Oceanside/Island Park Herald 10-30-225

at the Oceanside Library last Sunday.

OceanCon marks eight years of comic fandom and whimsical fun

By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com

Superheroes, stormtroopers and story lovers gathered once again as OceanCon, Oceanside’s annual comic convention, returned for its eighth year last Sunday, transforming the Oceanside Library into a celebration of pop culture.

The daylong event drew 1,100 fans and cosplayers for an experience that blended fantasy and philanthropy. Outdoor attractions included a food truck, the Ghostbusters’ Ecto-1 vehicle and a life-size Lightning McQueen model car.

Inside, the activities included cosplay contests, Jedi training sessions, comic-art classes, Harry Potter wand-making, video game tournaments and a superhero makeup demonstration.

“It makes us feel overjoyed and warms our hearts that everyone loves the library as much as we love this community,” Michelle

Samuel, the library’s assistant director, said. “Having events like this is what really brings us joy during moments like this.”

Janet Pearsall, president of the library’s board of trustees, echoed that sentiment, and noted that OceanCon has become one of the hamlet’s most anticipated events of the year.

“I just love watching the community come together and really enjoy themselves,” Pearsall said.

This year marked the first appearance at OceanCon by the Comic Book Depot, a shop in Wantagh. Sales associate Francis Imbergamo said the event was a perfect opportunity to connect with young readers.

“We knew we would have a lot of kids around,” Imbergamo said. “We actually just got a big shipment in from Marvel’s distributors, who have done a bunch of comics for Halloween, all $1 each.” He added that the Comic Book Depot regularly hosts reading

Mount Sinai hospital opens Feil Pavilion

By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com

Mount Sinai South Nassau marked a major milestone on Oct. 21 with the dedication of its new $150 million Feil Family Pavilion — a four-story, 100,000 -square-foot addition that expands the hospital’s emergency, surgical and critical care services while positioning it to introduce open-heart surgery next year.

Together we can build a caring society, piece by piece, hospital by hospital, community by community.

opening “an important milestone in our long history of serving the South Shore of Long Island,” noting that the new design is already helping reduce wait times and improve care in the emergency department. The project, he added, reflects a decade of planning to meet the growing health needs of the surrounding communities.

Hospital leaders, community members and elected officials joined Mount Sinai Health System executives for the opening ceremony and ribbon cutting, celebrating the largest capital project in the Oceanside hospital’s history.

RABBI DAVID LERNER

The new pavilion features an expanded Fennessy Family Emergency Department, 40 intensive and critical care beds and nine advanced operating suites expected to open in the spring.

The hospital’s president, Dr. Adhi Sharma, called the

For Sharma and the hospital’s leadership team, the dedication represented the culmination of years of effort and the foundation for what comes next. The pavilion is part of a 10-year master plan to expand services, enhance technology and continue transforming Mount Sinai South Nassau into a regional medical hub.

“The facilities are so modernized and patient-centered that our staff are able to take even better care of the patients,” Sharma said. “We designed it to be so that

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

NEWS BRIEFS

Families reunite to celebrate NICU

It was a day of joy and gratitude as former patients and families gathered for Mount Sinai South Nassau’s fourth annual Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Reunion, held recently at the hospital’s administrative campus in Hicksville.

The event celebrated the hospital’s tiniest graduates — babies once cared for in the NICU — with an afternoon filled with family fun, food and laughter. Guests enjoyed arts and crafts, a magic show, live music, and a photo booth, along with pony rides and a petting zoo featuring goats, sheep and alpacas. Children decorated seashells, colored sea-themed artwork, and posed for pictures with NICU doctors and nurses who helped care for them in

their earliest days.

Mount Sinai South Nassau’s New Beginnings Center houses a six-bed NICU that provides specialized care for premature infants and newborns with developmental complications. The unit is staffed by board-certified neonatologists and specially trained nurses, and includes a dedicated surgical suite for cesarean deliveries to ensure a familycentered experience. The center also features 26 private family-newborn rooms designed for comfort, along with spacious labor and delivery suites equipped with advanced maternal-fetal technologies.

–Abigail Grieco

“Students of the Month” honored

The Island Park Board of Education celebrated a group of standout students during its Oct. 20 meeting, recognizing “Students of the Month” from across the district for September.

The recognition centered on the month’s learner profile attribute, Effective Communicator. Educators said the honorees consistently expressed their ideas clearly and confidently in both spoken and written form, and demonstrated strong listening skills and thoughtful responses in classroom discussions. The trait also

emphasizes the ability to adjust communication for different audiences and settings.

Students honored for this learner profile attribute were Sophia Gold (kindergarten), Theodore Montes (first grade), Finley Keane (second grade), Luke McMahon (third grade), Luca Rodgers (fourth grade), Amelia Malek (fifth grade), Vera Testerman (sixth grade), Mia Krumholz (seventh grade) and Dany Galeas-Diaz (eighth grade).

Houdini tribute raises funds for leukemia

By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com

What began as a small neighborhood idea in Oceanside during the pandemic has become one of Long Island’s most beloved Halloween traditions. The fifth annual Houdini Tribute Illusion Shows, created and hosted by magician Eric Wilzig, drew hundreds of spectators this year for a day of large-scale illusions, family fun and community giving.

This year’s event was held on the big courts at Rolling River Day Camp. While admission was free, attendees were encouraged to donate to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, also known as Blood Cancer United, and to Ava’s Army, a nonprofit which funds pediatric leukemia research and support programs.

While admission is free, attendees are encouraged to donate to the year’s chosen cause. Proceeds in recent years have gone to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, also known as Blood Cancer United, and now to Ava’s Army, which funds pediatric leukemia research and support programs.

“This is for someone near and dear to this community’s heart,” Wilzig said. “Because we are raising money for cancer, we get a lot of kids who are cancer survivors, leukemia survivors, that come every year and love what we do. Every event, there are always people who share a story about how important the organization is, even for someone they have lost.”

