Rockaway Journal 02-26-2026

Rockaway JOURNAL

New York City expands protected time off

In Maspeth, inside the warm hum of Angelo’s Deli, Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood shoulder to shoulder with workers, advocates, and city leaders to deliver a message that would ripple across all five boroughs: in New York City, no one should have to choose between their job and their life.

New York City has some of the nation’s strongest protected time off laws.

Same LeviNei Commissioner Consumer and Worker Protection

Beside him was New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Sam Levine, and together they celebrated the expansion of the city’s Protected Time Off Law — formerly known as the Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law—while announcing a sweeping enforcement effort that would reach 56,000 employers. The moment was both symbolic and practical: a promise backed by power.

“New Yorkers shouldn’t have to choose between doing their job and caring for their family, protecting their safety, or keeping their housing secure,” Mamdani said in a news release. “When life happens, your job shouldn’t be the thing that falls apart.”

Local Law 145 strengthens that promise. Employers must now provide an additional 32 hours of unpaid protected time off immediately upon hire — and again on the first day of each calendar year. No waiting period. No earning it hour by hour. Instant access.

That single change carries enormous weight. A new hire facing a child care emergency in their first week no longer has to panic. A worker navigating a housing hearing in January does not have to fear discipline for using time they’ve earned.

Parents can now use protected time off for school holidays and sudden child care disruptions. Workers caring for a family or household member with a disability are covered. Employees attend -

ing housing or benefits appointments are protected. When public emergencies like snowstorms or power outages are declared, workers can stay home safely. Even needs related to workplace violence are now included.

“These expansions respond to the real challenges New Yorkers face—from the rising cost of child care to extreme weather emergencies,” Mamdani said. “No one should have to choose between caring for themselves or their loved ones and keeping their job.”

Levine underscored the broader vision.

“New York City has some of the nation’s strongest protected time off laws, and now they are even stronger,” he said. “By expanding protected time off and ensuring immediate access to additional hours, we are building an economy that puts people over profits.”

Inside the deli, 12 Amazon workers organizing with the Teamsters gathered for a coffee roundtable. They spoke candidly about balancing childcare, hous -

ing appointments, medical needs, and unpredictable schedules in high-pressure workplaces

That same day, DCWP launched an enforcement blitz, sending compliance warning letters to more than 56,000 employers, including every city restaurant, prior enforcement targets, and DCWP licensees. The letters outlined legal requirements, notice obligations, compliance tools, and penalties for violations.

Those penalties are significant. Employers who break the law face employee relief and civil penalties ranging from $250 to $2,500 per employee, plus back pay. Under the new enforcement strategy, employers who fail to provide compliant protected time off must pay each affected worker at least $500 per year, plus an equal amount in civil penalties. A company with 100 employees could owe $300,000 for violations over three years.

DCWP’s data-driven strategy

compares employer sick leave usage rates with national benchmarks from the CDC’s National Health Interview Survey. The findings are clear: the need for sick leave is universal. If a company’s records show unusually low usage, it may signal unlawful barriers — and DCWP will investigate companywide.

Employers are encouraged to selfaudit using the new Protected Time Off Usage Compliance Tracker. Common violations, such as nonexistent policies, unlawful absence control systems or disciplining workers for last-minute callouts are expected to be uncovered, officials said.

— Jeffrey Bessen

Rockaway JOURNAL

On the first day of classes in September, members of the Lawrence High School football team wore Mission 550 shirts, commemorating their goal, with their next win, to record the 550th victory in the program’s history.

Lawrence H.S. field closure drags into spring

By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com

More than halfway through the school year, Lawrence High School’s athletic field remains closed, forcing all outdoor teams to continue playing home games at Fireman’s Field, in Valley Stream, and leaving students and families wondering when their campus facility will reopen.

The field was shut down last fall after it failed a county inspection, prompting district officials to relocate football games and other activities out of safety concerns. At the time, administrators described the move as temporary while further evaluations and repairs were planned.

But as winter sports wind down and spring athletics approach, the field remains unavailable, and teams are still unable to host games at the high school.

The prolonged closure has created ongoing logistical challenges for athletes, coaches and families. Teams must travel off campus for practices and games, requiring additional coordination of transportation and reducing the opportunities for students to gather at their school to support their classmates on the field.

Friday-night games and after-school sports events have traditionally served as social anchors for Lawrence High students as well as their families, alumni and community members. Without a home field, many stu -

dents say, the sense of shared school pride has diminished.

Student Board of Education representative Arbi Corbita raised those concerns at the board’s meeting on Feb. 9, telling trustees that school spirit has suffered this year.

“Earlier this year, our field was closed down from football and soccer games,” Corbita said. “Students and parents are concerned over the updates and what will happen for the upcoming fall season.”

Corbita, who is also vice president of the senior class, said that students feel disconnected from school activities when games are held off campus, making it harder to draw crowds and create a home-game atmosphere. Without regular on-campus events, fewer students stay after school or attend the relocated games, weakening traditions that normally unify the student body.

“We want transparency and a timeline of what we have to expect,” she said. “It concerns most of the students in the

school, and they want to have their school spirit back. It’s difficult when you want to support your school and you have to go all the way to Valley Stream.”

Parents and athletes have echoed those frustrations, noting that travel to Fireman’s Field makes it harder for students without transportation to attend games, while athletes lose the advantage and the excitement of playing in front of a home crowd.

“It’s difficult when other schools come to compete with us and question who we are because we don’t have a home field,” Corbita said. “That we play at a soccer field without our own logos, and I don’t think that represents us as a community and school.”

The situation is particularly concerning as spring sports season approaches, when track and field, lacrosse and baseball teams rely heavily on campus facilities.

District officials have not yet announced a timeline for reopening the field.

