Undercover Brother,” he’s praised for razor-sharp wit, spot-on impersonations and unmatched stage presence.

Saturday, Sept. 19, 8 p.m. Tickets available at LiveNation.com. Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury.

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

Michael Carbonaro

September 17, 2026 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

Your Neighborhood SEP

Country Thursdays at Michael’s Billiards

CALENDAR

• Where: Lambrou’s Catering Hall, 4073 Austin Blvd., Island Park • Time: 10-4 • Contact: Jan Hernstat at (516) 678-3524

Learn to line dance with Ray on the second floor of Michael’s Billiards. Teaching is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and dancing is until 10. The DJ plays your favorite country tunes. Enjoy the full bar and food truck for energy while you dance!

Jazzin’ with Richard Elliot

Grammy-nominated contemporary jazz saxophonist Richard Elliot brings his soulful, bluesy sound to the Madison Theatre for an evening of smooth jazz. Elliot, who has scored more than 20 Top 10 smooth jazz singles and has worked with artists including Tower of Power, Natalie Cole and the Pointer Sisters, will perform music from his latest album, “Straight Up Down.”

• Where: 4060 Austin Blvd.. Island Park • Time: 7-10 p.m. • Contact: (516) 548-7707

Ladies Night!

Welcome to Ladies Night! Always a fun night of karaoke and mingling with the beautiful ladies from Long Island. • Where: The Angle, 2757 Long Beach Road, Oceanside • Time: 7 p.m. • Contact: (516) 806-2188

SEP

Senior Health and Beyond Expo

Adults ages 50 and older are invited to attend the free Long Island Herald Senior Health and Beyond Expo at the John A. Anderson Recreation Center. With exhibitors and resources focused on health, wellness and financial planning, along with refreshments, giveaways and opportunities to connect with local organizations and service providers. The Expo is designed to help seniors and their families learn about programs and services that support healthy, active living. • Where: 111 N. Oceanside Road, Rockville Centre • Time: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. • Contact: Register at Eventbrite or call (516) 569-4000

Too Fat Guys at EGP Oceanside

Catch Too Fat Guys at EGP Oceanside for a great time. • Where: 2823 Long Beach Road • Time: 7-10 p.m. • Contact: egpoceanside.com or (516) 766-9547

Alisha live

Legendary freestyle artist performs at Lushes Bar. • Where: 3116 Long Beach Road, Oceanside • Time: 8 p.m.-1 a.m. • Contact: (516) 699-3433

SEP

Car Show

Explore a showcase of vintage classics, all on display right here at the Island Park Library!

• Where: 176 Long Beach Road, Island Park

SEP

Double Vision

The 1970s and ‘80s come alive when Double Vision brings their “Foreigner Experience” to the Paramount stage. Whether you’re a lifelong Foreigner enthusiast or a newcomer eager to experience the magic of their music, Double Vision promises a night of electrifying entertainment that will leave you singing along and craving more. Composed of some New York City’s top professional rock musicians, the band delivers the highest level of integrity and technical prowess in bring audiences all the hits from the band that you’ve come to love, while honoring Foreigner and its audience, with a show second to none. The spirit of rock ‘n’ roll lives on, one unforgettable performance at a time, with this group of talented musicians and die-hard Foreigner fans. Double Vision has perfected the art of bringing to life the unforgettable hits that have defined generations. From “I Want to Know What Love Is” to “Cold as Ice,” their renditions are a harmonious blend of passion, precision, and nostalgic energy. Drawing inspiration from Foreigner’s unmistakable sound and stage presence, Double Vision delivers a performance that pays homage to the band’s legacy while infusing their own charisma and enthusiasm. They are joined by special guest Frontier for an authentic • Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington Foreigner and Journey tribute. Sing along to some of the greatest hit tunes, including • Time: 8 p.m. “Juke Box Hero,” “Hot Blooded,” “Cold As Ice,” “I Want To Know What Love Is,” “Urgent,” • Contact: ticketmaster.com “Double Vision,” “Head Games,” “Feels Like the First Time,” and more. or paramountny.com

• Time: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. • Contact: (516) 432-0122

Larson Legacy Concert

Adelphi University’s Larson Legacy Concert Series continues with Jonathan Larson Grant recipient abs wilson. This showcase will be a concert reading of the new musical by Kelly Nowak (story/book/ lyrics by abs wilson, story/music by Adam LaPorte). One summer day in 2005, a teenager goes missing from her small Michigan town and is never found. Years later, her family sits for interviews about what they think happened to her. Did Kelly drown in the nearby lake? Is she alive, trapped within a massive conspiracy? Or is she somewhere a little more in between? Framed as a true crime documentary, Kelly Nowak explores the need to hold any kind of tangible truth — no matter the rationality or cost. This 90-minute musical offers a gripping and poignant psychological narrative. This is a fascinating theatrical experience worth checking out. • Where: Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City • Time: 3-4:30 p.m. • Contact: adelphi.edu/pac or call (516) 877-4000