The Houdini Tribute began in 2020, when most Halloween events were canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. Hoping to bring some joy back to the season, Wilzig performed a small show in front of his Oceanside home. He expected a few dozen people. Instead, more than 1,000 residents filled the streets.

Since then, the annual event has only grown. What started as a driveway performance has turned into a large-scale community spectacle featuring three

illusion shows throughout the day, complete with stage lighting, professional sound and a lineup of magicians.

Wilzig, who has been performing magic since the age of five, headlines the event with the help of his wife and team. Each year, he recreates and reimagines some of Harry Houdini’s most famous escapes, honoring the legendary magician who died on Halloween in 1926.

“Harry Houdini died on Halloween, I mean, that was the whole reasoning for the Houdini aspect of the show,” Wilzig said. “It’s a great way to tie it all together.”

This year’s main performance featured jaw-dropping illusions including teleportation acts, audience levitations reaching 70 feet above ground and a dramatic attempt to break Houdini’s record for escaping a straightjacket while suspended upside down. The event opened with a performance by fellow magician T.J. Tana, followed by Wilzig’s full-scale illusion show.

Despite its impressive production, Wilzig emphasized that the event remains a grassroots effort.

“For all people know, this event is put on by a massive organization, but in reality, it really is just me and my family trying to put on a fun event for the community and raise some money,” he said.

One of the unique aspects of the Houdini Tribute is its last-minute promotion. The event is typically announced just four or five days before it happens — and yet it still manages to draw crowds in the hundreds.

This year, Rolling River Day Camp not only donated its space but also

helped promote the show, ensuring a larger, more comfortable venue after the event outgrew Wilzig’s neighborhood streets.

Wilzig said the show’s combination of wonder and purpose keeps people coming back each year.

“It’s amazing when people say this is the highlight of their year,” he said. “We have people looking forward to this every year.”

“This is probably the only event of its kind where people are coming to see Houdini’s biggest escapes and illusions and really don’t have to pay for anything,” Wilzig said.

For Oceanside residents, the Houdini Tribute has become more than a magic show. It is a testament to community spirit, creativity, and compassion. And as Wilzig wrapped up this year’s final performance, he promised the magic,and the mission, will continue.

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CRIME WATCH

UNUSUAL INCIDENT

On Oct. 15, someone reported that an unknown person attempted to open a bank account using their personal information.

LARCENY

On Oct. 13, someone reported their package was stolen from their apartment building.

On Oct. 16, an employee of King Kullen reported someone stole merchandise.

ARREST

On Oct. 16, Eduard Lopez, 28, of Freeport, was arrested and charged with Assault after an investigation

at Mercy Hospital for an incident in which he violently assaulted a Mercy Hospital security officer, causing him to suffer cardiac arrest and be hospitalized in critical condition.

On Oct. 16, Gaitano Cinelli, 57, of Elmont, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle and additional Vehicle and Traffic Law offenses after an investigation on Seaman Avenue.

On Oct. 16, Oscar Mercado, 50, of Amityville, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Operation of a Motor Vehicle with a Suspended Registration, and additional Vehicle and Traffic Law offenses after an investigation on Sunrise Highway.

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.

NEWS BRIEF

Men arrested in scam targeting senior

Two men were arrested on Oct. 21 in connection with a scam that defrauded a 65-year-old Oceanside woman out of more than $100,000, Nassau County police said.

According to detectives from the Fourth Squad, the woman received a message on her computer and was told that her bank account had been compromised. She was instructed to withdraw cash and hand it over to an unknown individual for “safekeeping,” police said, and between Sept. 30 and Oct. 15, police reported that the woman made multiple withdrawals totaling $106,000.

After realizing she had been scammed, the woman contacted the Nassau police.

Police arrested Yingliang Chen, 30, of

Brooklyn, and Zheying Zheng, 29, of Flushing, when they allegedly returned to collect an additional $35,000 from the woman. Both men were taken into custody following an investigation, according to detectives.

Chen is charged with attempted grand larceny and resisting arrest, and Zheng is charged with attempted grand larceny, detectives said. They were both issued appearance tickets and released to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

The Nassau County Police Department is urging the public to remain vigilant and to remind elderly family members and neighbors about common financial scams.

–Kelsie Radziski

WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/oceanside

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

O’side community shines at third Fall Festival

By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com

More than 1,000 attendees packed the streets of Oceanside on Saturday, Oct. 18 for the third annual Oceanside Fall Festival, a community celebration hosted by the Oceanside Community Warriors.

After two consecutive years of rain, organizers said this year’s event — the group’s biggest of the year — finally brought the community together under clear skies.

“The goal is to give back to the community and have an event that brings the community together and unifies the community,” Brian Driscoll, one of the event organizers, said. “With the two years of rain, we lost a lot of people, so hopefully we start bringing them back gradually.”

The Oceanside Community Warriors, a volunteer-run nonprofit, launched the Fall Festival three years ago to celebrate the town and support local causes. Proceeds from the event go directly back into the organization’s community projects.

This year’s festival featured music, food trucks, a rock-climbing wall, face painting, a pumpkin patch and a beverage garden, drawing families to the closed-off streets for a full day of fall festivities.

About 30 local vendors participated, including six food trucks, the Oceanside Fire Department and the Oceanside Library. Guardian Bus Company was the event’s top sponsor, with Towers Funeral

Home and the VFW also contributing.

Local businesses also took part in a series of crowd-pleasing food contests.

Bonbino’s Pizza sponsored the pizza-eating contest, Sal’s Butcher Shop sponsored the meatball-eating contest and Front Street Bakery provided pies for the pieeating competition.

