Uniondale Herald 02-19-2026

HERALD UNIONDALE

Med school sweethearts

Easing their way into college

By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com

Uniondale High School has earned a bronze designation on the Advanced Placement School Honor Roll from the College Board, a recognition that reflects a sharp increase in student participation and performance in AP coursework.

“AP is a college-level course — it’s not a college course — but you get the experience of working on college-level material,” David Hollander, Uniondale School District’s social studies director and one of the AP coordinators said.

You’re with a high school teacher who is building the capacity in you to self-advocate, to be independent, to build your stamina,” he continued. “You work independently on your own, coming into class with work done, which increases your writing and reading skills.”

Kianna Rojas and Ben James, both 24, are second-year students at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. The couple, from Cypress, Calif., moved to Uniondale in July 2024 after a long-distance relationship during their undergrad years. This semester they are attending lectures and studying together, and also taking part in clinical sessions once a week at Zucker Hillside Hospital for Psychiatry, in Queens. Story, Page 3. W e’re never going to prevent a student from taking that challenge. We’d rather see a student take a challenging course that they really have to work hard at.

Lawrence Road Middle School uses Read-A-Thon to help the homeless

By ABBY GIBSON Intern

Nearly 200 students from Uniondale’s Lawrence Road Middle School took part in the school’s second annual Read-A-Thon, which ran from Nov. 3 through Jan. 23. The participants raised money based on the time they spent reading, in support of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, which helps combat homelessness across the region.

Lawrence Road students in sixth and seventh grade raised $1,775 by reading for over 164,000 minutes, and celebrated with a pizza party for the top five fundraisers and readers. The school

also created an escape room challenge for the students with the most minutes.

The children recruited sponsors who paid them for every minute they read.

The Read-A-Thon kicked off with an assembly in November, when students heard from representatives of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless. “They came in last year, and the response that we saw from our then sixth-graders was utterly amazing,” Lawrence Road reading and literacy teacher Sara DiRusso said of the 2025-26 school year’s Read-A-Thon. “We had them come back again and go a little bit deeper, to really explore the crisis of homelessness that

The AP Honor Roll distinction is awarded to schools that meet specific benchmarks in expanding access to AP coursework and improving student outcomes. To qualify, at least 40 percent of a school’s graduating class must take at least one AP exam, 25 percent must score a three or higher on at least one exam, and at least 2 percent must take five or more AP courses, including one in the ninth or 10th grade.

DAvID HOll ANDeR District social studies director, AP coordinator

The College Board, founded more than 120 years ago, is a non-profit that helps student navigate from high school to college and career. The organization has pioneered programs like SAT and AP exams.

Over the past five years, there was 295 students enrolled at least one AP class, in the 2021-22 academic year and it has nearly doubled in 2025-26 with 631 students. Hollander said. School leaders adopted an openenrollment approach, encouraging students to challenge themselves while also providing academic and social-emotional support to help them succeed.

The number of male stu -

Continued on page 10

Guitarists honors Latin American composers

Guitarist Daniel Moreno presented “Mosaico Latino: Homage to the Music of Latin America” on Feb. 8 at 2 p.m., offering audiences a musical tribute to the diverse sounds of Latin America.

The program blended traditional rhythms with contemporary influences and featured works by renowned composers including Argentina’s Jorge Morel, Paraguay’s Agustín Barrios Mangoré and Brazil’s Paulo Bellinati. Selections included Morel’s “Danza Brasiliera,” Cardoso’s “Milonga,” Dyens’ “Tango en Skai,” Mangoré’s “La Catedral” and Jobim’s “Felicidade,” highlighting the region’s rich cultural and musical heritage.

The East Meadow Public Library hosts Sunday concerts throughout the winter. For more on what’s ahead, visit EastMeadow.info.

blended traditional rhythms with contemporary influences,

Building a future in medicine together

By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com

Medical school is widely regarded as one of the most demanding academic environments. Research archived by the National Library of Medicine has documented high levels of stress and burnout among medical students, citing heavy coursework, clinical responsibilities and fear of falling behind as common causes of pressure.

But between lectures, hospital sessions and late-night studying, Kianna Rojas and Ben James still make time for each other.

Their relationship began in 2018, during a high school formal in their junior year, where Rojas asked to the school’s dance. James surprised Rojas with candles on her driveway before the dance. After that, they began dating.

The 24-year-olds are now second-year students at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell since 2024. Their days are tightly structured. With classes running from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by clinical sessions, research and student organizations. This semester, they’re completing psychiatry sessions at Zucker Hillside Hospital, a Northwell facility. Rojas said they will work full time in rotations after Memorial Day, but are still waiting to confirm the location of where they will be working next. Rojas plans to pursue pediatrics, while James hopes to enter orthopedics — specialties that could require night shifts and demanding schedules before they peruse private practices if they want versus working in hospitals.

“We try to make time to do stuff outside of school, and if you don’t make time for it in med school – it won’t happen,” James said.

Teresa Grella, Director of Counseling and Mental Health Professions at Hofstra, said couples in demanding programs like medical school must be intentional about protecting their relationship — starting with individual selfcare.

“If people are busy, having something scheduled in for either once a week or every day where they really spend a few hours together is a better safety net than winging it,” Grella said.

Now halfway through the four-year program, the couple say the academic intensity has increased, but being classmates has made the experience steadier.

“We spend Monday to Friday with each other at school because we’re classmates, we have pretty much the same exact schedule, “Rojas said. “We’re in the same lecture, we’re in lab together.

For the med school couple, being in the same program has helped ease some of that strain. They prepare for the same exams and understand the weight of the workload. Even when they plan a weekend getaway, studying remains part of the routine – and they do it together.

Rojas said the couple plan to spend Valentine’s Day weekend together. During the drive, they will quiz each other on material from class before enjoying

Kianna Rojas and Ben James at their Junior Year Winter Formal in 2018, where their longtime friendship turned into a relationship after James surprised her with candles on her driveway. The couple, now second-year medical students at Hofstra/Northwell, has been together since that night.

time on the slopes. “It’s about finding that balance, but it’s fun to get to do it together.”

Rojas added it’s nice to be with someone who understands and expects what is expected out of her.

“I don’t need to apologize if I don’t have the energy to do something, because he understands, he’s going through the same thing,” she said.

Grella noted self care, such as eating regularly or managing stress, creates tension which can leak into a relationship.

When both partners are under pressure, empathy can increase, she noted — but so can conflict, especially when time together is limited. However, for this couple they break the barriers.

“It helps not only being in the same field, but also being within the same program, because we both understand each other,” Rojas said. “We’re studying for the same exact tests, the same exact time.

But before Hofstra during their undergrad, there was a time when Rojas and James were separated. James studied mechanical engineering at the University of Notre Dame, while Rojas attended the University of California San Diego.

By the time they were dating, both had already decided that they wanted to pursue careers in medicine in the same med school. “It was definitely a tough

via Zoom, muting their microphones while doing their homework.

“We worked hard to have great communication,” James said. “With each other and one of the best things for that was we had a shared Google Calendar with both of our schedules on it.”

They chose to apply to the same schools rather than attempt another period of long distance. They both applied to 37 of the same medical schools, and submitted their applications online at the same time.

When they were accepted to Hofstra/ Northwell they moved to Uniondale in July 2024, having driven across the country from California. Leaving home was intimidating and energizing, they said, but navigating the move together made the transition smoother.

“Moving across the country was crazy,” Rojas said. “It was a little bit of a scary thought, the idea of leaving for medical school, but also, an exciting thought.”

Residency will bring longer hours and new adjustments. They know the next phase will test their time management again, but they view it as part of building the lives they envision.

“We defiantly talked about it a lot, after med school you go to residency, which is more training,” James said. “Depending on what kind of doctor you want to be,”

transition at first not only learning how to be a college student but also being so far apart from Ben,” Rojas said. “I tried to immerse myself into the college experience to keep myself busy and find what I was passionate about.”

Even when they were three hours away, the couple still studied together

Yet there is a way that they can still be together while working in residency. National Resident for Matching Program: Couple Match where they are interviewing for positions they can link their applications together. They have the chance to be in 20 different programs of the same hospital or a neighboring hospital.

“We know there is going to an end in sight, it’s just the reality of us achieving our dream” Rojas said. “When we get to that point were going to be like ‘I love you but we have things to do’ but we have to get it done to set up our lives.”

Since starting med school, the couple has found an interest they both enjoy – running, a hobby many of their classmates have as well. They have done a few races together such as the Hampton Marathon. Their next run will be 9+1 program, for the New York City Marathon, lead by New York Road Runners.

Ebony Guerrier, Melanie Reyes and Xavier Davis participated in a Valentines Day event for the third grade class at Smith Street Elementary School where they controlled the music and helped students with crafts.

Smith Street School celebrates Valentines

Smith Street Elementary School marked Valentine’s Day with an afternoon of music, crafts and a dance contest organized by third-grade paraprofessional Ebony Guerrier, with help from Melanie Reyes and Xavier Davis.

On Feb. 13, students created Valentinethemed crafts, showed off their dance moves in a friendly competition and stopped by a photo-op station to take Valentine’s Day pictures with friends, adding to the celebration’s fun atmosphere.

Various Valentine’s Day decorations were spread around the room.

Amira Webley-Greaves participates in dance contest. Her song choice was “Teach Me How to Dougie” a popularized song in 2010 by Cali Swag.

Grand Ave students explore Caribbean culture

By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com

From Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago to Haiti, the rhythms of the Caribbean have traveled far beyond island shores — carried by generations of families who form a vibrant diaspora rooted in shared history and cultural pride.

For Black History Month, Grand Avenue Elementary School embraced that heritage with “Colors of the Caribbean: A Journey Celebration” on Feb. 11 in the auditorium making sure the school’s diverse student body felt seen and represented.