Battle of the Decades

Take a musical journey through three unforgettable eras at Battle of the Decades at the Madison Theatre at Molloy University. The high-energy tribute concert features Radio Gold performing hits from the 1970s, Rock of 80’s celebrating the biggest anthems of the 1980s and Reality Bites bringing the sound of the 1990s to life. The evening will also include the presentation of the Ted Fass Music Scholarship to an incoming Molloy University music student. • Where: 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre • Time: 7:30 p.m. • Contact: madisontheatreny.org or (516) 323-4444

Shoretoberfest 2026

South Shore Craft Brewery welcomes all to their 6th annual Shoretoberfest. With music, food, a stein holding contest, and a best lederhosen/dirndal contest. • Where: 3505 Hampton Road, Oceanside • Time: 1-11 p.m. • Contact: southshorecraftbrewery.com or (516) 388-6685

Art Reception

Stop by Oceanside Library for an afternoon celebrating the work of featured artists Lil Reznicek

and Linda Kaminski. Their artwork will be on display throughout the month of September. Come meet and be inspired by these talented local artists as you explore their beautiful collection of artwork and connect with fellow art enthusiasts. • Where: 30 Davison Ave., Oceanside • Time: 1-3 p.m. • Contact: oceansidelibrary.com or (516) 766-2360

SEP

Fall Finale

The Town of Hempstead welcomes all to Town Park Point Lookout for car, bike and tow truck show. With touch-atruck, Kids Zone, craft vendors, beer garden, and more. • Where: Town Park Point Lookout, 1300 Lido Blvd., Point Lookout • Contact: townofhempsteadevents.com

SEP

27th Annual Long Island Jolson Festival

Society President Jan Hernstat invites all to the latest edition of the Al Jolson Festival, commemorating the 80th anniversary of “The Jolson Story.”

• Where: 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre • Time: 8 p.m. • Contact: madisontheatreny.org or (516) 323-4444

SEP

Let’s Meet And Network On Long Island

Join in this community business networking dinner. Share advice, grow your business network, and enjoy a casual evening. Free and fun. Separate checks. RSVP needed.

• Where: Oceanside IHOP, 2971 Long Beach Road • Time: 6-7:30p.m. • Contact: Register for Evite at lmnoli.com or call Mark at (516) 993-0053

SEP

Pumpkin Painting

Old Westbury Gardens welcomes families for some seasonal fun! Head to the Barn at Orchard Hill to decorate your own mini pumpkin. All supplies provided, just bring your creativity! All children require an adult participant. Registration required. $27, $25 ages 62+, $20 children. • Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury • Time: 4-6 p.m.; also Oct. 2 • Contact: oldwestburygardens. org or call (516) 333-0048

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

LEGAL NOTICE Notice of Formation of MIDNIGHT DRIVE-IN LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/02/2026. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 3271 Benjamin Rd, Oceanside, NY 11572. Purpose: any lawful activity. 161648 LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION TRUST 2019-HB1, -againstNASSAU COUNTY PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on April 1, 2026, wherein WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION TRUST 2019-HB1 is the Plaintiff and NASSAU COUNTY PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on September 29, 2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 511 SUNNYBROOK DRIVE, OCEANSIDE, NY 11572; and the following tax map identification: 54-498-12. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING, AT OCEANSIDE, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU

AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 003624/2016. Kenneth Lawrence Gartner, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 161945 LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. FILIPPO BONURA, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on June 23, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on October 6, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 159 Wrights Lane, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Unincorporated Village of Oceanside, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 60, Block 1 and Lot 11. Approximate amount of judgment is $472,886.59 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #616574/2024. Wayne H. Wink, Jr., Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 240686-2 162064 LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCAF AQCUSITION TRUST, Plaintiff AGAINST ANGELA ANDRIANO; ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered July 2, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on October 1, 2026 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 66 Lorraine Road, Island Park, NY 11558. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Island Park in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 43 Block: 3 Lot: 212. Approximate amount of judgment $107,574.65 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #601234/2024. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee FEIN, SUCH & CRANE, LLP 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800 Rochester, NY 14614 FSLNY068ADC 91046 162033

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. L&L ASSOCIATES HOLDING CORP., Pltf. vs. UMBERTO CALIFANO et al, Defts. Index #608824/2025. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered May 4, 2026, I will sell at public auction on the North Side Steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on October 15, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. premises k/a Section 43, Block 360, Lot 112. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. The foreclosure sale will be held “rain or shine.” LESLIE LOWENSTEIN, Referee. LEVY & LEVY, Attys. for Pltf., 12 Tulip Dr., Great Neck, NY 11021. #103159 162175 Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR CVI CGS MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST I, Plaintiff, vs. FRANK MORIZIO, JR. A/K/A FRANK MORIZIO, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on July 3, 2018 and an Order Extending Sale Deadline and Other Relief duly entered on February 9, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on October 15, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., premises known as 84 Virginia Avenue, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Oceanside, the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 43, Block 387 and Lot 21. Approximate amount of judgment is $636,601.18 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #007051/2015. Thomas McNamara, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 213045-2 162173

LEGAL NOTICE CASE NO. 21527 RESOLUTION NO. 798-2026 Adopted: September 9, 2026 Senior Councilmember Goosby offered the following resolution and moved its adoption: RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING AND SETTING ASIDE CERTAIN PARKING SPACES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES FOR THE SOLE USE OF HOLDERS OF SPECIAL PARKING PERMITS ISSUED BY THE COUNTY OF NASSAU TO PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS. WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No.