Performances kept the energy high throughout the day. Pat’s Dance Studio presented a half-hour dance showcase, followed by two live musical acts who drew a large crowd: A Witch’s Brew performed in the afternoon, and Matt Wahl,

a local musician, closed out the night.

“Our main goal was to bring the Oceanside community together, have everybody participate in some way, shape or form, and really highlight the best of this town,” organizer Jeanine Badalamenti said. “We are regular members of the community who want to focus on making Oceanside a better place.”

Driscoll said the Oceanside Community Warriors waste no time preparing for the next year’s celebration.

“The day after we finish, we pick a date for the following year,” he said. The

group immediately distributes the date to vendors to secure early commitments.

This year’s smooth weather, strong attendance and enthusiastic response marked a turning point for the growing event. Organizers said they hope it continues to expand and strengthen community ties in the years ahead.

The Fall Festival has become a hallmark of Oceanside’s community spirit; it is a day when people can gather not only to enjoy food, music and fun, but to celebrate the shared pride of their hometown.

Four years in, Blakeman points to successes

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE

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

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

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

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

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

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

Koslow is focused on transparency and unity

By JORDAN VALLONE

jvallone@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

He said he had similar concerns about the Nassau

Tim Baker/Herald

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pavilion introduces new medical technologies

patients’ families are now able to stay with the patients because there is more space.”

The new operating suites are designed for both minimally invasive and open procedures and will house the hospital’s forthcoming open-heart surgery program, which will be the first on Long Island staffed and overseen by cardiac surgeons from the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital in Manhattan.

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Fuster Heart Hospital No. 2 in the nation for cardiac care.

“Our patients and their families should not have to travel to North Shore or Manhattan to receive this kind of advanced care,” Sharma said.

The pavilion was made possible through what Sharma coined the Feils’ “philanthropic support.” Jeffrey Feil, CEO of The Feil Organization — a family-owned real estate investment, development and management firm — and his family have contributed more than $18 million to Mount Sinai South Nassau over the years, with another $1 million recently pledged. Their gifts have supported emergency medicine, cancer care and, most recently, the expansion of critical and surgical services.

Dr. Adhi Sharma, president of Mount Sinai South Nassau, surrounded by fellow hospital leaders and community members, cut the ribbon to unveil the hospital’s new Feil Family Pavilion.

Hospital officials said the Feil family’s generosity embodies the kind of partnership that drives Mount Sinai’s mission. Tony Cancelieri, co-chair of the hospital’s Community Advisory Board, praised the family’s ongoing commitment, explaining that their support “has always been rooted in a very genuine and deep admiration for the hospital’s work to improve the lives of South Shore residents.”

Dr. Brendan Carr, president and CEO of the Mount Sinai Health System, said the pavilion reflects the strength of the partnership between the Oceanside hospital and the broader health network. “We’re strongest when we work together,” Carr said.

In addition to expanding space and capacity, the pavilion introduces a range of design features and medical technologies focused on patient comfort and efficiency. The hospital’s critical care foot-

print has doubled, allowing Mount Sinai South Nassau to treat more patients with advanced conditions while giving families a more supportive environment during recovery.

“The new design is already improving patient care,” Sharma said, “and it’s just the beginning of what this facility will make possible.”

The ceremony concluded with a ribbon cutting and an invocation from Rabbi David Lerner, of Congregation B’nai Sholom-Beth David, who told the crowd, “Together we can build a caring society, piece by piece, hospital by hospital, community by community.”

Pop culture meets philanthropy at OceanCon

programs, and offers discounts to encourage children to pick up books.

“We’re very big on reading here and trying to encourage kids to read,” Imbergamo said. “We’ve even seen them improve on their report cards.”

Beyond the comics, costumes and collectibles, OceanCon also spotlighted organizations that use fandom for good. Among them were members of the Saber Guild’s Endor Temple, an international, Lucasfilm-recognized charity group that combines “Star Wars”-style performance with community service.

Joseph Barone, director of the local Endor Temple chapter, said the group has a presence in both Nassau and Suffolk counties and has been operating for a decade.

“We play dress-up and entertain kids and adults for charity,” Barone said. “It’s very fun.”

Barone and his group host classes once a week, as well as choreographed lightsaber combat shows for kids and adults. The group often visits hospitals, including Cohen Children’s and St. Mary’s, to lift the spirits of young patients.

“It’s very hard when we go to visit hospitals, because a lot of kids aren’t mobile or verbal,” Barone said. “But when they see a character that’s usually only on TV or in cartoons, they light up. It’s incredibly fulfilling.”

Also in attendance was the 501st Legion, an international “Star Wars” costuming organization known for its screen-accurate villain costumes and its dedication to charity work.

Justin Weiss, a “commanding officer” for the group, noted that the 501st was the first “Star Wars” fan organization to be officially recognized by Lucasfilm about 27 years ago.

“We dress only as the villains of ‘Star Wars,’ with our motto being Bad guys doing good,” Weiss said. “Our biggest passion, of course, is raising money for charities, anything from autism to cerebral palsy. We love attending anything where we can help our communities, support a charity and spread our love of ‘Star Wars.’”

Weiss said that events like OceanCon are about more than pop culture — they’re about preserving and redefining the roles of libraries. “We’re here to support a local library, which is almost like an endangered species,” he said. “They’re reinventing themselves, and what better way to do it than through comics and

sc-fi? It just brings people together.”

From its beginnings eight years ago, OceanCon has evolved into one of Oceanside’s best-known cultural events. For Samuel, Pearsall and the library team, the event’s success underscores what the library has always stood for: connection, creativity and community.

“OceanCon shows just how much magic happens when we bring people together,” Samuel said. “This is what community looks like.”

Compiled by Herald staff

Destin Guerrier 9, Uniondale

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

Courtesy Ebony Guerrier

What are do you like best about Halloween?