“Athletics and extracurricular are just as important to me as academia,” board President Heshy Blachorsky said. “One breeds the other, and it breeds success and school spirit.”

Administrators have previously said that inspections and evaluations were needed to determine necessary repairs, but have given no public update on when work will be completed or when teams can return home.

“Unfortunately, it’s not a secret that our field, for whatever reason, was inspected, and out of an abundance of caution, the superintendent made the decision not to play here,” Blachorsky said. “Football is a contact sport, so we want to be very careful. It’s a safety issue. Nothing would make us happier than having our home games played here than on Fireman’s Field.”

“It is part of the global FEMA project,” Jeremy Feder, the district’s assistant superintendent for business and operations, said, referring to the Fed-

eral Emergency Management Agency. “The shoreline is eroding. You could replace a football field, but it won’t be there in two years. Part of the FEMA project is to shore up the receding shoreline, because we also need a track.”

Feder said the reconstruction of the track, the field and the stands and everything that comes with it are part of the Federal Emergency Management plan.

“Everything out there has to be done properly,” Feder said. “Until we get the FEMA approval to shore up the land, then we can start putting in the new football field, track and stands.”

For now, Lawrence High athletes continue to call Fireman’s Field home, while students and families wait for the return of on-campus games — and the school spirit they say comes with them.

“Everything is part of the big picture,” he added. “I’m on the phone with FEMA three, four times a week pushing for this to pass.”

A.B. officials unanimously approves several changes

By AIDAN WARSHAVSKY awarshavsky@liherald.com

The Village of Atlantic Beach Board of Trustees adopted several resolutions at its board meeting.

The board, which met Feb. 9 at Village Hall, voted to adopt an amendment in chapter 210 of the village code, making changes to align with Nassau County’s Senior Citizen Property Tax Exemption. Residents age 65 or older who make less than $58,399 will qualify for the exemption after all state and federal exemptions have been assessed.

“You will make the filing with the county,” Village Trustee Joseph Pierantoni said.

To increase revenue for the village, the board went on to pass three additional resolutions.

Effective immediately, beach clubs will be required to pay $1.95 per square foot as a parking lot fee. Clubs will also have to pay an annual fee to use a lot at their location. The board also passed a resolution on a bill, which is currently in New York State’s Senate Assembly Committee. The bill, if passed, will impose a 3 percent tax on hotels, motels, and beach clubs within the village. It has support from State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitpatrick, and District 20 Assemblyman Ari Brown.

Village Mayor Barry Frohlinger said that the changes in the code are in response to the significant vehicle traffic beach clubs attract during the summer, calling it a “safety and security issue.” He noted that administrative functions like code enforcement, the court system, and maintenance of roadways are all impacted.

“Our current fee structure for nonresidentential properties was established at a time when these costs were significantly lower than today,” Frohlinger said. “For years, the village has absorbed these rising costs. This is no longer a sustainable and responsible practice.”

Village trustees made four changes in the village code at their board meeting on Feb. 9 following the discovery of discrepancies in writing and funding.

The village also took steps to modernize its court system, passing a resolution allowing it to partner with FBS Parking Solutions. The firm will assist with a backlog of violations and help transform their current system by handling postage and notices—something the village had to do at its own expense. “This enhances administrative efficiency for the benefit of the community,” Frohlinger said. “It will clean up the problem and generate revenue.”

While the resolutions drew skepticism from the crowd, Frohlinger said that the changes will help “bring the village into the future.” He noted that, like his fellow trustees, he wants the code to “make sense and be fair.”

“We are reading every single word in the village code to make sure that we amend it to bring it up to speed, to where it should be in 2026,” he said.

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Welcome to this elegant and expansive 5600 sq ft Hewlett Harbor residence built in 2004

What makes a basement a basement?‘finished’

Q. I have a basement with a bathroom and nothing else except a washer and dryer, back to back, with the sink and toilet on the other side of the wall. Everything else is unfinished, and I bought it this way. I was recently told that I need to have a permit for a finished basement or I have to remove the bathroom. I don’t want either of those options, but I’m being told I will be issued a violation, because the building department sent me a notice about this. I consulted an architect, who started to explain all the rules, but I need a second opinion. What should I do if I just want the bathroom and don’t want to finish everything else?

A. Sorry to disappoint you, but your building department has interpreted that your bathroom in a basement is leading to habitable use, meaning that the basement is more than just a place to store boxes and other household items. The same is true of basements that have a fireplace or a mattress-and-night-table setup. Even occasional use by a houseguest puts you in the category of a “finished” basement.

What the consultant architect may have told you is that you’ll either have to remove the bathroom, with a permit for the demolition (since your building department knows about the condition) and a separate plumbing permit to have the capping of pipes inspected, or you’ll need a lot of other items, at greater expense. Your spaces will need to meet the ceiling height requirement of 80 inches from floor to finished ceiling, or anything constricting someone from walking around, such as a steam pipe or built soffit. If you don’t have 80 inches (6 feet 8 inches), then the rest of what you do will also be important to evaluate, since your plans and application paperwork will be on hold until the requirement is appealed through a separate codeappeal process, and more paperwork will need to be submitted to the state for a code compliance variance. This means you will have to request to vary or be allowed an exception after evaluation by a review board at the state level.

Either way, a finished basement will require a second means to escape in an emergency. This can be accomplished with a larger window, with an opening no higher than 44 inches from the floor and at least 5.7 square feet of clear opening, a minimum of 24 inches in height and 20 inches in width. A window that is only 20 inches by 24 inches would not meet the requirement, however. Those are just minimums for each dimension.

The escape well has to be a minimum of 9 square feet of outside floor area, and must at least have a ladder for climbing up and away. You could also have a door and stairwell, with proper drainage, at even greater expense. There’s more, so wait until next week.

© 2026 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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