790-2026, adopted August 4, 2026, a public hearing was duly held on the 9th day of September 2026, at the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the proposed establishment and setting aside of a certain parking space for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons, in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, all as set forth in said resolution; and WHEREAS, after due consideration, this Town Board finds it to be in the public interest to establish and set aside a certain parking space for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, the following parking spaces be and the same hereby is set aside for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons: BALDWIN WALES AVENUE - west side, starting at a point 93 feet south of the south curbline of Demott Avenue, south for a distance of 20 feet. (TH-289B/26) BELLMORE NATTA BOULEVARD south side, starting at a point 83 feet west of the west curbline of Bergen Street, west curbline west for a distance of 20 feet. (TH-300/26) EAST MEADOW TAYLOR AVENUE - east side, starting opposite the northwest curbline of Andrew Avenue, north for a distance Of 20 feet. (TH-334/26) ELMONT CLINTON STREET west side, starting at a point 260 feet north of the north curbline of Bedford Avenue, north for a distance of 20

feet. (TH-323/26) OAKLEY AVENUE west side, starting at a point 116 feet south of the south curbline of E Street, south for a distance of 20 feet. (TH-313/26) (NR)FLORAL PARK 240th STREET - west side, starting at a point 317 feet south of the south curbline of Jericho Turnpike, south for a distance of 16 feet. (TH-331/26) UNIONDALE LACLEDE AVENUE east side, starting at a point 160 feet north of the north curbline of Front Street, north for a distance of 20 feet. (TH-325/26) (NR)VALLEY STREAM EVERETT STREET - east side, starting at a point 170 feet north of the north curbline of Sobro Avenue, north for a distance of 23 feet. (TH-324/26) WEST HEMPSTEAD EUSTON ROAD SOUTH - east side, starting at a point 25 feet north of the north curbline of 9th Street, north for a distance of 20 feet. (TH-326/26) and on the repeal of the following locations previously set aside as parking spaces for physically handicapped persons: EAST MEADOW SHERMAN AVENUE west side, starting at a point 185 feet north of the north curbline of North Jerusalem Road, east for a distance of 18 feet. (TH-631/19 - 2/20/20) (TH-333/26) ELMONT EVANS AVENUE - east side, starting at a point 344 feet north of the north curbline of Langdon Street, north for a distance of 18 feet. (TH-426/18 - 11/27/18) - (TH-329/26) OCEANSIDE FRANK STREET - north side, starting at a point 55 feet west of the west curbline of Weidner Avenue, west for a distance of 20 feet. (TH-26/13 - 4/09/13) (TH-350/26) WANTAGH McDONALD AVENUE west side, starting at a point of 150 feet north

of the north curbline of Campbell Avenue, north for a distance of 20 feet. (TH-33/25 - 3/11/25) (TH-332/26) ; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk shall enter this resolution in the minutes of the Town Board and shall publish a copy of this resolution once a newspaper having a general circulation in the Town of Hempstead and shall post a copy hereof on the signboard maintained by her, and file in her office affidavits of such publication and posting. The foregoing resolution was seconded by Councilmember Schneider and adopted upon roll call as follows: AYES: SIX (6) NOES: NONE (0) 162315

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… To place a notice here call us us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to:

legalnotices@liherald.com PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… To place a notice here call us us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

& with less than required side yard setback., N/E cor. Allen Ave. & Yorktown St., a/k/a 395 Allen Ave. 507/26. 510/26. OCEANSIDE - Christine & Robert Croce, Variance, side yard, construct 2nd story addition & partial garage conversion both attached to dwelling; Special exception to maintain 2nd accessory structure (shed) higher than permitted & exceeding horizontal maximum; Special exception to maintain 3rd accessory structure (BBQ) not permitted; Special exception to maintain 4th accessory structure (deck with pergola) higher & larger than permitted & exceeding horizontal maximum on all sides., N/s Court St., 213.80’ W/o Woods Ave., a/k/a 2896 Court St. ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in Oceanside within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.go v/509/Board-of-Appeals

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Town Hall Plaza, One Washington Street, Hempstead, New York on 09/30/2026 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.go v/576/Live-StreamingVideo

-----------------------------THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD LOCAL LAW NO. 73-2026 PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that, pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of the

504/26. OCEANSIDE Timothy & Patricia Vazquez, Special exception to maintain shed higher & larger than permitted, exceeding horizontal maximum on all sides

Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it. 162322

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

Public Notices

September 17, 2026 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

L.B. Garden Club gathers the green thumbs By CHRIS COLUCCI ccolucci @liherald.com

Intelligence is knowing that tomatoes are a fruit, not a vegetable. Wisdom is knowing that tomatoes don’t belong in a fruit salad. On the third Friday of each month, for more than three years, members of the Long Beach Garden Club have met at the Long Beach Public Library to share more plantbased knowledge. The club, an official program presented by the library, was created in 2023 by librarian Nicole Menzzasalma. It began with three members, but has blossomed into a group of 30 local gardeners. “We trade plants a lot,” said Jovin Weinstock, a Long Beach resident who has been with the club since its early days. “We trade seeds often, and we trade information about problems.” The club tends a community garden, behind the Magnolia Senior Center, working in par tnership with Island Harvest’s Giving Garden program to collect fresh produce to donate to local food charities. The club’s garden consists of six raised beds and