Delilah Mandell

6, Atlantic Beach

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

Melissa Berman/Herald

Stella Madero Massapequa

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

Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald

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

Ferretti looks to build ‘tax cutter’ reputation

By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com

John Ferretti says the purpose of serving in local government is to make a difference in people’s lives every day — something he hopes to continue if he is elected to a full term as Hempstead town supervisor.

Ferretti, of Levittown, said he was proud of his record as a Nassau County legislator, where he opposed tax increases and supported responsible budgeting. In seven and a half years in the Legislature, he helped reduce county taxes by $70 million and block $150 million in proposed hikes. His top priority, he said, is ensuring that the community he grew up in remains affordable for families.

“My track record as an elected official is very clear,” Ferretti said, “I am a tax cutter, and that’s the way to keep residents able to continue to live in the homes that they grew up in, like myself.”

Ferretti, a Republican, was appointed town supervisor on Aug. 5 following Don Clavin’s resignation. Since he took office, the town passed a 2026 budget that cuts property taxes by $5 million. Ferretti said it is the responsibility of local officials to do everything possible to help residents afford to stay in the communities where they grew up.

His appointment was not without controversy. His Democratic opponent, Joseph Scianablo, filed a lawsuit claiming that Ferretti and the town board violated the state’s Open Meetings Law, which requires 24 hours’ public notice for resolutions scheduled at meetings. In response, the board reappointed Ferretti at its Sept. 16 meeting — a move town officials said was necessary to protect taxpayers from the lawsuit. On Oct. 9, State Supreme Court Justice Gary Carlton ruled that the Aug. 5 appointment had violated the law, finding

John Ferretti, who was appointed Hempstead town supervisor in August, says he wants to continue serving residents by keeping taxes low, supporting law enforcement and protecting the town’s quality of life.

that plans had been made before the meeting.

Ferretti emphasized that his appointment was not nullified. He said he could not comment on the pending litigation, but remained confident that the town would prevail in the case.

As supervisor, Ferretti said, he wants to prioritize public safety. He noted that during his time in the County Legislature, he supported measures to provide law enforcement with the tools they need, and led the

TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD SUPERVISOR

effort to reopen police precincts that had been closed. He also co-sponsored the Mask Transparency Act, which bans wearing face coverings in public to conceal identities.

Ferretti said he wanted police to be fully funded, and given the opportunity to put criminals behind bars. He said that he was against public safety reforms, such as bail reform and “Raise the Age” laws.

In response to Scianablo’s claims that he lacks transparency, Ferretti said he demonstrated openness in the budget process by publishing the preliminary budget several days before the Sept. 30 deadline and posting subsequent amendments online with more than 24 hours’ notice — a step not legally required and not customarily taken prior to his administration, he said.

“Every opportunity we have had since Aug. 5 to be transparent, we have taken that opportunity,” he said.

Ferretti said he supports protecting the town’s suburban quality of life, and opposes state efforts to allow high-rise apartments or change local zoning laws. He added that while Scianablo has called his appointment an advantage in the race, it’s only an advantage if he proves himself through his work.

“I believe that so far, from Aug. 5 until today,” Ferretti said, “my record has been pretty flawless.”

Scianablo: Hempstead needs accountability

By CHARLES SHAW

cshaw@liherald.com

Democrat Joseph Scianablo, a Marine combat veteran, former NYPD officer and prosecutor, is running for Town of Hempstead supervisor on a platform of restoring transparency, lowering taxes and holding local government accountable.

Scianablo, of Garden City, said he is running because of what he views as a lack of transparency from the current Town Board. He noted that families across the town are feeling the strain of rising costs — from a 12 percent property tax hike to increases in water, power and fuel bills.

Following the Aug. 5 appointment of his Republican opponent, John Ferretti, as town supervisor, Scianablo filed a lawsuit alleging that Ferretti and the board violated the state’s Open Meetings Law, which requires 24 hours’ public notice for resolutions scheduled at meetings. On Oct. 9, State Supreme Court Justice Gary Carlton ruled that the appointment had violated the law, but the decision did not nullify Ferretti’s appointment.

The violation, Scianablo said reflected a disregard for basic laws meant to ensure accountability.

He added that he was frustrated with government waste and the misuse of taxpayer money. “This is what’s wrong with our local government,” he said. “It reeks of corruption. It reeks of waste, fraud and abuse. The people deserve better.”

Scianablo said he wants to restore integrity by getting the town’s finances in order with operational and financial audits. He also aims to make local government more accessible to working families by holding more Town Board meetings in the evening.

Jeffrey Bessen/Herald

Democrat Joe Scianablo, a Marine veteran and a former NYPD officer, is running for supervisor focused on transparency, fiscal accountability and expanded services for residents, veterans and domestic violence survivors.

“We all want the same thing from our government, and that’s what you’re going to get from me,” he said. “Your voices are going to be heard and you’re going to be governed fairly, and the people are going to be put first.”

If elected, Scianablo said, he would focus in his first 100 days on converting all town streetlights to LED fixtures to save an estimated $1 million annually, imple-

menting zero-based budgeting to ensure that every dollar is justified, and exploring shared services with neighboring towns to reduce duplicate costs.

His platform emphasizes what he calls “commonsense solutions,” including proactive infrastructure maintenance, performance-based funding and energy efficiency upgrades. He added that communities such as Hempstead, Uniondale, Roosevelt, and especially Baldwin have been calling for long-overdue development.

Improving public safety and supporting veterans, Scianablo said, would also be key priorities. Drawing on his law enforcement background, he hoped to strengthen trust between communities and public safety agencies. “I’m excited to see what we could do to make sure we bridge that divide between community and policing,” he said.

Scianablo said he also wants to support residents affected by domestic violence by partnering with nonprofits, law enforcement, and the Nassau County district attorney’s office. He has criticized the closure of the Safe Center LI, a Nassau-based facility for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors that closed in March, and pledged to expand related services through collaboration with the county and community partners.