Megan Sadlon-Williams, the program director, organized the celebration, beginning preparations in November with a committee, the Equity Warriors Club, parents and teachers.

“We have so many kids from so many different countries, we wanted to make sure everyone felt represented,” SadlonWilliams said.

As part of the initiative, the school also created a “choice board” family project, encouraging students to explore and share their heritage and where their families come from.

Students in pre-K, first, second, third and fifth grade classes took the stage to perform traditional Caribbean songs, including “Give Me Soca” by Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, “Coconut Is Everywhere” by Owarikids and “Toast” by Kof-

fee. Many of the performances were inspired by Caribbean carnival traditions, incorporating soca music, calypso rhythms and colorful movement.

The pre-K class opened the program with a soca parade, walking down the aisle with flags and noisemakers. Other grades performed choreographed dances, with the fifth grade helping create its own routine, while Sadlon-Williams choreographed the remaining performances.

Masks decorated the auditorium, created in art class through the school’s equity budget. Though limited, the funding allowed students to explore color, symbolism and Caribbean artistic traditions. Each performance reflected lessons about different Caribbean countries, highlighting how language, music, history and customs vary from island to island while still sharing common cultural roots.

“People sometimes don’t know the history of slavery in the Caribbean islands as well,” Sadlon-Williams said. “And for them to celebrate freedom from that –diaspora is the best word for that. It was a celebration of freedom; joy and the vibes were high.”

Sadlon-Williams said preparing for the event also meant learning alongside her students.

“I like to think we all try to have our culture energy in music class,” she said. “I draw in from their culture, their background – I learned so much, when we do Hispanic heritage month.

The music teacher taught herself latin American dances. She said she learned them to to help celebrate it.”

“But I had to learn more about soca to prepare students,” she added.“Im learning along side them.”

Students also shared what they learned through the celebration.

“I learned during a special carnival celebration is called J’ouvert, it’s a French word and the meaning is daybreak,” said Gabby Reyes-Gonzalez a fifth grade student.

“When other people share their culture, it is a fun way to express themselves,” I don’t get why some people would be treated unfairly when they are celebrating, some people might be from America and some people might be from South America – if they celebrate, what’s wrong with that,” she said confidently.

Geckos, pythons and more at Reptile Expo

By ISABELLA SIMONE Special to the Herald

In the market for vanilla scream pythons? Or maybe a Mertens’ water monitor or two and some bee pollen reptile food? You didn’t have to look far if you were at the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Feb. 7.

The Nassau Reptile Expo brought together families and friends for a memorably intriguing day, with more than 175 tables of passionate reptile, amphibian, and invertebrate breeders. Reptile enthusiasts had the opportunity to learn about, and purchase, whichever creature they desired. The show will be repeated June 13 and October 3.

Allen Both, owner of Major League Exotic Pets in Howell, NJ, and in the business for 40 years, displayed various species of colorful geckos, chameleons, lizards, and pythons. Allen breeds and sells vanilla scream pythons, lavender albino pythons, Mertens’ water monitor, and many more.

“I have a very fond appreciation when people succeed with pets and the animals do really well,” Both said. “Too many of them perish because they do not get the proper care. When people do the right thing, they do the research, and they take good care of them, that’s kind of rewarding.” Despite being in the business for so many years, Both did not always foresee his future career being where it is now. However, his childhood love for reptiles paved the way for his current passion.

Joseph from Seaford brought his two young children to this event, noting that this was their second time attending a reptile expo. “It’s something different that we tried and ended up loving. Seeing how excited these (my children) get at the lizards and snakes and stuff is, you know, that’s all you want to see as a dad,” he said.

Holly Saladino has been working with reptiles for 10 years and is the owner of HS Exotics and Supplies in Mastic Beach. In addition to geckos, Saladino carried a variety of products including bee pollen reptile food, plants, and food cup holders. She breeds her own reptiles and shared her personal favorite. “The orange guys, they’re called eurys for short or chameleon geckos. They stay really small, so when they’re full grown, they’re just adorable. Even though they’re small, they’re still really personable, so I’ve grown to love them over time more than the other ones,” she said.

Vendors at this expo share a similar passion for people and how they react to their animals. “My number one favorite thing is literally doing the events and talking to people, because actually, like communicating and educating people on these animals is so much more interesting than, you know, sending a quick blurb online…at least you can have a conversation with somebody (at an expo),” Saladino said.

Jason Minori attracted a crowd of people with his entertaining reptile demonstration featuring. “Miss Jackson,” a which is a Jackson’s chameleon, native to Kenya. “She is wild, bought from Hawaii. That’s where 99 out of 100 of them in this country come from.” He primarily focuses on this breed and said he has “studied it like all hell.”

and son duo Keith Berberich and Keith Jr. of 631 Boas and Balls in Shirley, spoke of their passion for reptiles is a key to their strong bond. Their company name is derived from their shared love of ball pythons and boa constrictor snakes, which were put on display at their exhibit. “When you selectively breed things to go together and you hit that one that you were looking for, it’s really rewarding,” Keith Jr. said.

Isabella Simone is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.

HERALD SPORTS

Knights break through to capture track title

By MICHELLE RABINOVICH sports@liherald.com

Uniondale’s boys track and field team had a lot of pressure entering the Nassau Class A championships. It’s been six years since they last won the county title, so coach Dennis Kornfield was itching to return to the school’s winning ways.

“Very happy to get back to the tradition that we had,” he said after Uniondale totaled 99 points Feb. 2 to capture the crown at Saint Anthony’s High School.

It’s the 34th title for the Knights dating back all the way to 1972.

This was Kornfield’s 26th indoor county championship, but easily one of his favorites in years.

“We feel that this could be, potentially, one of the better teams that we have had with all of the championships we have had,” Kornfield said.

And he has good reason.

For starters, Kornfield said Uniondale finally had enough athletes to build a durable team. The program majorly downsized during Covid, so it’s taken years for interest to build back up. Once the participation resumed pre-Covid numbers, the key ingredient was this year’s athletes were also incredibly hard-working, which made training them easier.

“The work ethic that these young men, very serious athletes,” Kornfield said.

Kornfield took pride in the 4x400 relay: Romain

Eccleston, Danny Delva, Saishun Lamour and Ethan Davidson. The 4x200 comprised of Aelechi Akazi, Ramel Kinard, Michael Toney, and Jason Sylvain. It placed second and got All-County honors.

Lamour took home the county title in the 600-meter run in 1-minute, 25.36-seconds. Ross Wallace was a dou-

ble county champ, winning the 1600- and 3200-meter races. He took home second place in the 1000 to total 28 points on his own.

Kornfield said Wallace is among the top three alltime distance runners Uniondale has ever had, as evidenced by his results in the county championship.

Ai’Shan Powell won first place in the high jump and third place in the long jump. Molenson Jnmary took second in the triple jump, and Romain Eccleston was runner-up in the 300. Rounding out results were Delva at third place in the 300, and Davidson at fifth in the same contest.

Overall, Kornfield was glad to see the scoring distributed widely, that this win wasn’t riding on the back of one single athlete.

“It’s amazing to have that many kids scoring points,” Kornfield said.

Baldwin was a distant second to Uniondale with 73 points. Syosset was third with 53.

While happy with this year’s success, Kornfield is already looking to the future of the school. But first comes the state meet.

“We have a lot of younger runners so we’re looking to start a new dynasty, hopefully” he said.

Overall, Kornfield reiterated how rewarding it was to see the Knights work together, cheer each other on, and push as hard as they could to bring home another banner to hang in the gym rafters. “Very pleased indeed,” he affirmed.

When’s the last time

What’s underground comes back around

Undoing the damage: the challenges of managing Long Island’s largest chemical spill

By ALYSSA R. GRIFFIN & JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO of the Herald Community Newspapers

Second installment in a series about water.

It’s impossible to discuss Long Island’s groundwater without addressing Northrop Grumman.

The Long Island aeronautics industry was a key asset to the United States armed forces in the last century, testing and manufacturing nearly 30,000 airplanes for the U.S. Navy starting in the 1930s, and later producing the lunar module for Apollo 11’s landing on the moon. For over 50 years, the Northrop Grumman Bethpage Facility and Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant Site was at the center of American defense and innovation — and one of the largest chemical contamination sites in New York.

According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the degreasing agent trichloroethene leaked from NWIRP’s plumbing and dumping sites into the Magothy Aquifer — which provides water to much of Nassau County — creating the Navy Grumman groundwater plume.

tions or captured in granulated carbon, preventing any future leaks.

The DEC’s 2019 Record of Decision was the first formal plan for cleaning up the site. Before then, there were around 10 extraction wells in the affected area. Since the ROD, the number of wells has risen to 26, supported by five watertreatment plants. The aggressive plan to stop the plume’s southward migration was motivated by the DEC’s zero-tolerance attitude toward chemical contamination, Pelton said.

“Groundwater exists in these voids between grains of sand and soils in what we call pore spaces,” Granzen explained. “Water moves in between those pore spaces. When the contaminants get mixed with the groundwater, that causes movement.”

RISING TIDES

“The water districts should not have to address this,” Pelton said. “That’s the primary driver here: removing the TCE from the aquifer system so that we’ve got a better drinking water source.”

The plume is a twomile-by-four-mile body of TCE with the potential to leach into Long Island’s South Shore waters and the Great South Bay, according to Jason Pelton, director of Remedial Bureau D in the DEC’s Division of Environmental Remediation.

“As plumes go, it’s probably the largest in New York state,” Pelton said. “It may be one of the largest in the country.”

Bethpage’s tarnished legacy

Shortly after the plume was identified in 1983, the DEC formed a partnership with both the responsible parties, the Navy and Northrop Grumman, to begin restoration efforts. The two groups operate extraction wells, large structures that siphon water out of the aquifer, filter out TCE, and send the water back underground by way of recharge basins.