Chris Colucci/Herald

Sheryl Beck, of Lido Beach, far left, won ugliest tomato, while Elizabeth Pryke, of Long Beach, grew the smallest one. Kristen Donovan, of Island Park, earned honorable mention for her peach-tomato salsa; librarian and garden club organizer Nicole Menzzasalma presented prizes. Long Beach resident Beverly Hansel-Silberstang won the tastiest category with a tomato, corn and avocado recipe, and Oceanside resident Marsha Volgyi grew the biggest tomato. several containers crowded with an array of basil, bell peppers, cucum-

Public Notices

State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing was duly called and held on the 9th day of September 2026, by the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead, on the proposed adoption of Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 73-2026, and following the close of the hearing the Town Board duly adopted Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 73-2026, to amend Section 197-5 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, to include “ARTERIAL STOPS” at various locations Dated: September 9, 2026 Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD JOHN FERRETTI Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 162313 Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NASSAU COUNTY FRONTSEAT LLC, Plaintiff against NEVADA VILLAS INC., et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Hersko & Ehrenreich P.C., 555 Willow Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516, (516) 942-4216.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered March 11, 2026, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on October 16, 2026 at 2:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being identified on the land and tax map of the County of Nassau in the State of New York. Premises known as (No Street Number) Nevada Avenue, Island Park, NY 11558. Sec 43 Block 70 Lot 485 and 494, Group Lot 485 and 486. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $584,854.96 plus interest, fees, and costs and Attorney fees. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 602550/2025. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. If proper

social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Christy Demelfi, Esq., Referee File # 17-6721 162329 To Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County Of Nassau The Bank of New York Mellon fka The Bank of New York, as Trustee for The Certificateholders of the CWABS, Inc., AssetBacked Certificates, Series 2006-1, Plaintiff AGAINST Margaret Mendez, North ShoreLIJ Medical PC, HSBC Bank USA, N.A., John Doe (Refused Name), John Doe (Refused Name), John Doe (Refused Name), et al, Defendant Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated October 01, 2025 and entered on October 22, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, North sides of the steps, Mineola, NY

11501 on October 19, 2026 at 02:00 PM premises known as 147 Madison Avenue, Island Park, NY 11558. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Nassau, State of New York, SECTION: 43, BLOCK: 140, LOT: 21, 22, 46, 47. Approximate amount of judgment is $712,578.25 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 603718/2024. This sale may be subject to the US Dept of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Real Estate Reporting Rule. In such event, all purchasers are required to provide the information needed for proper reporting in accordance with the terms of sale. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Jaime David Ezratty, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-097633-F00 91267 162305 Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

bers, eggplant, kale, tomatoes, mint and more. “The Giving Garden gave us about 200 plants for our community garden,” Menzzasalma explained. “Anything that I couldn’t fit in the community garden went to people in the community. Any produce that we receive from our community garden goes right to Long Beach Soup Kitchen.” Menzzasalma, a member of the city’s environmental advisory board, announced a recent windfall for the club: It is scheduled to receive up to $400 in funds to be used for gardenbuilding material — from soil and seeds to irrigation supplies and gardening tools — the grant will come from the Burpee Foundation, the philanthropic ar m of Bur pee Seeds and Plants, a Philadelphia-based business. Menzzasalma revealed the news last Friday, when the garden club hosted its third annual Tomatomania contest, to which local growers bring their biggest, smallest, ugliest and most tasty tomatoes for a friendly competition. More than 25 participants showed up. The event took place in the library’s main auditorium, as the 1978 sci-fi parody “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” played on a dropdown screen, adding whimsical ambience. Lido Beach resident Sheryl Beck easily captured the ugliest tomato award for a knurled, but healthy, fruit, while Elizabeth Pryke, of Long Beach, won the award for smallest tomato with a fully mature fruit that wasn’t much larger than a blueberry. For tastiest tomato treat, Beverly Hansel-Silberstang, also of Long Beach, collected the most votes with a tomato, corn and avocado medley. Oceanside resident Marsha Volgyi had never attended a garden club meeting, but entered, and won, in the biggest tomato division. “A friend of mine invited me, so I came,” Volgyi said. “I had a tomato that I didn’t know what to do with, so she said, ‘Bring it.’” Volgyi

has been an avid gardener for roughly four years. “Mostly vegetables,” she added. “Then I planted a raspberry bush, and I said, let’s see what happens.” Tomatomania was also the first garden club meeting For Kristen Donovan, of Island Park, Volgyi’s persuasive friend. A sixth-grade teacher in the East Rockaway school district and a home gardener who has focused on fruit trees and vegetables for 25 years, Donovan took home an honorable mention award for tastiest tomato recipe for her salsa-style combination of homegrown tomatoes and peaches. She said she plans to encourage a new crop of green thumbs. “I actually just got a grant in my district,” Donovan said, “so I’m opening a community garden at my school.” During the meeting, while votes were being tallied, Menzzasalma announced that the club, which regularly meets during daytime hours, will begin offering evening meetings on a quarterly basis. The adjusted schedule was enough to convince Donovan to add the meetings to her schedule. “I’ll be joining because I work during the day,” she said. “So I’ll be able to come on their nighttime sessions. I think it was four times a year.” This spring, the library offered hundreds of free tomato seedlings, as well as more than 100 eggplants, nasturtium, zinnias and other starter plants to inspire prospective gardeners. Yearround, the library maintains a propagation station with clippings to encourage even more homegrown plants. At the reference desk, members can also utilize the seed library. Cardholders can check out two seed packets per week, to grow anything from basil or Brussels sprouts to zucchini or milkweed — the last a critical food source for pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, which are essential partners in a healthy garden.