“There is no one-stop shopping for survivors, victims and children to domestic violence,” Scianablo said. “We need to continue with that approach.”

He emphasized that he wants to serve as a supervisor who is accountable to the people of the Town of Hempstead.

“We are all seeking a government that is accountable for the people,” he said. “We are all seeking a government that’s transparent for the people. We are all on the same team here.”

Tim Baker/Herald

Stuart Richner, CEO of the Long Island Herald, left, with Phyllis Quinlan, director of Holistic Services Administration at Cohen Children’s Medical Center; Amy Amato, executive director of RichnerLIVE; and Sofia Agoritsas, vice president of operations at the medical center.

Herald supports Cohen Children’s Medical Center

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

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

secutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, underscoring its mission to help families raise stronger, healthier kids.

Phyllis Quinlan, the medical center’s director of Holistic Services Administration, noted, “We are on track to offer over 5,000 15-minute holistic services to the CCMC staff, parents/family caregivers, and admitted pediatric patients in 2025.”

HERALD

ATTENTION STUDENTS:

THE HERALD IS HOLDING A CONTEST TO DESIGN HOLIDAY WRAPPING PAPER

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

CONTEST RULES:

Who can enter: There will be 2 categories:

Students in grades k-5. Students in 6-12

One entry per student

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

Friday, November 14, 2025

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

Mail or hand-deliver to:

Wrapping Paper Contest

Herald Community Newspapers

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

(No Photos of Artwork Will Be Accepted).

Winners will be notified by email or phone by November 21

Creative Tips

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

• Be creative & original.

• Use bright colors.

• Fill the entire page.

GENERAL ELECTION Candidates

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

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

November 04, 2025 NASSAU COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS

Oceanside / island Park

County Executive

Ejecutivo del Condado

DEM,MOD Seth I. Koslow REP,CON Bruce A. Blakeman

District Attorney

Fiscal del Distrito

DEM, MOD Nicole Aloise REP, CON Anne T. Donnelly

Comptroller

Controlador del Condado

DEM, MOD Wayne H. Wink, Jr. REP, CON Elaine R. Phillips

County Clerk

Secretario

MOD Joylette E. Williams

Maureen C. O’Connell

Hempstead Supervisor

MOD Joe Scianablo

John R. Ferretti

Hempstead Council Member

Darien D. Ward

Laura A. Ryder

Your Community.

Hempstead

Justice

ELECTIon’25

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

Hempstead Town Clerk

Secretario Municipal

MOD

Yveline L. Dalmacy REP, CON Kate Murray

County Legislator

Legislador del Condado Distrito 4

Petros Krommidas

County Legislator

Legislador del Condado Distrito 6

Debra S. Mule

County Legislator

Legislador del Condado Distrito 7

for One (1)

Surrogate Court Judge

Juez del Tribunal Sucesorio

DEM, REP, CON

David P. Sullivan

4

for One (1) REP, CON

Patrick Mullaney

County Court Judge

Juez de la corte de

DEM, REP, CON

Nancy Nicotra Bednar

Donald X. Clavin, Jr.

6

for One (1) REP, CON

Danielle Samantha Smikle

7

for One (1) REP, CON J. Fischthal Howard J. Kopel

Justice of the Supreme Court

la Corte Suprema

for Eight (8) REP, CON

Kenny

Mark A. Cuthbertson

Margaret C. Reilly

Joseph C. Pastoressa

Robert G. Bogle

Howard E. Sturim

Family Court Judge

Juez del Tribunal de Familia

REP, CON

Robert E. Pipia

District Court Judge

REP, CON Maria Boultadakis

Steven A. Pilewski

James W. Malone

Carl J. Copertino

Bronwyn M. Black-Kelly

Talking about AI at the library on Nov. 5

By CHRIS COLUCCI Correspondent

Cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology will take center stage during an expert-led presentation at the Island Park Public Library on Nov. 5, from 6 to 7 p.m. The talk will explain several practical benefits of using AI, including improved productivity and streamlined business operations.

In 2016, longtime Island Park resident Justin Abrams co-founded Cause of a Kind and began custom software and web experiences for cause-backed, missiondriven enterprises — businesses aligned with his own environmental and socially responsible professional outlook.

Abrams, the key presenter, will explain how and why AI technology is an underutilized and unavoidable advancement.

“We’ll talk about how we leverage tools like AI to solve modern business problems and how some of our customers are thinking about including that type of technology,” he said.

Many people currently interact with AI on a nominal level through Siri or Alexa, for any thing from weather conditions to traffic updates to news headlines. It’s becoming increasingly common to seek more in-depth advice, answers, and general information from language learning models such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok.

Courtesy Justin Abrams

Island Park resident Justin Abrams of Cause of a Kind, a company that created custom software, will discuss artificial intelligence at the Island Park Library on Nov. 5.

Abrams offers assurances that his talk will not be solely focused on entrepreneurs and business owners.

“Everybody and anybody will benefit from the level of conversation,” Abrams said. “It isn’t going to be technically deep. There will be some ‘jargon’ and some keywords just to level-set with everybody on

has slowly and surely found its way into the mainstream over the past several years, making it a topic of discussion and interest for many.

Sara Geller, the library’s adult program coordinator, explained why they wanted to host this particular presentation.

“If somebody specifically says they’re interested in a topic, then we try to have it,” she said. “Or if it’s something we think would be worth for the community, like a general interest or something we think is a need, or if it’s a community member. [Mr. Abrams] is an Island Park resident. We think people will be interested in it, so we wanted to have it.”

Abrams approaches his presentation fully aware that not everyone is as enthusiastic about AI as he is. He not only anticipates skepticism. He welcomes it.