“I’ve been very impressed with the Navy and Northrop Grumman’s ability to locate these wells precisely where they need to be, and to see the contaminant numbers that are coming out in these locations,” Kristin Granzen, DEC project manager for the U.S. Navy Bethpage site, said.

The joint cleanup effort processes about 10 million gallons of contaminated water per day, according to DEC documents provided to the Herald. The agency estimates that about 80 percent of the contamination — 276,000 pounds — has been removed from the Magothy Aquifer and destroyed in chemical reac-

The DEC’s goal is to reduce the aquifer’s TCE levels to 5 parts per billion, the groundwater safety standard, though much of the plume’s area is still over 50 ppb, according to DEC map data from May 2025.

“The fact that it’s predominantly TCE makes it a little bit easier,” Pelton added. “The challenge is the magnitude of the contamination … I would say maybe we’re pumping in the interior of the plume for 30 or 40 more years.”

Chemicals linger, at what cost?

While the cleanup continues, the plume’s public health effects have been a topic of endless discussion. Its cleanup is made possible by collaboration with local municipalities, home to the county’s hundreds of monitoring wells collecting data on groundwater. They are a strict quality-control measure assessing whether the water is safe to consume or to use in irrigation.

Kevin Reilly, who oversees the monitoring of the Massapequa Water District as its superintendent, told the Herald that if the chemicals posed no real health risks to the community, there would be no need for the decades-long cleanup effort. The district serves parts of Massapequa, Massapequa Park and North Massapaqua, all areas just south of Bethpage, where the plume originated.

After filtration, there are no risks to residents’ health, the DEC maintains. “I would say the overall health of the aquifer is healthy,” Pelton said. “It’s important that people know that their drinking water is really high quality, and it’s absolutely safe to drink that water.”

According to a chemical profile from the Agency for Toxic Substances and

Courtesy Department of Environmental Conservation this map shows the estimated extent of the navy grumman groundwater plume, which was first identifed in 1983, based on the most recent data from 2025.

Disease Registry, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TCE can be a carcinogen with high exposure, and the state Department of Health conducted an environmental health investigation in Bethpage, finalized in 2013, on whether long-term exposure to contamination from the sites had affected local cancer rates.

According to the department’s report, there was no correlation between the presence of TCE in the aquifer with cancer rates on Long Island. The most commonly diagnosed cancers in the areas affected by the plume were those typically seen most often in adults, and no single rare cancer type appeared more than once. Most diagnoses occurred at ages when cancer is generally most common. There was no indication that the cancers were linked to environmental findings.

The health department continues routine monitoring of drinking water and remediation efforts to protect public health as the cleanup progresses.

At the request of the Bethpage community, the department is revisiting the

2013 study, and its work is expected to be completed by the end of this year. In a written statement, the department told the Herald that the update cannot provide a direct link between cancer cases and environmental exposure, including the plume. Evaluations of environmental exposure can draw some health associations, but they cannot determine causality.

“There is no new threat to public health, and prior exposures have been addressed for more than a decade due to the efforts of New York State,” the statement read. “The Department is currently working on the study and upon completion of the report will announce findings and host a public meeting.”

The race against the spread

The state continues its effort to clean up the plume while keeping the affected communities informed. The DEC facilitates regular community meetings through its Community Participation Working Group, comprising elected officials, agencies, businesses and experts

Saga of Navy-Grumman plume continues

Continued from PreViouS PAGe

that meet on a quarterly basis. The group was established to foster dialogue, improve public understanding, and encourage discussion of the cleanup.

The DEC staff also provides regular project updates at Bethpage Community Council meetings, which are held at the Bethpage Public Library and open to the public.

According to the DEC’s January Groundwater Plume Cleanup Update, public water suppliers treat groundwater using established methods to contain regulated contaminants before they reach homes and businesses. Water is drawn from designated sources, treated to meet all federal and state drinking water standards, and distributed through a network of mains and storage tanks. Throughout the process, water quality is continuously monitored to ensure that it remains safe to drink.

The challenge is the magnitude of the contamination.

Jason PelTon Remedial bureau director, Department of Environmental Conservation

“We work really closely with the water districts in Nassau County,” Pelton said. “Every single day they provide high-quality drinking water that meets all of the New York State Department of Health drinking water requirements.”

The system relies on multiple safeguards to maintain high water quality and protect public health. This approach ensures that if standards are not met, suppliers notify customers and take corrective action, which can include temporarily taking wells out of service.

Negotiations among public water suppliers, the DEC, Northrop Grumman and the Navy have focused on funding the treatment systems used to maintain safe drinking water. The Bethpage Water District, for example, operates treatment systems that are considered among the most advanced in the nation, according to the DEC.

Though it is currently not affected, the Massapequa Water District is just outside the current spread of the plume. “We are not an active part of the cleanup yet,” Reilly said. “We monitor — there’s monitoring wells that we get the data from the Navy and their consultants and the DEC. But we don’t have any contamination in our wells from the Grumman Navy plume at this time.”

Common misconception has led many Long Island residents to believe the entirety of the South Shore has been impacted, which is not the case. Nonetheless, Reilly said, “The plume is migrating and flowing towards our district.”

He explained that while large-scale, permanent systems for treating the underground water are currently under construction, temporary systems have been installed along the leading edge of the plume. They operate on a smaller scale, but they are designed to be mobile, and can be relocated as needed to respond to changing conditions while the permanent treatment infrastructure is being completed.

“The water districts to the north of us are already treating their wells for the contaminants, and they’ve spent millions upon millions of dollars to get these treatment systems in place,” Reilly said. “We haven’t had to do that yet — we’re watching. We don’t want to have to do that, and we’re constantly involved in pushing to get these Navy treatment systems up and running, to treat the groundwater.”

Northrop Grumman did not respond to requests for comment.

the northrop Grumman rW-21 Area Groundwater extraction and treatment

pumped out of the aquifer, before sending it back underground.

Courtesy Northrop Grumman northrop Grumman was a major manufacturer in the aeronautics industry for the u.S. armed forces. Above, airplane parts in of one its factories.

study that shows local governments and corporations working together to protect communities. The plume’s development and spread also show that the consequences of a mistake can be challenging to deal with, and that decades of damage require as much or more time to repair. The DEC’s expertise, Northrop Grumman and the Navy’s willingness to take responsibility, and the help of local water districts, were essential in making the restoration effort possible.

The public can receive updates about the plume cleanup effort at the DEC’s Bethpage Community Council meetings at the Bethpage Public Library, the Navy’s semi-annual Resident Advisory Board meetings online at NAVFAC.Navy.Mil/Divisions/Environmental, and Northrop Grumman’s website, NorthropGrumman.com/Sustainability.

deCeX6 is an early exploration well designed to support the cleanup of the plume. the well, installed in the town of oyster Bay by the State department of environmental Conservation, awaits potential future use if needed.

Students gain college experience with AP classes

dents taking the courses, Hollander said, increased by 141 percent from 2022 to 2026.

On Feb. 3, the high school held an AP recognition ceremony honoring students who completed multiple AP courses. One senior, Aariana Osorio, 17, completed 10 AP classes during her time at Uniondale.

Osorio began taking AP courses as a freshman after learning about the program in eighth grade through a successful district initiative known as “AP is U.” Hollander said the campaign is promoted across district schools to prepare students early for high school coursework.

Osorio has taken AP Seminar, AP Research, AP Language and Composition, AP Spanish, AP World History, AP Physics 1, and AP Calculus AB. She is currently enrolled in AP Physics C: Mechanics, and AP Calculus BC.

“My AP courses were significantly more challenging and in-depth, but also more meaningful,” Osorio said. “They pushed me beyond memorization and into critical thinking, clear communication and connecting ideas across subjects.”

The workload came with late nights and frequent exams, she explained, but it also helped her build discipline, patience and resilience. Through the experience, Osorio said she became a stronger writer, researcher and time manager.

Not every AP course is the right fit for every student, Hollander said, and teachers, coordinators and guidance counselors work closely with students to determine where they may benefit most or need additional support.

“We’re never going to prevent a student from taking that challenge,” he said. “We’d rather see a student take a challenging course that they really have to work hard at, even if they don’t earn the qualifying score.”

Research has shown that students who take AP courses often perform better in college. The Princeton Review describes AP classes as a way to prepare students for college-level rigor and ease the transition to higher education. AP coursework can also signal to college admissions officers that students are prepared for challenging academic work.

“AP wasn’t just about earning a grade or credit,” Osorio said. “It shaped my work ethic, strengthened my problem-solving skills and helped me see learning as growth rather than fear or confusion.”

Osorio will attend Columbia University in the fall and plans to pursue a STEM-related field, an interest she said developed during her time in high school.

Uniondale High senior Aariana Osorio was honored at a Feb. 3 Advanced Placement ceremony after completing 10 AP courses, highlighting the school’s growing participation in college-level coursework.

While not all AP credits transfer to every college, she said the courses prepared her for college-level expectations and helped her recognize her own potential.

“Columbia has a really strict Core Curriculum, that they want their students to complete,” Osario said. “While I would get an ‘advanced college credit’ they may place me into a higher level course, but I’ll still have to take a class related to that subject.

London Davis, 16, a junior, is enrolled in AP Physics 1, AP Calculus AB, AP Research, AP U.S. History and AP Language and Composition. Davis described a noticeable shift in expectations compared with earlier coursework.

“My freshman year, I took the New York State Regents physics course, and there was a huge jump in rigor when I entered AP,” Davis said. “I learned valuable algebraic skills that now help me in both AP Physics and AP Calculus.”

While AP courses are more demanding, Davis said they are also more gratifying.

“I find them more rewarding, and there’s more room for growth throughout the school year,” the junior said. “Challenging yourself and not doing your best at first shouldn’t be a deterrent to your goals.”

AP courses may also offer financial benefits.

Because AP exams cost significantly less than college courses, students may earn credits that count toward prerequisites or degree requirements, potentially reducing college costs.

Depending on how many AP classes a student take, the more it is. However, the Uniondale district qualifies for grants and most of the time, students are refunded. However, the grant is not always guaranteed.

Davis said some of AP credits may apply toward some required coursework in college, allowing the junior to bypass certain classes and save money.

In addition to individual student achievements, Hollander pointed to programs such as AP Seminar and AP Research, which allow students to conduct independent research projects and formally defend their findings. Students who complete both courses can earn a Capstone Diploma designation from the College Board.

The goal, Hollander said, is not simply to increase participation numbers, but to prepare students for life after graduation.

“AP is not for the elite — it’s for the prepared,” he said. “We want every student to see themselves as capable of taking on that challenge.”

Teachers receive professional development through AP Summer Institutes and other College Board trainings to ensure instruction aligns with updated standards that emphasize analysis, argumentation and the application of knowledge rather than rote memorization.

“It’s not just our top five or top 10 percent anymore,” Hollander said. “We’re really looking to expand opportunity so our students don’t experience culture shock when they arrive on a college campus.”

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State Republicans rally around Blakeman

County executive, now the GOP nominee for governor, has plenty to say about Hochul at convention

By Chris ColuCCi, ABig Ail grieCo & AngelinA Zing Ariello of the Herald

After three days of official business, rallying the party faithful and nominating the state Republican slate, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman was front and center at the party’s convention in Garden City last week, and accepted the GOP’s nomination to be its gubernatorial candidate.

If elected, Blakeman would be only the second Long Islander to become governor, 127 years after Teddy Roosevelt did so, and the first Nassau County executive to hold the state’s top office.

Blakeman criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul and pledged to cut income taxes for middle-class families, reduce electricity bills by rolling back stateimposed fees and mandates, and redirect spending he said is being wasted to instead fund schools, infrastructure, hospitals and services for veterans.

“Taxes are soaring, electric bills and insurance premiums keep climbing out of control,” Blakeman said on Feb. 11, the third and final day of the convention. “Crime is rising. Businesses are leaving the state in record numbers. Families and seniors are being priced out of their homes. New York ranks dead last for economic development, and number 45 out of 50 states in the nation for affordability, and it’s all a direct result of Kathy Hochul’s failed policies.”

He vowed to oppose congestion pricing, protect Second Amendment rights and support law enforcement, including keeping violent offenders in prison and revisiting criminal justice policies such as cashless bail and parole standards.

“I will bring the experience, leadership and focus on public safety,” Blakeman said. “We will make you safer in your homes and your communities, and we will continue to fight for your families. I will be governor for all the people, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, abilities and lifestyles.”

Upstate Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood was introduced as Blakeman’s running mate, the candidate for lieutenant governor. Hood pledged to support Blakeman and help lead what he described as an effort to fix the state’s pressing problems. A third-term elected sheriff with more than 30 years of law enforcement service, Hood framed his candidacy around public safety and government accountability. He argued that the state has become less safe and more expensive under oneparty rule, criticizing bail laws, antipolice rhetoric and high taxes that he said have hurt communities and driven families and small businesses out of the state.

Hood said that he and Blakeman would stand with law enforcement and crime victims, cut taxes, rein in state spending and work to make New York more affordable.

“That’s the kind of leadership that I’ll bring to the lieutenant governor’s office,” Hood said. “Bruce Blakeman and

the party’s nominee for governor, noted Gov. Kathy Hochul’s “failed policies” on Feb. 11.

I are running to restore common sense.”

Former Gov. George Pataki, New York’s last Republican governor, who served three terms, from 1995 to 2006, offered his support as well, making clear the party’s push to win back the governor’s office.

“I’ve known Bruce for decades,” Pataki said of Blakeman. “He is someone who loves this country and loves this state. He is someone who has dedicated his life to public service to make the lives of others better. And he hasn’t just tried. He has succeeded.”

Delegates also nominated Saritha Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor, for attorney general, with 86.3 percent of the vote. She defeated Brooklyn attorney Khurram Dara. Komatireddy emphasized her experience prosecuting terrorism and public corruption, and pledged to focus on public safety.

“I’ve spent my life in public service and public safety,” she said. “New Yorkers are tired of seeing criminals released over and over again while families feel

the office.

unsafe in their own communities.”

The party’s nominee for comptroller, Joseph Hernandez, shared his family’s story of emigrating from Cuba after his father was a political prisoner. He criticized current Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and outlined plans to invest $1 billion in Israeli bonds and launch a proposed $10 billion “Empire Opportunity Fund.”

“I know a communist when I see a communist,” Hernandez said of DiNapoli. “My friends, he is a communist.”

Long Beach Republican Chairman Jim Moriarty pointed to Nassau County as a microcosm of the state.

“In Nassau County, the demographics and all other statistics mirrors the state of New York,” Moriarty said on the second day of the convention. “He’s got tremendous executive experience,” he added of Blakeman. “He’s shown he can win and attract bipartisan support. He’s going to be a tremendous candidate and a great governor.”

Along with Hochul, the Democratic

slate includes incumbents Attorney General Letitia James and DiNapoli, a native Long Islander. The lieutenant governor candidate is Adrienne Adams, the former speaker of the New York City Council.

Hochul received a boost in her campaign when current Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado suspended his campaign for governor, deciding not to challenge her in the Democratic primary.

Blakeman is expected to face a challenge in the Republican primary from Libertarian candidate Larry Sharpe. That election is June 23. The general election is on Nov. 3.

Despite Republican support inside the building, Democrats outside made their presence known on Feb. 11.

“We’re here to send a message to our Republicans over in the hotel across the street that we’re not going to stand for electing a man as governor of this state who’s going to kowtow to Donald Trump,” state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs said.

Compiled by Herald Staff

Ariel Borkowsky Farmingdale

Someone

Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald

Joe Mascaro

Abbey Salvemini/Herald

Jarrod Murphy Rockville Centre, age 10

When

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Carson Giacopelli Lynbrook, age 18

Roksana Amid/Herald

Alumna showcases ‘Threaded Visions’quilts

By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com

The Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library is showcasing Patricia Schust’s handcrafted quilts in their gallery, throughout February and March.

Schust, 69, a Uniondale School District alumna who resides in North Merrick, has been quilting for 40 years.

Her gallery “Threaded Visions” features three pieces made out of neck ties, one large piece draped over a pole and numerous quilts, which fill the walls and display cases. Along with decoupage plates and shells with a Valentine’s theme.

“These are truly some of the most beautiful quilts I’ve ever seen,” said Michelle Young, director of the HWPL.

Schuster was not the original artist to be featured during these months, and filled in on a last-minute notice.

“She’s the best backup showing we’ve ever had,” Young said. “She’s an incredible person and extremely talented.”

The library will be hosting an artist reception on March 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. for the community to personally meet with Schuster.

“It Means a lot to the library to not just showcase traditional art but different kinds of art being expressed,” she added. “I feel like her quilts are on a level of an oil painting because they are all so unique and beautiful.”

Young said that Schust uses texture in her pieces and was creative within the pieces along with on top of them.

“It’s such a joy to see her pieces,” Young said. “Every time I go downstairs, It’s like I’m seeing it for the first time because it’s that stunning.”

Librarian Diana Brewster organized Schust’s art gallery and reached out to her after hearing about her quilt show at the North Bellmore Public Library.

“I found out Patricia was having a quilt show at the library so I reached out to her to do a virtual art show here at the library,” Brewster said. “She wanted to do a physical show and we had a last minute opening for the February and March time slot for 2026. “

Brewster said her artwork is amazing and that the quilts were different and intricate.

“I’m happy that the library was able to host an art show for Patricia,” she said. Schuster had been encouraged to do art since she was in elementary school and her mother bought her first set of oil paints.

“My mother always encouraged anything that had to do with art,” Schuster said. “From what I remember, whenever there was something that had to be done in school artistically I was always chosen to do it.”

She continued to pursue art throughout her time in school and always knew she would go to college for art.

Schust went to Adelphi University where she was in the fine arts program. She has held numerous jobs in the art field over the years.

As a retired librarian, Schust is dedicated all of her time to quilting and

spends her days in her quilt room.

“I just create every single say, in one way or another,” she said.

This is her third consecutive year of showcasing her talents in art galleries in libraries across Long Island.

“Oftentimes I hear people looking at a quilt exhibit saying things like ‘look at all of these beautiful blankets,” Schust said. “Quilts are more than blankets, each one tells a story. From early times when they were pieced with love from well-worn clothing carrying with it memories from those who wore the items.”

Avid readers raise funds,

Second-year Principal Mark McCaw introduced the Read-A-Thon in January 2025, and this year he continued the tradition of highlighting a book he read along with the kids. Last year it was “Ghost” by Jason Reynolds, and this year it was “Ghost Squad,” by Claribel A. Ortega, a story about a Dominican American girl who lives in Florida, and teams up with her best friend and her friend’s grandmother to save their town from ghosts.

“These kids are young and they’re excited,” McCaw said. “When they see adults have a sense of pride in something they’re doing, they share that.”

“Anytime you can encourage a kid to read for fun or for a part of a challenge, it makes it even more enticing to them,” Lawrence Road Librarian Paula Trapani said. “But what I witnessed was genuine enthusiasm.”

Students who read for the most minutes were given a fun reward: an escape room called “The Monster Hunt: Library Skills-Building Adventure.”

The activity, created by Jason Edwards, an educator and award-winning writer from Glen Cove, encourages students to learn more about how to use library resources, such as computerized cata -

logs.

The escape room challenged their imagination and emphasized teamwork skills. According to Nassau BOCES, the concept is to track down and capture a lurking monster. Participants discover clues and solve riddles, which eventually lead them to the monster’s secret lair.

“We want them to see that, one, there’s a life outside of just school — there are a lot of things to be exposed to,” DiRusso said. “And two, they’re using their reading skills here when they’re participating in these things,

and interacting and building that social connection.”

She explained that recognizing students for putting in an effort makes a big impact on them. And they don’t have to be the top students.

“This gave them the freedom to read,” Assistant Principal Leigh Sumter said of the Read-A-Thon. “And the library is absolutely excellent for kids to go in and sit in a comfortable chair and pick out a book that they want to read.

“Our librarian has a plethora of

books of all different reading levels about all different students, all types of genres,” Sumter added. “And they’re able to go in and find what they like.”

For seventh-grader Jessica Barnes, 12, logging reading minutes was worth more than just prizes.

“I like that we’re helping people in need, or people who don’t have as much as we do,” Jessica said. “I like that we’re helping ourselves as well as helping others, by gaining things from a book that we might not have yet, and giving other people what they might not have.”

STEPPING OUT

Hoops, hijinks and history

By Andrew Coen

Acentury after the team’s founding, Harlem Globetrotters storied history comes alive when the latest iteration of the quickfingered hoops stars return here.

The Globetrotters bring their 100 Year Tour to Nassau Coliseum, on Feb. 21, giving fans a chance to see the team’s well-known acrobatic dunks, trick shots and long-range shots up close. This special appearance marks the first time the iconic team — debuting their new 100 Year jerseys — has performed in the arena against longtime rivals, the Washington Generals, since 2017. From gravity-defying dunks to game-changing tricks, everyone will certainly feel the history, the joy, and those “wow” moments in true Globetrotters style.

What started with Curly, Meadowlark, Wilt, and Geese continues on today with Hammer, Torch, Bulldog, Cheese, Jet, Wham, Thunder, TNT — and so many more. Taking inspiration from the fun-loving and awe-inspiring players of the past, today’s Globetrotters stars are ready to wow you on the court and in the crowd

The team is full of a number of talented men and women basketball players who were for various

Guard Lucius

Harlem Globetrotters at 100

courtesy Harlem Globetrotters Andrew “Big Dog” Whitsett, right, a 7’1” forward/finisher, commands attention with his size and presence on the court.

The centennial season’s “5th Quarter” postgame session gives fans some special moments with players.

Wild

days

in the Bronx

Chazz Palminteri is back on the Paramount stage with his electrifying solo performance of “A Bronx Tale,” the autobiographical one-man show that launched his remarkable career. Riveting and deeply personal, it draws on Palminteri’s bruising Bronx childhood, including the moment — at nine-years-old — when he witnessed a gangland killing that forever shaped his view of the world. Palminteri inhabits 18 vivid haracters, seamlessly shifting between friends, foes and family members to conjure an entire neighborhood with nothing but his voice, physicality and storytelling prowess. First written and performed in 1989, “A Bronx Tale” became a sensation, hailed as one of the most sought-after properties since “Rocky.” The original production paved the way for the acclaimed film adaptation — directed by Robert De Niro — and later a hit Broadway musical.

reasons counted out throughout their lives, according to Lucius “Too Tall” Winston, who has spent the last nine years with the Globetrotters. Winston, despite his nickname, only measures 5’11’’ and was told by a former coach at age 15 he was too short to play college or professional basketball.

“You have a ton of guys through our team that had to face adversity and that builds character,” he says. “I got a chance to see that coach a couple years ago after he saw me play and he said he wanted to apologize for what he said to me and I told him if he didn’t tell me those words at that age I probably wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Sunday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny. com.

and

pursue their dreams — anything is possible with good

Winston is as fanatical about basketball today as he was as a young player in his hometown of Russellville, Ala. His love of the sport has crossed from player to coach to motivational speaker. Winston dedicates his personal time to organizations that shine a light on the sport with emphasis on leadership, team work and focus. True joy for him comes with motivating kids to get out of their comfort zone and pursue their dreams — anything is possible with good character, good grades and hard work.

• Feb. 21, 2 p.m.

• Tickets range from $50-$200; available at ticketmaster.com and harlemglobetrotters.com

The Globetrotters have revolutionized the sport of basketball throughout its 100-year history, including popularizing the slam dunk The team’s roster includes Zeus McClurkin, who set a record for the most dunks in a minute with 16 in 2016.

• Nassau Coliseum, Hempstead Tpke., Uniondale

“Too Tall” Winston’s favorite trick is the 2 Ball Spin. He holds eight Guinness World Records, including Most Figure Eight Dribbles in One Minute (2020 and Most Three Point Shots Made By a Pair in One Minute (2020).

In addition to the Globetrotters’ famed high-flying dunks, the number of longdistance shots are always a thrill.The Globetrotters famously introduced a 4-point shot in 201, 30 feet from the basket, which is seven feet longer than the NBA’s three-point line.

Winston, who played college basketball at Tuskegee University, relates that interaction with the fans is what makes attending a Globetrotter game particularly unique. Among the signature moments, the team holds a free postgame autograph session. And during the game those in the crowd are frequently called down to the court to participate in stunts. Everyone can also take part in premium options that enable pregame access to meet players along with joining the team for warmups on the court.

“You get to see guys that can play the game at a high level who can jump out of the gym and shoot the ball extremely well and you’ll also see plenty of entertainment as well,” Winston says. “It’s a high quality game from start to finish and then at the end fans are allowed to come down courtside and get autographs and take pictures with us.”

McClurkin, who set a record for the most dunks in a minute courtside and get autographs and take pictures with us.”

future Hall of Famers like Wilt Chamberlain and Connie Hawkins; or Curly Neal and Meadowlark

International icons, the Globetrotters are considered “ambassadors” of the game, beloved the world over for their special brand athleticism that combines the skills and foundations of basketball with a uniquely theatrical flare. From breaking the NBA color barrier with alums like Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton signing a pro contract as a member of the New York Knicks or courting future Hall of Famers like Wilt Chamberlain and Connie Hawkins; or Curly Neal and Meadowlark Lemon dazzling sellout crowds; to ushering women into professional basketball; to the current group, the Globetrotters’ reach and impact attract attention.

Tilles Center Atrium becomes an intimate lounge to showcase exciting up-and-coming jazz talent Sarah Hanahan, presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center. The dynamic, soulful alto saxophonist is swiftly emerging as one of the most compelling new voices in jazz. A graduate of both the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz and The Juilliard School, she blends deeprooted swing and bebop traditions with a bold, modern intensitySince stepping onto the scene, Hanahan has performed with an extraordinary range of jazz luminaries. =Her commanding tone, technical mastery, and melodic imagination have taken her to major stages across the U.S. and abroad, with regular appearances at premier New York City venues. Whether fronting her own quartet or collaborating with some of the music’s most revered artists, Hanahan plays with passion, precision and an unwavering commitment to the ever-evolving art of jazz.

The current team of elite men and women, holders of an unprecedented 60+ Guinness World Records, including 18 set just last year — the most of any team in any sport — bring a fresh look of gravity-defying dunks and game-changing tricks against their renowned rivals in this special centennial season.

Thursday, Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at tillescenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Your Neighborhood CALENDAR

FEB

Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out

Long Island Children’s Museum’s welcomes all to Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out. The exhibit provides interactive experiences that help visitors learn about the important role emotions, memory and imagination play in our everyday lives. Hands-on and digital experiences focus on the five emotions featured in the film: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear. With related activities.

• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City

• Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

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

Scan, Smile, Fly

Families can step into the role of a traveler and explore how AI facial recognition is used in modern aviation. Participants will “check in” a stuffed animal passenger using AI software, receive a printed boarding pass and take it home as a keepsake, while learning how emerging technology is shaping today’s airport experience.

• Where: Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Garden City

• Time: Noon-4 p.m., through Feb 22

• Contact: cradleofaviation.org

‘The Wedding Singer’ Molloy University’s CAP21 Musical Theatre students stages the musical comedy based on the iconic film. The show will have you partying like it’s 1985! Travel back to the outrageous 1980s, when hair was huge, neon ruled fashion and everything MTV was “like, totally tubular.” Based on the mega-hit Adam Sandler movie, this Broadway romance about a heartbroken rock star wannabe finding love again is jam-packed with big laughs, dazzling dance numbers, and a score as bold and electric as the decade itself. From popped collars to power ballads, “The Wedding Singer” is a nostalgic, feel-good celebration of love, friendship, and all things ‘80s.

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

• Time: 8 p.m.; also Feb. 21, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Feb 22, 3 p.m.

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

Family theater

Long Island Children’s Museum stages “Pete the Cat,” the charming musical based on the book series by Kimberly and James Dean. Life is certainly an adventure for Pete, no matter where he winds up. So the minute the groovy blue

FEB

27

“Don’t stop believin’…

participants are introduced to hands-on materials, artmaking, and inspiration from artists and techniques. Young kids, ages 2-5, build critical thinking skills, expand vocabulary, and support imaginations as they play, create and explore. This week, use paper towels to watch colors burst and designs reveal themselves. $4 with museum admission.

• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City

• Time: 11:30 a.m.-noon

• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800

Gele Magic! Head Wrap lessons

Learn the cultural and creative art of Gele — traditional African head-wrapping — in this beginner-friendly, hands-on workshop at Uniondale Public Library. Participants explore techniques, styles and the significance behind each wrap.

• Where: 400 Uniondale Ave., Uniondale

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: uniondalelibrary.org

‘Brown Bag’ Art Chat

cat meets The Biddles, he gets the whole family rocking. That is, except for young Jimmy Biddle, the most organized second grader on planet Earth. But when Jimmy draws a blank in art class during the last week of school, it turns out Pete is the perfect pal to help him out. Together, they set out on a mission to help Jimmy conquer second grade art, and along the way, they both learn a little something new about inspiration. $11 with museum admission ($9 members), $15 theater only.

• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City

• Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.: also Feb. 25-26

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

Little Readers Club

Jerusalem Ave., Uniondale

• Time: Noon-2 p.m.

• Contact: byrnecenter.org or (516) 554-8124

FEB

23

Legislator office hours

Nassau County Legislator Olena Nicks, who represents part of Uniondale, brings her districts office resources to residents for mobile hours. Residents in District 5 have the opportunity express concerns or obtain information at Uniondale Library

• Where: 400 Uniondale Ave., Uniondale

• Time: 6-7:30 p.m.

• Contact: (516) 571-6201

• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.

Voyage rocks on with another dynamic tribute to Journey. The popular band takes everyone back to the ‘80s when Journey’s timeless music ruled the airwaves. Hailed by fans and critics alike, the band performs the music with chilling accuracy. Voyage is celebrated for their uncanny ability to recreate the legendary sound, energy and passion of one of rock’s greatest bands. With their blistering guitar solos, lush keyboard arrangements, electrifying stage presence, and stunning harmonies, the band has earned a reputation as the ultimate homage to Journey’s timeless music. Fronted by vocalist Pedro Espada, whose range and tone is acclaimed as rivaling the iconic Steve Perry, he’s backed by a lineup of world-class musicians — Robby Hoffman, Greg Smith, Lance Millard, and Dana Spellman — who bring every note to life with precision and heart. Voyage doesn’t just perform Journey’s greatest hits, they transport audiences back to the height of arena rock glory. From the soaring ballads of “Faithfully” and “Open Arms” to the anthemic energy of “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Separate Ways,” every performance is a journey through the soundtrack of a generation. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or discovering the magic of Journey for the first time, Voyage promises a night of unforgettable rock ‘n’ roll.

• Time: 8 p.m.

• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com

Robert and Sharon Hoskins.

• Where: John J. Byrne Community Center, 925 Jerusalem Ave., Uniondale

• Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

• Contact: Johnjbyrnecommunity center.org

BOE action meeting

The Uniondale Board of Education holds its next session. Residents who want to ask a question at the meeting must submit the official form in full by the Thursday prior. Only pre-submitted questions will be acknowledged by the Board president during the Public Comments portion. This process ensures all submissions are reviewed and addressed properly.

• Where: Uniondale High School, Little Theater, 933 Goodrich St., Uniondale

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture” at the museum. Explore “The Real, Surreal, and Photoreal,” through a lively and informative presentation. No reservations. First come,first seated.

• Where: 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor

• Time: 1 p.m.

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

• Where: John J. Byrne Community Center, 800 FEB

Each Saturday the John J. Byrne Community Center hosts storytime and activity club for children with big imaginations and parents looking to nurture a love of reading. Sessions feature interactive storytelling, themed crafts, puzzle games and a kid-friendly snack break.

24

Purposeful Planning

• Time: 7 p.m.

Join local and financial pros for a practical, empowering workshop. Obtain insights on how to grow your savings, protect your assets from costly setbacks, and pass your wealth to loved ones with fewer headaches. Learn how trusts work, what documents you really need and how to avoid probate and family conflict.

Speakers: Vereline McClaney, FEB

• Contact: districtclerk@ uniondaleschools.org or (516) 560-8945

Little Learners

FEB

26

Art Lab

Each week in this engaging workshop at Long Island Children’s Museum,

Having an event?

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

Public Notices News brief

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU

U.S. BANK TRUST

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCF2 ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff, AGAINST

19,

JOSE H. JIMENEZ, et al. Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly entered on November 14, 2025.

I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 2, 2026 at 2:30 PM premises known as 634 Hillside Court, Uniondale, NY 11553.

Please take notice that this foreclosure auction shall be conducted in compliance with the Foreclosure Auction Rules for Nassau County, and the COVID 19 Health Emergency Rules, including proper use of masks and social distancing.

All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Section 36, Block 153 and Lot 659-661.

Approximate amount of judgment

$626,749.24 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment. Index #005245/2014.

Oscar Prieto, Esq., Referee, Aldridge Pite, LLPAttorneys for Plaintiff40 Marcus Drive, Suite 200, Melville, NY 11747 158067

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR CASCADE FUNDING MORTGAGE TRUST HB13, Plaintiff, vs. EDGAR PEREZ, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale

duly entered on November 17, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 2, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 646 Macon Place, Uniondale, NY 11553.

All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 50, Block M-02 and Lot 23. Approximate amount of judgment is $361,113.36 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 600570/2022.

Stephanie S. Goldstone, Esq., Referee

Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 251653-1 158065

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU ATLANTICA, LLC, Plaintiff, AGAINST LUCIEN ESCOFFERY; VERONICA ESCOFFERY, et al. Defendant(s) Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly entered on January 3, 2025. I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 16, 2026 at 3:00 PM premises known as 213 Hudson Ave, Roosevelt, NY 11575.

Please take notice that this foreclosure auction shall be conducted in compliance with the Foreclosure Auction Rules for Nassau County, and the COVID 19 Health Emergency Rules, including proper use of masks and social distancing. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Roosevelt, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Section 55, Block 494 and Lot 342.A & 342.B.

Approximate amount

of judgment

$890,955.93 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment. Index #005288/2016.

Keith Corbett, Esq., Referee, Aldridge Pite, LLPAttorneys for Plaintiff40 Marcus Drive, Suite 200, Melville, NY 11747 158366

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU. EQUINNE LLC, Plaintiff -against- RACHEL AUGUSTIN, NATHALIE AUGUSTIN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein and dated July 17, 2024, 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 March 18, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. premises situate, lying and being at the Village of Hempstead, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the westerly side of Friske Place, distant 55 feet southerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the westerly side of Fiske Place with the southerly side of Robin Wood Avenue; being a plot 100 feet by 45 feet by 100 feet by 45 feet. Section: 36 Block: 115 Lot: 169, 170 and 268. Said premises known as 7 FISKE PLACE, UNIONDALE, NY 11553 Approximate amount of lien $239,992.80 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 609970/2022.

ELLEN DURST, ESQ., Referee

Scott A. Rosenberg, P.C.

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 176 Tanners Pond Road, Garden City, New York 11530 {* UNIONDALE*} 158275

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to N.Y. Constitution Article 9, N.Y. Town Law, and N.Y. Municipal Home Rule Law, as amended, the Hempstead Town Board will continue the

public hearing on the proposed Chapter 153 of the Hempstead Town Code to be entitled “Cat and Dog Litter Registry” at Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on February 24, 2026 at 7:00 o’clock in the evening the proposed local law is available at hempsteadny.gov, on the bulletin board at Town Hall as of the publication of this notice, and on file in the Office of the Town Clerk of the Town of Hempstead, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, where the same may be inspected during office hours.

ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: February 10, 2026

Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

JOHN FERRETTI Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 158439

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 24th day of February 2026, at 7:00 o’clock in the evening of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 197-5 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “ARTERIAL STOPS” at the following locations:

ROOSEVELT

GORMLEY AVENUE (TH 633/25) - STOP - All traffic traveling southbound on St. Francis Street shall come to a full stop.

GORMLEY AVENUE (TH 633/25) - STOP - All traffic traveling northbound on St. Francis Street shall come to a full stop.

WANTAGH

RED MAPLE DRIVE

NORTH (TH 630/25)STOP - All traffic traveling northbound on Russet Lane shall

Islamic Center celebrates Black History Month

Nassau County Legislator Viviana L. Russell joined community members at the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury on Sun., Feb. 1, as the center celebrated its 22nd annual Black History Month Celebration.

Powerful stories and presentations by leaders in government, education, civil rights advocacy and the arts were featured.

Others who attended were the Suffolk County Police Department Hate Crimes Division Deputy Sgt. April Hargrove, Uniondale PTA representative Ylana

Grier and Isma Chaudhry of the Islamic Center of Long Island.

“Nassau County’s vibrancy is directly attributable to the cross section of cultures and faiths that call our community home, and the strength of our diversity was on full display at this inspiring gathering,” Legislator Russell said. “I am thankful to ICLI for hosting such an uplifting event to launch the 100th anniversary of Black History Month in the heart of Westbury.”

— Abby Gibson

Public Notices

come to a full stop.

WEST HEMPSTEAD BELL STREET (TH 626/25) - STOP - All traffic traveling northbound on Bishop Place shall come to a full stop.

ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: February 10, 2026

Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD JOHN FERRETTI

Supervisor

KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 158437

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street,

Hempstead, New York, on the 24th day of February 2026, at 7:00 o’clock in the evening of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 202-1 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” at the following locations:

BALDWIN GRAND AVENUE (TH 568(B)/25) West SideNO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting at a point 73 feet north of the north curbline of Brooklyn Avenue, north for a distance of 75 feet.

INWOOD BAYVIEW AVENUE (TH 18/26) North SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the west curbline of Henry Street, west for a distance of 30 feet.

UNIONDALE DECATUR STREET (TH 6/26) West SideNO PARKING ANYTIME - starting at a point 107 feet point of the north curbline of Windsor Road, north then west for a distance of 43 feet.

(NR) VALLEY STREAM

HUNGRY HARBOR ROAD (TH 15/26) South Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting at a point 15 feet west of the west curbline of Bunker Road, west for a distance of 70 feet. ALSO, to REPEAL from Section 202-1 “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” from the following location: BALDWIN GRAND AVENUE (TH 169/78) West SideNO PARKING ANYTIME - starting at a point 70 feet north of the north curbline of Brooklyn Avenue, north for a distance of 84 feet.

(Adopted 11/14/78) ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: February 10, 2026

Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

JOHN FERRETTI

Supervisor

KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 158436

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. L&L ASSOCIATES HOLDING CORP., Pltf. vs. BEVERLY A. GIBBS, et al, Defts. Index #605304/2025. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered Dec. 22, 2025, I will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on March 24, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. premises k/a Section 55, Block 494, Lot(s) 12-14. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. The foreclosure sale will be held “rain or shine.” KENNETH GARTNER, Referee. LEVY & LEVY, Attys. for Pltf., 12 Tulip Dr., Great Neck, NY 11021 #102735 158459

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES…

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Once you step through the front door, the outside world fades away. This one-of-a-kind contemporary Colonial blends luxury, technology, and comfort across approximately 5,800 square feet, plus an additional 2,000 square feet of lower-level space with sliding glass doors to the rear yard. Water views abound. The home features five bedrooms and six baths, including two primary suites, one with cathedral ceilings, a fireplace, and

Gutter Care 101

Q. I just took a $2,500 contract to have gutter screens added to my rain gutters. Would you recommend this instead of the biannual flush cleaning I do, which costs $450 per service?

A. It is great that you monitor routine maintenance around your house, including rain gutters. The cost, if you pay $450 twice a year for your biannual gutter cleaning, is $900 per year. An expense of $2,500 for the rain gutter covers would pay for itself in a timeframe determined by dividing 2500 by 900, which would be 2.7 years. So in two years and nine months, your outlay of $2,500 would be paid off — but only if the gutter screens do not also need maintenance.

speakers, a new outdoor sound system, 9-zone HVAC, motorized skylights, 48 new windows, a 4K theater projector, EV chargers, and 48 solar panels add efficiency and innovation. Set on two manicured acres in Fiddler Green, residents enjoy a private beach and deeded harbor with mooring. Located in the Cold Spring Harbor School District, this Gold Coast retreat is luxury living at its finest.

Jane Clifford Signature Premier Properties 516.359.2060 Cell JCliff1743@aol.com Lic Real Estate Salesperson Lic # 40CL0904808 Diamond Circle Award Office Lic # 10391201876

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I went through a learning phase with my own rain gutters, except that I would flush the gutters by myself. At first I had gutters that were open and, with all the trees surrounding my home, the gutters filled every fall with leaves and the debris that had to be removed. I then bought gutter screens that snap in, although there were places where they couldn’t snap in because of the long nail shafts used to attach the gutters to the face board, referred to as fascia. In those places, the metal screens had to be trimmed with a hacksaw and tin snips. It was tedious but rewarding, because the leaves did not clog the gutters. Unfortunately, twigs and smaller debris managed to find their way through the screens, and the metal rusted.

Those screens lasted six years, before another product, called Leafguard Gutters, was brought to my attention. It is a gutter with a top that wraps around and is bent in a curve so water flows over the top of the rain gutter and then, by a phenomenon called adhesion, the water clings to the gutter top and flows into a thin opening that runs the length of the gutter. It works very well, and hardly anything gets into the thin horizontal continuous opening except the rain.

I did not touch the gutters for 15 years. Then one day a contractor noticed that my roof edge trim boards had discolored in places, and said he would gladly take care of it for me. I awoke one morning to loud banging, and when I looked out the window, several very energetic men had ripped all the trim from my home along with those rain gutters. It lay in a heap in the back of a pickup truck, and within two hours my fascia boards were covered in spanking new white aluminum and I had brand new, open-top gutters.

So, back at square one, I began cleaning gutters again, every fall, until one day, when I saw Leafguard stainless mesh gutter covers with a lifetime guarantee. They completely eliminated the debris, but require occasional brushing to keep clean, at a much higher price. It still pays to put on the screens. Good luck!

© 2026 Monte Leeper

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

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I’m focused on getting New York’s tax dollars back

For decades, New Yorkers have faced high taxes, rising prices and infrastructure in need of repair. At the same time, we’ve been subsidizing other states with our federal tax dollars. New York is a big “donor” state, while most red states are “taker” states. I’m always trying to bring money back to my district, and in the past couple of weeks I’ve had some new success doing just that. I announced more than $17 million in funding for community projects in my district.

Everyone knows that we’re facing a cost-of-living crisis. From health care to housing, energy to groceries, prices are sky-high. To make matters worse, New Yorkers bear one of the heaviest tax burdens in the country, which only adds to our cost of living. People are leaving our state at a record pace.

When I was born, New York had more than 40 representatives in the U.S. House. Now we only have 26. That number will be smaller after the next census,

tOas low-tax states continue to grow rapidly while New York’s population stays essentially the same. That’s not just a loss of political power, but a referendum on how expensive it is to live here. Between our skyhigh property taxes and the loss of our full SALT deduction (which I continue to fight to reinstate), it’s no wonder people are moving out.

They’re fleeing to red states in the South with much lower state taxes.

The irony is that states like New York have long sent more money to the federal government than we get back, and Washington spends it propping up “poor” states like Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee. For every dollar we pay in federal taxes, we get 91 cents back. Kentucky gets $2.50. It’s just unfair.

in Congress is simple and direct: bring our money back home.

I’m working to make sure my constituents get a fairer return on the dollars we contribute to the federal government. That means fighting for federal funding that eases the burden on local governments, strengthens our infrastructure and protects public health and safety.

hat means fighting for federal funding to ease the burden on local governments.

Recently that work paid off. I secured millions of dollars worth of projects for my district, making sure federal money was included in a funding package that Democrats and Republicans worked together to craft. Those funds will support a wide range of critical projects that directly affect my constituents’ lives.

the Glen Cove Police Department. In Bethpage, the money will help build infrastructure to remove chemicals from the water supply linked to the Navy-Grumman plume. It will help create a vibrant downtown in Huntington by supporting affordable housing and business spaces. And in Lattingtown, these funds will go toward repairing emergency evacuation routes along East Beach Drive, improving our roads and safety during severe weather.

Securing funds for sewer repairs and water wells isn’t glamorous work, but it’s crucial. It’s not only about improving public health, environmental protection and local infrastructure; it’s also about fairness. New Yorkers contribute massively to the federal government, subsidizing growth in other states, and it’s time we got our fair share back.

Meanwhile, our town and village governments are under water. Our infrastructure is older and more expensive to maintain, and local budgets scramble to keep up. While New Yorkers fund new projects in the South, our own infrastructure risks lagging behind and our taxes continue to rise. We have been subsidizing our own demise.

That’s why one of my core missions

They’ll help replace old sewer pipes in Roslyn and Manorhaven, and replace old cesspools with new sewer lines in Sea Cliff. They will help prevent harmful runoff into Hempstead Harbor and Manhasset Bay, helping preserve our Long Island Sound ecosystem. Other projects will protect drinking water supplies from so-called “forever chemicals” and other contaminants.

The funding will also provide muchneeded technology and equipment for

I’ll never stop fighting to make sure we get back as much of the money we send to the federal government as possible, and use it to lessen the pressure on local budgets, improve our public health and safety, and reduce costs. In the months ahead I’ll propose a dramatic change to the federal tax code to try and bring more of New Yorkers’ money back to New York, to reduce our tax burden. Stay tuned.

Tom Suozzi represents the 3rd Congressional District.

The question ‘why’ haunts county government

ften as a Nassau County legislator, I find myself questioning why certain issues unfold the way they do. On many occasions and with increased frequency in this hyper-partisan age, the operations of government are closely tied to politics.

The “why,” however, isn’t always readily apparent — and it’s our job as legislators to dig deeper and identify the cases in which that connection is found beneath the surface. Take contracts for outside legal counsel, for instance. While the county continues to benefit from an attorney’s office staffed by many qualified lawyers, it is occasionally necessary to outsource highly complex cases to firms with special expertise. The emphasis, however, should be on “occasionally.”

During the administration of former County Executive Laura Curran, the county spent approximately $5 million for this service. Fast-forward to 2025 and the administration of Bruce Blakeman, and a recent audit by the Nassau Inter-

im Finance Agency identified more than $23 million in spending on outside legal counsel last year alone.

Many of these outside-counsel contracts are for cases that are ill-advised legally or should be handled in-house. Some recent examples include spending $3.2 million to defend county fee practices that courts have already ruled illegal or unconstitutional; millions to defend a case brought by Newsday, alleging financial retaliation over critical coverage; and millions more right after Election Day 2025.

It’s time for the Legislature to reassert its role as a coequal branch.

The last included a contract for a Republican legislative candidate. While Blakeman’s administration initiated it last spring, they failed to disclose it until after Election Day, when it arrived at the Legislature for our consideration.

While the “why” was abundantly clear in that example, the answer for many of the other contracts can be found only in the fine print. Every proposal the Legislature receives comes with a list of the firm’s political contributions, as required by county law. Most, if not all, of those donations go to the county executive or his Republican colleagues in the Legislature.

The same holds true for Blakeman’s

disastrous handling of the Department of Assessment. According to one assessment expert, the tax rolls are more inaccurate now than they have been at any point in the past 25 years — so why has Blakeman chosen to keep them frozen, do nothing, and then dishonestly claim that he “fixed” the system? Campaign donations.

The firms that challenge homeowners’ assessments each year make huge sums of money by taking advantage of dysfunctional, indefensible tax rolls that are riddled with inaccuracies and discrepancies. And, right on cue, those firms donate generously to Blakeman and the Republicans, who keep the system broken for their benefit — and county property owners are the ones who end up paying the price.

Finally, the “why” I find hardest to accept is related to the county’s nearly $100 million in opioid fund reserves. For nearly five years, most of these funds have sat in bank accounts, and as of December, a review of Nassau’s financial system shows that less than 7 percent of the money has made it out of those bank accounts and into actual treatment initiatives.

The technical nature of the “why” in

this case makes it no less an outrage. The county’s financial condition is monitored by Moody’s and other rating agencies, and municipal reserves are a major factor in their determinations. Instead of delivering resources to agencies that offer lifesaving prevention, treatment and recovery resources to people struggling with addiction, Nassau has released the funds at a snail’s pace. Having these funds on the books artificially increases the county’s total reserves. While that may have helped our bond ratings, that’s little comfort for families that are desperate for help and hope.

Now that we understand the “why” behind these glaring examples of dysfunction, it’s incumbent on us all to answer the next-most-important question — “how?” How do we correct these errors? How do we install guardrails to prevent their return? And most important, how do we ensure that we are always serving the people of Nassau County to the best of our ability?

That must be our mission throughout 2026. It’s time for the Legislature to reassert its crucial role as a coequal branch of government, and challenge the county executive when his administration’s actions conflict with the best interests of county residents.

Delia DeRiggi-Whitton represents Nassau County’s 11th Legislative District and is the Legislature’s minority leader.

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aMisleading safety data could hurt kids

Feb. 2 report, “Violent and Disruptive Incidents and Bullying in New York Schools,” from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli should serve as a wake-up call for anyone tempted to declare victory on school safety.

While official data shows that rates of “serious” violent and disruptive incidents are near zero, bullying, cyberbullying and drug-related incidents are rising statewide — in many cases exceeding pre-pandemic levels. That disconnect matters, because it reveals a system that risks measuring safety by definitions rather than by students’ lived experiences.

According to DiNapoli’s analysis of seven years of School Safety and Educational Climate data from the State Education Department, bullying is now the most frequently reported school safety incident.

In the 2023-24 school year, bullying, not including cyberbullying, accounted for nearly two-thirds of all reported incidents statewide. Almost 30,000 bullying incidents were reported, translating to 12.4 incidents per 1,000 pupils. In schools that reported at least one incident, the rate was far higher.

Cyberbullying, meanwhile, remains officially “low” in the data, but that is precisely the problem. Anonymity, offcampus activity and the digital lives students have after dismissal make cyberbullying notoriously difficult to detect and report. The report itself acknowledges that many incidents likely go unreported. When nearly 35 percent of public schools report no bullying or

letters

Peter King goes too easy on ICE agents

To the Editor:

Re Peter King’s column “There are better ways to resolve the immigration crisis” in last week’s issue: The videos we all saw of Renee Good and Alex Pretti being shot to death by ICE agents contradict Mr. King’s description. He referred to these horrific acts as “heat-of-the moment reactions to unexpected incidents.”

Additionally, Mr. King opposes “any requirement that ICE agents remove their masks” because “wearing masks has become absolutely essential for them.”

If only Mr. King found it in his heart to have similar consideration and respect for the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

JOSIE

MARINO Lynbrook

cyberbullying incidents, the question is not whether bullying exists, but whether schools are capturing it honestly.

Drug-related incidents tell a similar story. After dropping during the period of remote learning, the number of drug incidents in secondary schools has risen above pre-Covid levels. Statewide rates climbed from 4.2 incidents per 1,000 students in 2017-18 to 6.5 in 2023-24, with especially high rates in upstate districts. These are not abstract numbers. They reflect daily realities that students, teachers and families confront in hallways, bathrooms and social spaces.

Yet at the same time these troubling trends are rising, reports of serious violent and disruptive incidents — such as assault, sexual offenses and weapons possession — have plummeted. That decline coincides not with a dramatic transformation of school culture, but with changes to reporting definitions implemented in 2021-22. Under the revised rules, incidents are only reportable if the offender is at least 10 years old, the incident meets felony criteria, and it has been referred to law enforcement.

The result is a dataset that may be technically accurate under state rules, but deeply misleading if taken at face value. Schools may still experience serious incidents that never meet the threshold for state reporting, creating a false sense of security for parents and policymakers who rely on these numbers to assess safety.

This is not the intent of New York’s school safety laws. The Safe Schools Against Violence in Education Act,

enacted in 2000, and the Dignity for All Students Act, adopted a decade later, were designed to protect young people and ensure transparency in reporting harassment, bullying and violence. After the Sandy Hook tragedy in Connecticut, New York state rightly sought to refine and streamline reporting to focus on prevention. But refinement must not become minimization.

Limiting cellphone use during the school day is a modest step in the right direction. It will reduce in-school distractions. But bullying and cyberbullying don’t stop at the dismissal bell. Students carry their social worlds and their conflicts home in their pockets. Without sustained education, intervention and accountability, phones will simply resume their role as weapons after school hours.

Schools need to be honest with themselves about what these incidents are and properly report them to the State Education Department. That honesty isn’t about protecting reputations or presenting a picture of perfect calm. It’s about identifying real problems so they can be addressed.

Pretending a school or district is blissful may look good on paper, but it does nothing to protect students. Reliable, transparent data is the foundation of meaningful solutions.

If we want safer schools in reality and not just safer statistics, we must confront bullying, cyberbullying and substance use head-on, report them accurately, and commit to prevention that extends beyond the school day. Our children deserve nothing less.

Nurses get the short end of the educational stick

Dr. William osler, one of the founders of Johns Hopkins Hospital and a pioneer in medical education and history said, “The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.” Now, though, we have nurses on strike for safer working conditions and greater compensation, and educators decrying federal action to withdraw graduate nursing education from the category of “professional.”

The members of a profession are highly educated, with specialized knowledge, may be required to pass stateapproved licensure exams, and pledge to certain ideals. In the case of nursing, the pledge is to patient welfare, compassion and trust, building knowledge in the field, lifelong learning, teamwork, professional integrity, an ethical code, skillful care, and humanity. Like other professions, nursing requires prolonged learning and licensure. So imagine the surprise to nurses, nurse educators, nurse researchers, nurse executives, hospital administrators and others when the U.S. Depart-

ment of Education declared that an advanced degree in nursing did not qualify for federal student aid. yet advanced education is one of the pathways for advancement in nursing, and many employers require a master’s degree.

In response to critical reactions to its decree, the department said it did not mean that nursing is not a profession, just that advanced nursing education at the master’s and doctoral levels did not qualify for federal student loans. In addition to reducing the amount students can borrow under the Graduate PLUS program, which previously allowed up to the full cost of a program, the government has cut in half the amount that students in nursing and social work, among others disciplines, can borrow for advanced education.

es universities to raise tuition even in fields that have limited employment opportunities and low compensation. That is certainly not the case in nursing. others support the department, arguing that there is a strong correlation between extended graduate study for women and our low rate of childbearing.

a n advanced degree in nursing doesn’t qualify for federal student aid.

No such limits have been proposed for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, chiropractic, theology, law or clinical psychology. Architects, physical therapists, social workers, computer scientists and accountants, however, join nursing in losing their professional status.

The Education Department is trying to limit access to government-backed loans for graduate degrees because, it says, the availability of loans encourag-

Letters

Who’s left to report the truth?

To the Editor:

As a former reporter, I cherish a free press — and with our democracy hanging by a thread, I refuse to sit by while truth tellers are silenced.

I was bothered that Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos caved to President Trump’s demand that the Post stay out of presidential endorsements. But what bothered me more was watching people cancel their subscriptions over it. That’s cutting off your nose to spite your face. Why punish a newspaper already struggling to survive? Did we forget that reporters are stationed around the world, risking their lives to bring us the truth — and that in times of conflict, they’re always the first targets, precisely so the truth never reaches us?

The Post loses $100 million a year, yet it remains an essential truth teller. This is the paper that exposed Watergate. Not surprisingly, Trump admired President Richard Nixon. Both detested the press because its job is to investigate corruption and

report the truth. And let’s not forget: a Washington Post journalist was murdered at the direction of a Saudi prince while Trump looked the other way.

While Trump manufactured a crisis in Greenland and ICE gunned down American citizens, the final board meeting of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting barely registered. Jimmy Kimmel’s being pulled off the air and the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” already feel like ancient history. Even as wars rage in Ukraine and the Middle East, coverage keeps shrinking — and that is no accident. And now Bezos is laying off a third of the Post’s staff, including a war correspondent in Ukraine. With Secretary of War Pete Hegseth blocking Pentagon reporting, Trump forming a “Board of Peace” with Putin and other authoritarian leaders, and independent news sources collapsing, who is left to deliver the truth?

CLAUDIA BoRECKy President, Bellmore Merrick Democratic Club Merrick

According to public reports, there are approximately 57,000 registered nurses on Long Island, with an average age of 46. In New york City and the Downstate region, there is a critical shortage of certain categories of nursing, with “disaster emergencies” declared in Manhattan, the Bronx and Nassau County. In upstate New york, over 93 percent of hospitals report extreme difficulty in recruiting RNs, and 97 percent struggle with retention. Hospitals and nursing homes have the most difficulty recruiting and retaining RNs.

Long Island is fortunate to have universities that offer baccalaureate and higher nursing programs, including Adelphi, Farmingdale, Hofstra, LIU, Molloy, NyIT, St. Joseph’s and Stony Brook. yet even with these resources, shortages remain. With the new federal guidelines, those shortages will likely persist, while retention rates drop.

I have seen the profession of nursing

from four distinct vantage points. As assistant commissioner of Higher Education in Indiana in the 1970s, I was involved in a national study of nursing supply and demand commissioned by the National Governor’s Association. In the 1980s I initiated a nursing program at Ramapo College of New Jersey, in partnership with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, which did not offer nursing.

In the 2000s I led the rebuilding of Adelphi’s historic nursing program, which had been neglected by a previous administration. We built new, state-ofthe-art nursing labs and teaching spaces, with the help of leaders at Winthrop and Northwell hospitals.

From these experiences, I learned a great deal about nursing education and practice. They are professionals at every level of education.

More than 150 Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have authored a bill, the Professional Student Degree Act, that would include graduate nursing education in the category of professional degree, and give graduate nursing students access to the federal student-aid programs for which they were eligible just last year. Let’s hope that wisdom prevails in Congress, with hearty encouragement from grateful patients.

Robert A. Scott is president emeritus of Adelphi University and the author of “How University Boards Work.”