C1 09/17

Employment

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OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

HERALD

C2 09/17

Homes

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A second floor was easier than a small addition

Q. Why is everything so complicated and expensive, just to build a small addition? It has been so frustrating interviewing builders, then needing an architect, then hearing that, even for our little addition, we might face a big delay to get a zoning variance. We just heard that we need something called a drywell, which makes this almost impossible because there really isn’t any place to put one. Do we really need one? Again, why is everything so complicated? When we added to our second floor in 1989, it was nothing like this. A. If you know the expressions “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing” and “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,” you’ll understand that as time goes by, governing bodies respond to how someone seemed to find a way to twist the meaning of a requirement and manage to get away with something, so they react by making more and onte eeper more strict requirements. Some of those requirements result from the reaction to a catastrophe, such as Superstorm Sandy, that gets twisted back and forth from a tropical storm to a hurricane, depending on who wants to take advantage of the way regulations and insurances define the storm. One mile per hour in wind speed either way meant a difference in eligibility for more coverage, for example, so authorities and insurance companies wanted to close the loopholes. People all over Florida were suddenly hit with fees to cover building assessments after the collapse of the Champlain Towers condominium building in the Miami suburb of Surfside in 2021 — a response to one building. Members of the Surfside building board knew just enough to cause part of the problem but not enough to prevent it, which resulted in an avalanche of new, more restrictive requirements. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and in the case of overreacting regulators, increased regulations make planned projects more expensive and problematic. Your small project gets lumped together in the reaction to larger projects. People have been known to be sent to a zoning hearing because the proposed stone they want to add to the face of their home will mean that their front setback distance will fall below the required distance by 3 or 4 inches. Some municipalities have tried to relieve these zoning board bottlenecks by giving building officials discretion to bypass review boards when the proposal is simple, while others treat each case the same, so that your stone-facing proposal gets scrutinized alongside a proposed shopping center. Some zoning hearings are scheduled without consideration of your simple proposal, so when you get to the hearing, you may find yourself sitting for hours while a shopping center presentation goes ahead of your request. Drywells are deep, concrete-formed basins that collect rainwater on your property, and different communities have their own requirements. Some don’t require them. Others mandate that if you add 50 percent more roof or modify 50 percent of a building, you have to add a drywell. More next week.

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© 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.

C3 09/17

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Answers to todAy’s puzzle

OPINIONS

s the effects of PFAS, the socalled “forever chemicals,” become the focus of discussions across the United States — on Long Island because of their impacts on the underground water table, our sole source of potable water — New York state’s attorney general is suing corporations involved with PFAS for allegedly violating a number of state laws. In a suit brought in July in State Supreme Court, Letitia James presented corporate documents as evidence that DuPont and other companies knew about PFAS’ threats to human health and the environment, but pushed products made with them anyway. And last month, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Lee Zeldin, a Suffolk County resident who now heads the Environmental Protection Agency, to, as Newsday reported, take “steps to protect Long Island drinking water from forever chemicals as the agency proposes rollbacks on [their] regulations.” In addition to DuPont, which first developed PFAS in 1938 and patented

them as Teflon, James’s lawsuit charges 3M, Chemours, Corteva and its subsidiary EIDP with violations of state laws, including: “Protection of the State’s Natural Resources Under New York State Constitution and Statutory Law; Public Nuisance Under New York Common Law; Strict Products Liability: Failure to Warn Under New York Common Law.” It also cites the “Green Amendment” to the State Constitution, which “provides that ‘each person shall have a right to clean air and water and a healthful environment.’” The lawsuit states: “As a consequence of the defendants’ manufacture, production, marketing and sale of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — PFAS — for use in consumer products, the State of New York faces threats to human health, widespread contamination, and damage to natural resources on an unprecedented scale.” It continues: “Long after they knew their PFAS were toxic, defendants manufactured and sold these compounds for use in consumer products — including personal, family, and household products like Stainmaster carpets, Scotchgard stain-repellent sprays, grease-resistant coatings for food packaging, cosmetics, and personal care items — that defendants knew would be sold, used,

and disposed of in New York, thereby exposing people to PFAS and releasing PFAS into New York’s environment.” It goes on: “As the results of defendants’ conduct, PFAS … are in the water we drink, the soil that sustains our crops, the fish we catch, and the air we breathe. … PFAS are highly resistant to degradation in the environment, travel easily through water and air, and bioaccumulate in humans, plants and animals. And: “People exposed to defendants’ PFAS suffer various negative health effects, including higher risks of certain cancers, adverse pregnancy outcomes, liver disease, endocrine disruption, and other increased risks.” As evidence of “knowledge” — that the companies knew about the “severe health and environmental risks” of PFAS — the lawsuit points to numerous corporate documents. DuPont, it says, “knew for decades that PFAS pose substantial dangers to public health and the environment. By 1961 … Dupont’s researchers had concluded that PFOA [a type of PFAS] was toxic … Dupont’s chief toxicologist warned in a memo that products containing PFOA should be ‘handled with extreme care.’ As early as 1966 … DuPont was aware that PFOA could leach into groundwater. … DuPont