“That contrarian perspective, the stuck in the mud perspective,” Abrams said. “That makes for great conversations. My goal is to not make you a believer. My goal is to make sure you’re awake.”

a 101 perspective. But this is really like a battle cry. How do I, as a human, regardless of what I do for a living or my place in the community, how do I fit into the world of AI?”

Whether it’s asking an LLM to craft a well-worded email or receiving an AI overview to any basic Google search, AI

And so, regardless of what somebody’s opinion of AI is today, the horse and buggy turned into a motor vehicle, turned into an airplane,” he added. “You can choose to be left behind if you don’t want to adopt it. If everybody agrees, ‘Yes, yes, this is great, this is great,’ that doesn’t lead to the type of breakthrough conversation that I aim to deliver.”

STEPPING OUT

A tale of eternal friendship

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

By Abbey Salvemini

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

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

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

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

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

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

“We would be able to offer something to our

• Now through Nov. 2

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

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

• John Cranford Adams Playhouse, South Campus, Hempstead.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Glaser

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

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

Orchestre National de France

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

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

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CALENDAR

Westbury House Tour

For many years visitors to Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens asked what was beyond the first floor corridor. Now go beyond the door and discover “secrets of the service wing,” during a 60-minute guided tour. Be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests; tour the many rooms that were “behind the scenes” to create the formal dining experiences of early 20th century. Go along the corridors to the butler’s pantry and silver cleaning room then descend the 17 steps to the kitchen, scullery, and wine storage rooms located on the ground floor. Reservations required.

• Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury

• Time: Noon-1 p.m. and 3-4 p.m.; also Oct. 31

• Contact: oldwestburygardens.org or call (516) 333-0048

Astronomy lecture/ viewing

Learn about occultations, clusters and the latest space missions and telescopes from Larry Gerstman, and look at a dark limb lunar occultation of a bright star at Island Park Library.

• Where: 176 Long Beach Road

• Time: 7-9:15 p.m.

• Contact: islandparklibrary.org

NOV

1

Ted Nash’s ‘Presidential Suite’

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

Dia de Muertos Nichos

Long Island Turkey Trot Step into November with the Long Island Turkey Trot 5K.

• Where: Eisenhower Park, Parking Field 2

• Time: 9 a.m.

• Contact: EliteFeats. com/25LITurkeyTrot

Art explorations

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

• Where: 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor

• Time: Noon-3 p.m.

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

Long Island Children’s Museum welcomes families to experience Dia de Muertos, the vibrant holiday that is widely celebrated in Mexico. Learn about nicho, the beautifully adorned frames are a popular form of folk art of the region and are often used on ofrendas to memorialize someone special. Make one to take home at the drop-in program. For ages 3+.

• Where: Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: Noon-2 p.m.

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

OLC Casino Night

Feeling lucky? Come out to Oceanside Lutheran Church’s Casino Night. It’s where the stakes are high, the laughs are loud, and the fun never stops!

Casino Party 4U turns the night into an unforgettable Vegas-style experience. Chips, cards, prizes, and community vibes all in one night. Don’t miss your chance to roll the dice with OLC. Double your chips and rebuys throughout the night. With appetizers, raffles and door prize. Advance registration required.

• Where: 55 Fairview Ave., Oceanside.

• Time: 7-11 p.m.

• Contact: bit.ly/OLCCasinoNight

NOV

2

Splish Splash… Animal Bath

Hang out with some Long Island Children’s Museum’s “residents” at the drop-in program. Join an animal educator in the Hive Studio’s in the Feasts for Beasts Gallery to learn what goes into the care of LICM’s animal “residents.” Observe animal bath time.

• Where: Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: 1:30-2 p.m.

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

NOV

6

Oceanside Community Service Dinner

Oceanside Community Service holds its annual dinner at Alias Smith & Jones.

• Where: 2862 Woods Ave., Oceanside

• Contact: (516) 536-4300

Little Learners Art Lab

Each week in this engaging workshop, participants are introduced to hands-on materials, artmaking, and inspiration from artists and techniques. Young kids, ages 2-5, build critical thinking

perform current hits, oldies and tunes from the Broadway stage, with a tribute to Woodstock and “Wicked.” With refreshments and post-show dancing until 1 A.M. Seating is night-club style at round tables. $30 per person, available in advance or at the door. Refreshments provided; guests can bring in your own food (just no pork or shellfish).

• Where: Temple B’nai Torah, 2900 Jerusalem Ave., Wantagh

• Time: 7:30 p.m., also Nov. 15

• Contact: licabaret@aol.com or (516) 946-7207

NOV 9

Flip Your Lid Families are invited to commemorate America Recycles Day at Long Island Children’s Museum by upcycling mason jar lids into beautiful works of art, at the drop-in program. Free with museum admission. For ages 3+.

• Where: Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: 1-3 p.m.

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

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

• Time: 7 p.m.

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

skills, expand vocabulary, and support imaginations as they play, create and explore. This week decorate a sea-themed frame. $4 with museum admission.

• Where: Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: 11:30 a.m.-noon

• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800

NOV

8

Saturday Night Social Grades 5-8 are invited to the Saturday Night Social at the Friedberg JCC with spots, games, movies and more. Tickets are $10, members are free.

• Where: Friedberg JCC, 15 Neil Ct., Oceanside

• Time: 7-10 p.m.

• Contact: Rachael Trigona at (516) 634-4179

‘Once Upon A Song!’

Join L.I. Cabaret Theatre for their latest performance. In this spirited show books in a library are brought to life in song and dance. A cast of 40 keeps the action moving along, with a live band and and a special appearance by Steve Mitchell as Elvis. The singers and dancers

Art Talk

Join Poster Historian and Gallerist Ted Bahr for” In a Furious Moment - The History and Development of the Psychedelic Rock Poster.” The psychedelic rock poster had a brief but colorful life from 1966 to 1970. Originating out of San Francisco in a utopian period where it was thought that peace and love could change the world, these posters advertised the rock “dance concerts” and reflected the very psychedelic and idealistic world around them. Breaking all the rules of graphic design and advertising, the psychedelic rock posters sought to be as illegible as possible, to force competing colors together to create a vibratory effect, and appropriated images from all eras of history, Seating is limited. Registration required. $20, $15 seniors, members free.