.G. Letitia James alleges that companies knew the chemicals’ dangers.

also learned in the 1970s … of the research showing that PFAS had been detected in blood bank samples from the general public. “In 1988,” the suit continues, “DuPont began internally treating PFOA as a possible carcinogen. … In 2000, John R. Bowman … DuPont inhouse counsel wrote … to several colleagues relating to PFOA …‘My gut tells me the biopersistence issue will kill us … We are going to spend millions to defend these lawsuits and have the additional threat of punitive damage.’” A New York Times article on the lawsuit quotes Judith Enck, former director of the EPA region that includes New York state and now president of the organization Beyond Plastics, saying, “This is a blockbuster legal action that should hold these companies accountable for the immense harm caused by their products.” Schumer wrote to Zeldin, “At your confirmation hearing … you told the Senate that you had been a member of the PFAS task force [in Congress], that you voted for the PFAS Action Act, and that addressing PFAS would be a top priority of yours. The proposals now before the agency move in the other direction.” Karl Grossman has been an investigative reporter in a variety of media for more than 50 years. He is a professor of journalism at the State University of New York at Old Westbury.

Celebrate Constitution Week by supporting the ERA

s a college professor who has long been involved in civic engagement programs and voter education at Nassau Community College, where I’ve taught for 23 years, I look forward to Constitution Week. From Sept. 17 to 23, educators around the country will teach students about the Constitution, their civic rights and responsibilities, and how their voices, and votes, count because they contribute to a stronger democracy for us all. This week, I’ll be focused not only on this bipartisan responsibility, but also on the November midterm elections — and on one of the most frustrating and misunderstood chapters of constitutional history, the saga of the Equal Rights Amendment. If you’re under the impression that equal rights for all citizens, regardless of sex, are the law of the land in the United States, you have plenty of company, but that’s not the case. Even though this landmark leg-

islation has been approved by both houses of Congress and by 38 states — the requisite three-quarters of the states necessary to ratify an amendment — it is still not part of the Constitution. How can this be, when Article V of the Constitution clearly explains the rules by which it can be amended, and Congress and state legislatures have satisfied those rules? The problem is the legislation’s time-limit loophole. In 1972, when both the House of Representatives and the Senate had passed the ERA, it faced a deadline imposed by Congress for the required ratification by the states — first seven years, then extended to 10 years. By the end of that decade, 35 states had approved the amendment, just three states short of what was needed. Its time was up — even if the deadline was nothing more than a provision added by Congress that could, and still can, be removed by a future Congress to move the legislation forward. When three more states ratified the amendment — Nevada (2017), Illinois (2018) and Virginia (2020) — that milestone

should have been enough to certify the Constitution’s 28th Amendment. But since then, the legislation has stalled in Congress: Opponents have relied on filibusters, pointing to the expired timeline, while advocates have called out the arbitrary nature of the deadline and argued for its revocation. The current national campaign for the ERA, backed by more than 300 organizations across the country and many thousands of people who have signed petitions supporting it, is making a persuasive case to the public — and candidates running for Congress this fall — that amendment requirements have been fulfilled and constitutional equality is long overdue. The nation observed Women’s Equality Day on Aug. 26, commemorating the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote in 1920. But even the fearless suffragist Alice Paul knew that voting rights were just the beginning of codifying gender equality in the nation’s laws; she knew that grave inequalities remained for women in politics, education, employment and health care.

f you think equal rights for all are enshrined in the Constitution, think again.

That’s why Paul introduced the ERA in 1923, and why gender-equality advocates have introduced it in every congressional session since. Over a century later, it’s time for the ERA to not only be reintroduced in Congress, but also enshrined in the Constitution — ideally by the 120th Congress, which will convene in January. I know that in November, I’ll be voting for candidates who support the work that Paul started — and that the late, great journalist Gloria Steinem continued with her bold exposés on sexual harassment, pay inequality and pregnancy discrimination in Ms. magazine. I’m grateful that my congressional representative, Laura Gillen, is one of 219 U.S. representatives, 53 senators, and all those citizen activists who have affirmed their support for the ERA. Please join this historic campaign, making it clear to our lawmakers that the equal rights movement won’t rest until a future Congress acts. Go to Sign4ERA. org and add your signature. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Constitution Week — and to make history — than that. Susan Cushman, Ph.D., is a professor of English and women’s studies at Nassau Community College and a member of the League of Women Voters of East Nassau.

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

New York state takes on the ‘forever chemicals’

HERALD

HERALD EDITORIAL

AbigAil grieco Reporter

It’s time to update New York’s mansion tax

September 17, 2026 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

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ew York lawmakers need to stop pretending that a $1 million home is a mansion. In 1989, when the state created a 1 percent tax on residential properties selling for $1 million or more, the threshold was intended to target luxury homeowners. At the time, it made sense. Thirty-seven years later, it doesn’t. A property on Long Island valued at $1 million back then now costs roughly $4.5 million. On Long Island, $1 million can buy a perfectly ordinary home. In Nassau County, the median home price is now around $880,000, and in Suffolk County, it’s roughly $750,000, both near historic highs. In communities where demand remains strong and inventory remains tight, a $1 million price tag is no longer an indication that someone is purchasing a sprawling estate. It may simply mean they’re buying a house. That’s why the State Legislature should make reforming the so-called mansion tax a priority in 2027. Five major Long Island business organizations — the Association for a Better Long Island, HIA-LI, the Long Island Builders Institute, the Long Island Association and the Long Island Contractors Association — have called for changes to the law. Their proposal deserves serious consideration.

The problem isn’t simply that the threshold is outdated. The structure of the tax is flawed. Once a home reaches $1 million, the additional 1 percent tax applies to the entire purchase price. A house selling for $999,999 doesn’t incur the tax. A house selling for $1 million does — an additional $10,000 charge. That is an illogical cliff. A buyer doesn’t suddenly become wealthy because a home’s sale price crosses an arbitrary line. And on Long Island, where housing costs have risen so dramatically, the tax increasingly falls on middle-class families rather than the ultra-wealthy buyers the law was designed to target. New York already collects a transfer tax on real estate transactions. The additional $10,000 on a $1 million purchase isn’t insignificant, particularly when buyers are already dealing with high mortgage costs, property taxes, insurance, maintenance and closing expenses. There is a legitimate argument for taxing luxury real estate. New York needs revenue, and those who can afford exceptionally expensive homes can reasonably be asked to contribute more. But that argument falls apart when the definition of luxury becomes disconnected from reality. The Legislature shouldn’t eliminate the mansion tax. It should modernize it.

First, lawmakers should substantially increase the threshold to reflect today’s housing market. Second, they should index that threshold to inflation or an appropriate measure of housing prices, so the law doesn’t become obsolete again. And third, they should seriously consider regional thresholds, because $1 million means something very different in Manhattan, Nassau County and upstate New York. The goal should be a tax that targets genuine luxury purchases — not families buying modest homes in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets. The state cannot simultaneously complain about its high cost of living and defend a tax structure that adds thousands of dollars to the cost of buying a home simply because the housing market has appreciated. If New York wants more people to live, work and raise families here, it should be looking for ways to make homeownership more attainable, not preserving arbitrary barriers created nearly four decades ago. The Legislature has had plenty of time to reconsider the mansion tax. Now it should do so. In 1989, $1 million could make you the owner of a Long Island mansion. Today, it may simply make you a homeowner. New York’s tax policy should reflect that reality.

tury. And we should not forget that 9/11 ended the brief era of bipartisan fiscal responsibility between 1997 and 2000 in which we balanced the national budget. With the national debt now over $40 trillion, it seems there are errors to be corrected, and that we are not economically ready for any future

hostilities. The 9/11 Commission’s investigation found multiple points of failure, producing a homeland security conglomerate supposedly having greater unity and foresight. That agency, by many reports, has been distracted, diminished and diverted. If so, the nation has forgotten the most basic Boy

LETTERS Ways to meaningfully remember Sept. 11 To the Editor: How, the Herald asked in its editorial last week (“Twenty-five years later, we remember”), do we remember Sept. 11 in a meaningful way? One way, I suggest, is to learn from the mistakes made then to avoid repetition. It was novel attack, and the next will be as well, probably by drone, infection or massive infrastructure hack. The list of lessons is long. I’ll mention a few. Next time, the legislative branch should not surrender so much authority to the executive; the former still has not recovered. The distinction between criminal acts and acts of war was lost, and must be clarified lest it be abused again. It must be resolved that no war be declared against abstractions like “terror,” “radical Islam,” “antifa” or for “prevention,” for such amorphisms are easily dressed in new clothes. We have learned, I hope, that no future authorization of the use of military force should be granted without terms of use, including dates of expiration or renewal, and progress reports. The last AUMF has been made a standing license for a series of costly and fruitless abuses over the past quarter-cen-

OPINIONS

t sounds reasonable. Almost selfevident. And it has become a familiar response to concerns about increasingly aggressive government enforcement. Why worry about ICE? If you’re a citizen, if you’re here legally, what’s the problem? Why object to greater scrutiny of voter rolls? If you’re legally eligible to vote, you have nothing to fear. Except that isn’t how government power works. The statement assumes that only people who have done something wrong will ever be questioned, investigated, detained or frightened. Innocent people, apparently, will somehow be recognized as innocent before anyone bothers them. But being innocent doesn’t prevent the government from suspecting you of wrongdoing, or even arresting you. The government may target people not because they have committed a crime, but to make examples of them, intimidate others, or silence those they regard as troublesome or subversive. Sometimes suspicion begins with little more than how someone looks or speaks. And once you become a suspect, your innocence doesn’t protect you from

being stopped, questioned, searched, detained or required to prove who you are. Being innocent may determine how an encounter with government ends. It doesn’t guarantee that the encounter never begins. That matters as we approach the midterm elections. The Trump administration has undertaken an extraordinary effort to identify noncitizens who may have voted illegally. The justification is election integrity. According to the administration, illegal voting is at epidemic proportions. But the numbers tell another story. ProPublica recently examined the administration’s effort. Federal searches generated tens of thousands of potential leads involving suspected illegal voting. Homeland Security Investigations agents were sent out to pursue them. Between January 2025 and May 2026, just 41 people were charged with voting illegally or other election-related crimes. More than 150 million Americans voted in the last presidential election. Tens of thousands of leads. Forty-one charges. So perhaps the more important question isn’t what should happen to illegal voters. It is what’s going to happen to legal voters. What happens when an American citizen has a name that sounds “foreign”?