• Where: 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor

• Time: 3 p.m.

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

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.

Show Off Your Little Fans!

Snap a photo of your “Little Fan“ in their favorite football, hockey or any sports gear or outfit and enter our Little Fans Photo Contest!

Whether it’s your pet in a jersey or child in their favorite team’s colors, we want to see how you get into the sport spirit!

Scan the QR code to submit your photo today for a chance to win a pair of New York Islanders tickets to a game this season and be featured in your Long Island Herald.

Contest Ends 11/20/25

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Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 0. c. Total Paid Distribution: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 2405; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 2221. d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution( by Mail and Outside the Mail) : (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 787; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 703 (2)Free or Nominal In-County as Stated on Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 288; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 0 (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other classes Mailed Through the USPS: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 0; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 0. (4) Free or Nominal Rate

Distribution Outside the Mail: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 400; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 700. e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 1475; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 1403. f. Total Distribution:

Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 3880; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date, 3624. g. Copies Not Distributed: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months,1120; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 876. h. Total: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 5000; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 4500.

i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 61.98%; Actual No. Copies of Single Issue

Published Nearest to Filing Date 61.29%

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

17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: Stuart Richner, Owner; Date: October 1, 2025. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material information requested on the form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). 1322408

NEWS BRIEFS

Dance performance celebrates culture

Students at Francis X. Hegarty Elementary School marked Hispanic Heritage Month with a dynamic dance performance by the Phyllis Rose Dance Company on Oct. 20.

The interactive program introduced students to traditional dance, music and folklore from Hispanic cultures, aiming to deepen their understanding of the history and artistic expression rooted across Latin America. Dancers shared the cultural significance behind each movement and rhythm, encouraging students to reflect on the ways communities celebrate identity and heri -

tage.

School officials said the performance helped promote cultural awareness and appreciation among students — a core goal of the month long celebration.

The Phyllis Rose Dance Company is known for its arts-in-education work, partnering with schools to provide engaging and curriculum-connected performances. The group focuses on fostering creativity, movement and cultural insight, helping young audiences learn through art in motion.

–Abigail Grieco

Motivational speaker moves students

Students at Island Park’s Lincoln Orens Middle School recently received an inspiring message of perseverance and determination from motivational speaker and Long Island native Rohan Murphy.

Murphy, who lost both of his legs early in life, shared his journey of overcoming adversity through sports, beginning with wrestling in high school and continuing with a successful athletic career at Penn State University.

LEGAL NOTICE

Approximate amount of lien $535,382.77 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 608704/2018. Stephanie Stutman Goldstone, Esq., Referee. Davidson Fink LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 400 Meridian Centre Blvd, Ste 200 Rochester, NY 14618

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During his presentation, Murphy urged students to “be more inclusive in life, not exclusive,” and emphasized the importance of resilience, determination and his personal motto, “no excuses.”

Murphy gave his motivational speech on stage to the middle school students of Lincoln Orens.

Students engaged with Murphy’s message and asked questions following his talk. School officials said his story

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU. NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING, Plaintiffagainst- MICHAEL MCKAY; JANET MCKAY, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 16, 2024 and entered on January 3, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court “Rain or Shine” located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on December 9, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. premises situate, lying and being at Oceanside, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York; known and designated as Section 38 Block 400 Lot 474. Said premises known as 2829 ELM STREET, OCEANSIDE, NY 11572 Approximate amount of lien $609,381.14 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 610218/2022.

encouraged students to confront challenges directly, live with purpose and never give up.

Grieco

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A house makes the scary sounds of the season

Q. Our home seemed very normal when we first moved in, but little by little, things began to happen that we couldn’t explain. Doors would open and close, floors creaked with nobody in the room, a particular wall “sweats” one day a year, and we keep hearing a low moaning sound followed by tapping coming from our den. We’ve had a handyman come and try to assess some of the door squeaks and things, but is any of what I described normal, or could some of it truly be a sign of something unexplainable?

A. When things go bump in the night, you can’t always run to your mummy. It seems we humans have always had a fascination with death, and our minds create endless possible scenarios.

The first two things I was taught in architecture school were that we need to always be concerned about water and movement. How water affects our lives as a gas, liquid or solid is fascinating, and maybe a little spooky. Materials like the center of a tree trunk, when exposed, sanded and coated, become reactive to humidity we can’t easily see, which causes the wood to re-swell. The fibers in wood were once a set of feeding tubes, drawing water from the roots to the leaves, before someone came along and cut the tree down, stripped, sliced and kiln-dried it. Nature is super and natural, so it’s no wonder that it seems supernatural for wood to want to regain its former capability, and creak and moan as it delightfully regains its former life. Some things can’t be explained easily, like why someone doesn’t check to see that a door is hung correctly, to be plum in the horizontal and vertical, so that the slightest breeze or pressure change makes it seem to move on its own. When heated or cooled water moves through a metal pipe (more so than through a plastic pipe), it expands or contracts it. If the pipe hangers holding it in the floor structure or the holes it snakes through are only the size of the pipe, the materials push and pull against each other, making banging and tapping sounds or, in some cases, squealing sounds.

I’ve often explained that homes are, in many ways, just like other living things, possessing a nervous system (their electric wiring), a skeleton, a skin and the ability to breathe in and out. Even though your home may have “good bones,” it still gets creaky and expands and contracts with the heat and cool cycles, when it’s hit with the hot sun and cool winds. Every day, your home lifts itself out of the ground, expands outward toward the sun and then, as you lie in bed in the darkness, you hear the materials all move past each other as they contract, settling in for the night, just like you.

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OPINIONS

Trump has written first chapter of a new Mideast history

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

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

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

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

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

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

But any reluctance to remain fully engaged will incentivize Hamas.

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

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

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

As for bringing together a Hamas-free transition entity, the United States must work with Israel and other key regional countries to have our intelligence agencies coordinate an effective vetting process to ensure that Hamas does not infiltrate the transitional governing body that must be created. Trump would be well advised to work with Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair throughout this process, and make use of his proven diplomatic and peacekeeping abilities.

Rebuilding Gaza is essential. Gaza is wrecked, much of it reduced to rubble. Rebuilding it seems insurmountable. But so did rebuilding Germany and Japan after World War II. The United States realized that it was in our national and economic interests to have those coun-

Presidents make mistakes, but this

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

There aren’t many news items that

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

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

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

The first recorded act of American governmental discretion was the amnes-

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

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

one was a doozy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oceanside/island park

Established 1966

Incorporating the Oceanside Beacon and Record of Oceanside in 2001

AbigAil grieco Reporter

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oFFice

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Phone: (516) 569-4000

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HERALD

When disaster strikes, the Red Cross responds

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

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

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

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

LETTERS

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

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

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

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

The shutdown is ‘malpractice’ by both parties

To the Editor:

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

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

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

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

TONY GIAMETTA Oceanside

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

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

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

When a crisis strikes, the Red Cross shows that humanity’s greatest strength lies in our willingness to help. On Long Island, it’s not just an organization; it’s a community of neighbors ready to act. In moments of disaster, the Red Cross doesn’t just respond. It reminds us who we are — a region, and a nation, defined by generosity, courage and the unyielding belief that no one should face tragedy alone.

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

OPINIONS

Even Long Islanders should fear a Mamdani mayoralty

The race for New York City mayor may seem like a local contest, but make no mistake: What happens in the five boroughs ripples across all of New York. The policies, taxes and signals that come from City Hall have real consequences for Nassau County’s economy, for small businesses that depend on the city’s vitality and for the future of our state.

in many cases, even understand what’s being done to them. That’s not compassion, it’s recklessness.

during the pandemic years still lingers.

That’s why the possible election of Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani should alarm every New Yorker — especially those of us who still believe in common sense, public safety and economic sanity.

Mamdani’s farleft agenda would make the city unlivable for working families and toxic for businesses. And when businesses flee, they don’t stop at the city line — they take jobs, tax revenue and opportunity from all of us. Mamdani has made clear what kind of mayor he would be. His priorities aren’t jobs, affordability or restoring safety. They’re about ideology. He’s promised to spend $65 million of taxpayer money to fund “gender-affirming” procedures for minors — children who aren’t old enough to vote, drive or,

Sharing memories of Woodmere with Randi

To the Editor:

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

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

KEN WALKER Amityville

Mamdani’s campaign is built on giveaways: free buses, free child care from infancy through pre-K, cityowned grocery stores, rent freezes and a $30 minimum wage. His “plan” to pay for all of it? Massive new taxes on anyone who’s successful. The result would be predictable: Businesses would leave and middle-class families would follow.

New York City is already losing residents faster than almost anywhere in the country. Under Mamdani, the exodus would accelerate.

HMamdani’s approach would dismantle what’s left of law and order in the nation’s largest city.

is radicalism doesn’t stop at economics — it extends to public safety.

And his radicalism doesn’t stop at economics — it extends to ideology and public safety. He has refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” a slogan rooted in violence against Jews and Israel. A city that has endured a surge in antisemitic attacks can’t afford a mayor who flirts with rhetoric that justifies them.

Nor can it afford a mayor who wants to keep the NYPD “emaciated,” as Mamdani himself has said. Law enforcement in New York is already demoralized and under siege. Morale is low, crime is up, and the sense of disorder that drove so many people to flee

LETTERS

Sharing memories of grandparents with Jordan

To the Editor:

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

RICK HERMAN Lido Beach

We’ve seen this movie before. When progressive ideologues run cities, chaos follows. In San Francisco, permissive drug policies and “equity” housing experiments have turned once-vibrant neighborhoods into ghost towns. In Chicago, soft-oncrime leadership has driven out families and businesses. A Mamdani administration would bring that same nightmare to New York — and by extension, to all of us.

It’s worth remembering that New York City’s fiscal meltdown in the 1970s began with similar utopian promises. Politicians spent money they didn’t have, raised taxes on those who did, and the city nearly went bankrupt. Wall Street refused to lend. The federal government said no. Basic services collapsed. History has a way of repeating itself when the same mistakes are made for the same reasons.

Beyond the policies, there’s something more troubling about the modern left that Mamdani embodies: a willingness to use division and intimidation to achieve political goals. Whether it’s mobs harassing officials in restaurants or activists shutting down public meet-

ings, the culture of the far left increasingly excuses political violence. From the Ku Klux Klan to today’s campus agitators, history shows that extremism often cloaks itself in moral righteousness while undermining democracy itself.

With endorsements from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Mamdani would have powerful allies in Albany. That should send chills down the spine of anyone who still believes New York should be a place of opportunity, not ideology.

Long Island remains a bastion of stability, faith and family values — yet we are surrounded by dysfunction. The policies that wreck New York City don’t stop at the city line. They spread through taxes, migration and failed leadership. We’ve seen it before, and unless we speak up now, we’ll see it again.

New York doesn’t need a mayor who divides people, punishes success and undermines the rule of law. It needs leadership that restores balance and responsibility. If Mamdani wins, the city’s decline will accelerate — and Long Island, along with the rest of the state, will pay the price.

The choice before New Yorkers isn’t between left and right. It’s between stability and chaos. Let’s hope they choose wisely.

Ari Brown represents the 20th Assembly District.

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