magine you’re a naturalized citizen who’s heard all about ICE. On Election Day, do you vote?

LETTERS Scout precept, “Be prepared.” We have heroes to honor, victims to mourn, survivors to grieve with because the criminals were more clever than we imagined. To meaningfully remember Sept. 11, we should remember that connection, and make their memory a motive to make no more such heroes. BRIAN KELLY Rockville Centre

Borecky is right: Our elections need safeguards To the Editor: Re “Our laws assume, incorrectly, that our leaders have integrity,” the letter from Claudia Borecky, president of the Bellmore Merrick Democratic Club, in the Sept. 3-9 issue: The letter has some important points, and I agree that more must be done to improve our election system. But Ms. Borecky has not fully examined the issues that some of our nation’s cities and states have had with voting irregularities. While there is no question that the demonstrations on Jan. 6, 2021, will forever be a blight on our political system,

What happens when an eligible voter speaks accented English, has brown skin, wears clothing associated with another culture, or simply worries that a government database may contain incorrect information? Those voters may have done absolutely nothing wrong, but they still have plenty to worry about. The concern becomes more serious when immigration enforcement moves from voter records to polling places. President Trump was asked whether he would send National Guard troops or ICE officers to polling locations during the midterms. His answer was that he would “do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections.” But federal law sharply restricts such activity. The Brennan Center for Justice notes that federal law prohibits armed federal agents from being deployed to election sites, and prohibits government officials from intimidating voters. The reality, however, is that ICE agents need never appear inside a single polling place to make voters fear for their freedom and safety. Imagine that you’re a naturalized citizen. Or that your parents are immigrants. Or that someone in your household has unresolved immigration issues. You hear repeatedly that ICE may be involved in election enforcement, and that federal agents are exam-

and I do not in any way share the belief that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, there have been credible news stories in major publications reporting that some cities experienced voting irregularities in that and prior elections that may or may not have benefited either political party. We know from these news reports that in some cities, there were mail-in votes from deceased people. We also have heard about duplicate ballots being cast. And there have been examples of non-citizens casting ballots. I do not think that any of these irregularities have resulted in the wrong candidate winning any presidential election. But that may not be the case in congressional elections or local government races, which can also have a major impact. Again, I agree with Ms. Borecky that we are far behind other countries in creating proper safeguards for our elections. I will go one step further and suggest that our system, which enables each state to decide how elections should take place, has resulted in an imbalanced field, and that all elections should be conducted in the same manner, with the same equipment, all across our country. That way, no state or politi-

ining voter files. You see news reports about investigations of suspected noncitizen voters. On Election Day, do you vote? Or do you decide that one vote isn’t worth the possibility of attracting attention, or being wrongfully arrested even if you’re 100 percent eligible to vote? That’s what makes the nothing-toworry-about argument so dangerous. It reverses the relationship between citizens and their government. It means that government may scrutinize, investigate and intimidate whomever it wishes, and innocent people should simply trust that everything will eventually work out. That isn’t freedom. A right doesn’t disappear only when the government formally takes it away. It can also be weakened, or effectively eliminated, when exercising it feels dangerous. A government doesn’t have to prevent someone from voting if it can make that person afraid to vote. “If you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” Maybe so. But in a free country, citizens shouldn’t have to prove their innocence before they can exercise their rights without fear. Government should exercise its power without making innocent people afraid to exercise theirs. Michael Blitz is professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at the City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

FRAMEWORK by Tim Baker

At the Town of Hempstead’s Sept. 11 memorial service — Point Lookout

cian could cast doubt on any other state or party. And I agree completely with Ms. Borecky about the slander and defamation laws that are missing from our political campaigns. It disgusts me to have to listen to both sides spewing

false information about their opposing candidates. It leaves the voters with tough decisions as we try to uncover the truth. RICHARD S. KAHN Glen Cove

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — September 17, 2026

Done nothing wrong? That may not protect you.

THANK GOV HOCHUL

FOR PUTTING NY KIDS FIRST. With the new Federal Scholarship Program, NY can unlock over $1.5 billion to help students in all schools access tutoring, test prep, after-school programs, special education services and more.

I’m a working mom with two children in public school. With costs rising, this program would really help my family afford much needed after-school programs.

—Yifang Chen, New York Mom

URGE GOV. HOCHUL TO SAY “YES” TO THE FEDERAL SCHOLARSHIP TAX CREDIT PROGRAM SCAN TO TAKE ACTION 1360571

September 17, 2026 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD