Uniondale Herald 02-26-2026

HERALD UNIONDALE

Year of the puppet horse

The Long Island Children’s Museum celebrated Lunar New Year with Chinese Theater Works’ puppet show, “Hao Bang Ah! Horse” — a Chinese expression meaning “Great!” or “Well done!” The original “budaixi,” or glove puppet performance, highlighted the Year of the Horse with skits, dances and songs celebrating the wisdom of the 12 zodiac animals. Each year, Theater Works presents a Chinese New Year performance. Above, the puppeteers, clockwise from top left, Stephen Kaplin, Arielle St. Louis, Huixin Bai, Jing Shan, Kyang-Yu Fang and Harrison Greene created a bilingual experience that even the youngest audience members could understand. At right, Aurora Lin, 7, celebrated in traditional attire. Story, more photos, Page 10.

Curiosity meets a microscope

By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com

Children climbed aboard a new, all-electric mobile laboratory — dubbed the BioBus — at the Long Island Children’s Museum in Uniondale, peering into highpowered microscopes and examining samples of insects and organic matter during a handson demonstration.

The museum held a ribboncutting ceremony on Feb. 16 for the mobile science lab, which travels to schools across Long Island, New York City and Boston, and will now make several stops at the museum each year for special events. The expansion is supported by a $600,000 investment from the National Grid Foundation over the next three years.

cells, tiny organisms and worms came into view. Ben Dubin-Thaler, a scientist and a BioBus cofounder, explained to them what they were examining.

“My favorite one was the bee,” 7-year-old Eoien Callan said. “It was actually so cool because you can see the pollen on it, and I never gotten to really do it before.”

The bugs were chosen for inspection based on what they thought would look good under the microscope, Co-founder Latasha Wright said with a laugh.

impression [from] this. LennAxIA BRAThwAITe Freeport resident

During the ceremony, about 40 children helped cut the ribbon, and then crowded inside the mobile lab, taking turns looking through microscopes and asking scientists questions, as parents tagged along.

The BioBus’s interior was separated into two stations — one was “focus” and the other “hands on.” Children leaned over microscopes, adjusting the focus as magnified images of

Sisters Rae, 2, and Ami, 5, accompanied by their mom, Freeport resident Lennaxia Brathwaite, found the worm station fascinating, looking at the insects under a microscope with a bright light and watching them in their environment, moving in dirt.

Brathwaite expressed appreciation for the experience, noting that such opportunities weren’t available to her growing up.

“This is awesome — I always loved science,” Brathwaite said. “I want them to experience it, to be able to be tangible and to touch things, to explore anything hands-on.

“The visuals and the tangiContinued on page 12 T

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Behind the scenes doc celebrates Tuskegee airman

By STACY DRIKS & CHRIS COLUCCI Of the Herald

About 50 people gathered at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale on Feb. 13 for a public screening of a behind-thescenes documentary honoring the life and legacy of Calvin Moret, a highly decorated World War II veteran and the last surviving Tuskegee Airman born in Louisiana.

The event, supported by the Latino Civic Association of Long Beach, drew attendees from across Nassau County, including several from Long Beach with personal ties to the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy.

Among them was James Hodge of Long Beach, the Long Beach Herald’s 2008 Person of the Year, who wore the Tuskegee Airmen jacket of Julius Freeman — a medic whom Hodge considered more than a friend, “He was like my grandfather.”

The jacket served as a visible reminder of the enduring connections between Long Island residents and the historic group of Black military aviators across America.

The evening featured a 20-minute preview of a forthcoming documentary by filmmaker Amy Serrano, who spent the last three years documenting Moret’s life, until his death in 2015. He was 90.

“I think that the Tuskegee story is like many stories that’ve been forgotten about in history,” Hodge said. “I believe, truly, that people replicate what they see and when people can look at people that’ve made significant impacts in America, and to the world.

It’s about so many hidden stories. So many hidden inventions, because people were simply Black. It’s simple as that,” he reflected.

“Mr. Moret was also a gentleman who had been responsible for desegregating the barbershop quartets of the South,” Serrano said in her documentary. “While he had been one of 900 men desegregating the air forces.”

Deputy Director Catherine Gonzalez said the museum strives to preserve aviation history while inspiring future generations.“It is always fitting when we have opportunities to recognize and commemorate trailblazers in aviation history,” she said.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black military pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. They trained at Moton Field and Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. Moret was one of nearly 1,000 Black pilots completed the program, and more than 450 went on to serve in combat, flying missions that escorted bombers over Europe and North Africa.

Despite facing discrimination within the military, the airmen compiled an impressive combat record that helped challenge racist assumptions about Black servicemen’s capabilities. Their service contributed to President Harry Truman’s Executive Order 9981 in 1948, which desegregated the U.S. armed forces. Yet their heroism abroad did not shield them from racism at home. Many returned to segregated communities governed by Jim Crow laws and faced dis -

criminatory barriers to housing and education benefits under the G.I. Bill — exclusions that historians say contributed to the racial wealth gap that persists today.

“Despite all that Mr. Moret was subjected to in terms of racism and discrimination during in the Jim Crow South,” Serrano said. “He would call it the contagion of ignorance, the way that people behaved to treat other people in the way that they did.

And he never let himself be contaminated by the way he was treated. He believed that all of us were born with love in our hearts.”

In April 1945, 101 Black officers from the 477th Bombardment Group were arrested at Freeman Field, Indiana, after peacefully attempting to enter an allwhite officers’ club — an act of resistance widely viewed as a precursor to the Civil Rights Movement.

Serrano described being “transfixed” the first time she heard him recount serving overseas and then navigating segregation upon his return.

“Mr. Moret was a kind, fair and loving man,” Serrano said. “And believed in a better world, just like we do.” noting that Moret relied on the “Green Book” to travel safely through segregated states after the war.

She also explained that Moret believed children were not born racist. They were turned that way.

In archival footage shown during the screening, Moret urged young people to seek wisdom from elders.

“Old people have had experiences that you won’t get out of a book,” Moret said.

asked questions.

Tamara Bailey of Long Beach said the film resonated with her personally. Her stepfather, a Black pilot, continues to face discrimination in the industry.

“My mother is crying — this is not just something of the past. Black pilots are still facing discrimination,” she said. “My stepfather is still facing discrimination. It took them 10, 15 years to get back on the saddle and really pursue becoming a pilot because of the discrimination.

This can definitely be shared to students of color,” she expressed. “To know that this is the legacy and the shoulders that they stand on.”

Serrano founded the nonprofit One Better World Project to preserve oral histories like Moret’s. She said only three Tuskegee Airmen remain alive today, underscoring the urgency of documenting their stories.

“It’s about creating a better world,” Serrano said, “not for just you or for me, but for all of us.”

“The Tuskegee airmen, to come out means so much for schools to get engaged and get involved,” Hodge said. “Black history is not just for Black people. It’s history for everybody, because everybody’s history is important to understand the significant accomplishment.”

Serrano explained she is excited to bring her film to colleges and universities.

“That’s why I strongly recommend that young people attach themselves to some old people because they will get some insight into values.”

After the screening, a special Q&A took place, where more than 10 people

“When students are given the information – or young people, they really absorb and they really want to do something positive,” she said. “They run with it in a positive way – we have a component for that, it’s also up to all of us to bring people in places where we can have engaging presentations and conversations.

James Hodge of Long Beach wears the jacket of Julius Freeman a medic of the Tuskegee Airmen. He considered him more than a friend, where they went to events together such as the Martin Luther King Center in Long Beach and a Grand Marshal for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

News brief

$20K grant expands swim access locally

Taenika Sands-Hendricks, founder of Uniondale-based My Own Lane Aquatics, has been named a 2026 Intuit QuickBooks Neighborhood Heroes Program grant winner and awarded $20,000 to expand swim education and water safety programs for underserved communities across Long Island and New York City.

The Neighborhood Heroes Program recognizes small business leaders who create measurable impact in their communities. My Own Lane Aquatics was selected for its work in drowning prevention, inclusive swim instruction and workforce development through lifeguard and Water Safety Instructor certifications.

Grant funding will support expanded group swim lessons, scholarships for certifications, increased access to indoor pool time and additional community outreach initiatives.

have little to no swimming ability.

Drowning risk factors vary by race, the Center of Disease Control stated. The highest disparity are American Indian or Alaska Native people between the age 25-29 with a rate of 3.5 times higher than White people of the same age.

At the same time, drowning death rates for Black people under 30 are 1.5 times higher than the rates for White people. Children ages 10-14 have the rate of 3.6 times higher.

The founder of MOLA has paid for lifeguard certificates to community members who could not afford it. Those who want to become lifeguards but cannot afford the Red Cross Life Guard Certification can go through the Lane Leader Imitative – a scholarship paid by Sands-Hendricks.

With the help of the grant, an upcoming April Pools Day event is scheduled for April 12 at Adelphi University in Garden City.

Sands-Hendricks created My Own Lane Aquatics to dedicate swimming to be accessible for all, especially underserved and minority communities. Her goal is to break barriers in aquatics. She said 64 percent of African American youth and 45 percent of Hispanic youth

“This grant is about more than swimming. It is about access, confidence, and creating opportunities for families who have historically been excluded from aquatics,” Sands-Hendricks said in a press release on Feb. 1. “These funds allow us to reach more people, prevent tragedies, and prepare the next generation of lifeguards and instructors.

Residents faced with snow removal hikes

By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com

Uniondale was covered in about two feet of snow on Sunday from Sunday into Monday, leaving major roadways cleared, including Uniondale Avenue. Yet, while all Uniondale schools were closed on Monday, residential streets were still narrowed by snow.

While residents waited for the plows, they dug out their own driveways and walkways to prevent slipping. Ebony Guerrier of Uniondale wanted her husband to take a break and insisted on paying for someone wanting to make $40 to help.

“There was this guy that came and wanted $40,” Guerrier said. “I said you could take my $40 because my husband is doing it, and he thinks he is Superman.”

She explained that people thought they could make money because the last storm on Jan. 24 no one came around asking to shovel their driveway or street. Now, people are asking $80-$100.

“All of a sudden, it was like a surplus of people posting about services,” she added. “It just seemed like all day I was seeing, ads if you need snow removal.”

Yet, as she prepared she purchased the essentials, food and snow melt. However, she was disappointed that there was a surplus in cost for snow melt.

As residents, independent workers and companies dug out driveways and side-

Aftermath of the blizzard on Monday. Ebony Guerrier hardly manages to open her door or leave her house due to the massive amount of snow.

walks, another challenge emerged: the cost of snow melt and salt. Guerrier paid as much as $30 for a small bag of salt at a 99 cent store.

“Salt is fairly cheap, however, the 99-cent store hiked up their prices,” she said. “My husband bought a small bag of salt – he paid $30 that’s absolutely insane.”

Salt can normally cost up to $20 in some local stores and even chain stores like Lowes. “I don’t remember how much it normally costs but it’s not $30,” the Uniondale resident said.

In a largely residential community like Uniondale, where many families are responsible for clearing their own sidewalks and driveways, the rising cost of

essential winter supplies adds financial pressure during storms.

Parking on both sides of streets limited plow access. High winds also slowed cleanup efforts.

“It’s just a lot of snow and a lot to get to,” said Olena Nicks Nassau County Legislator who stayed overnight at the Uniondale fire department volunteering on standby, where they had a quiet night she said.

Fire officials are also urging residents to clear snow from hydrants near their homes. Hydrants are typically spaced about 500 feet apart, and even a short delay in accessing one — particularly if it is buried in a snowbank or frozen— can be critical during a fire.

“We usually drop the hose at the fire hydrant that we operate in,” Nicks said. “We wouldn’t know until it’s time to open the hydrant whether it’s frozen or not working.”

“It could take quite a bit of time,” she said of operating and digging into the hydrant. “And if we’re talking upwards of five minutes, that is significant when it comes to fire.”

With more winter weather possible, families say preparation — and affordable access to winter supplies — will be key in facing the next snowfall. But will also need to be patient.

Nicks urges residents to email her with any questions or concerns to onicks@nassaucountyny.gov.

Junior Friends celebrate Black History Month

By ABBY GIBSON Intern

Applause filled Uniondale Public Library’s community room, celebrating Black History Month with performances through music, spoken word and creative expression.

Junior Friends, a community service organization of sixth-12th graders from the Uniondale school district, at the library organized the event. The group’s purpose is to give back to the community. And on Feb 19, they celebrated Black history, culture and achievements.

“Junior Friends is such a surreal community, because no matter where people come from, they all tend to show their personalities at Junior Friends,” Said Corie Mason, 17, President of Uniondale Public Library’s Junior Friends. “Whether it’s through volunteering, and we help put on these types of programs all the time.”

“I love Black History Month, where our people can come together and unite as one whole community,” said Junior Friend dancer, and Uniondale High School student Matthew Kirlew, 15. “I think that’s really special.”

The Junior Friends planned a surprise to involve the audience before their last performance. The group encouraged an open-mic, encouraging the audience to express themselves through spoken word or song, emphasizing that Black History Month is more than honoring history but about uplifting present-day voices in the community.

High School student and one of the performers, Gloria Antoine, 15, said the event was about creating a space where people could feel confident by expressing who they are.

“This is a place where you can be yourself, show your culture, show other people what you can do and how beautiful different cultures are,” Antoine said. “And if they all mix together, you could see a wonderful, beautiful thing.”

Beyond the celebration, many of the performances emphasized the importance of celebrating culture and spreading awareness. Kirlew noted that Black History Month is not only for the Black community but for everyone.

“People, not just Black people, but everyone, should know what we fought for, what we did in the past, and how we got to this place,” Kirlew said. “It doesn’t matter what your race or nationality is. I

think everyone should know about Black History Month.”

The message of unity was one that resonated throughout the evening. Performers danced to a piece of Black media, like the song “Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo and Joshuah Brian Campbell. Shillon Mitchell, 15, presented the inauguration poem “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman.

Jessie Mason, 15, a Uniondale High School student and performer, said she hoped audience members left feeling empowered. She wanted to show that Junior Friends members are talented and capable of achieving anything they set their minds to.

A special performance for Nicole Henderson was when her son Cole Lawry, a member of Junior Friends, performed, as she believes events like this are also vital for young people.

“If you don’t know about your past, you’ll never know about your future,” Henderson said. “It’s important to learn about your history and to celebrate it and be proud of it.”

The night served more than just a program on the library’s calendar, the Black

History Month celebration highlighted the library’s role as a space for young people in the community to grow as leaders and uplift each other.

Junior Friends showed that Black History Month is both a time to honor the past and celebrate the young voices of the future. There was also a reminder of the potential of talent and education within the next generation and celebration of Black history.

After the performances, guests gathered to talk and reflect on the evening. Before leaving, attendees received a takehome craft of a small decorative banner as keepsakes of the celebration.

“We have a vast and beautiful culture, a lot of times, things get lost between generations,” Henderson said. “To continue and see so many young participants, it’s a great event to have.”

Corie Mason, 17, and President of Junior Friends at Uniondale Public Library, helped Amanda Borgia, Head of Teen Services/New Adult Programming Coordinator, host the event.

Hempstead resident to be honored at BOCES

By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com

Lidia Velasquez, a Hempstead High School student and resident splits her time at the Nassau BOCES Joseph M. Barry Career & Technical Education Center and she will be honored at the 19th annual Nassau BOCES Education Partner Award Gala on April 22.

The Nassau County BOCES Educational Foundation will host the gala, a independent, non-profit school community based organization. The Hempstead students, with 14 others including three organizations, have in some way impacted public education in Nassau County.

Velasquez has a busy schedule as she takes vocational or specialized courses. In her case, she studies medical assisting. And at the same time she volunteers in hospitals as well.

She also helps BOCES in other ways, such as being a Nassau BOCES Ex-Officio Student Board of Education Member. She is one of four with this title. Other students are; Angelina Castro-Boutin, Olivia Lawrence and Christian Maguire.

“Student’s were chosen by the principals,” said Shawn Lisa Torres, supervisor of the Department of Regional Schools and Instructional Programs.

“I knew I always wanted to do something with kids,” she said. “I knew I wanted to be a pediatrician around probably seventh grade, I take every opportunity I can to do anything medical related or science.”

“They were given candidates and then were interviewed to find the best candidate.

On her spare time Velasquez will volunteer at NYU Winthrop and at Nassau University Medical Center.

Through Barry Tech she was able to get the volunteering clinical hours she needs to gain experience, including connecting with others. And she credits that only through the thanks of BOCES.

“Barry Tech has changed me as a student because I’m able to get experience that I probably would have not got if I never came to BOCES,” Velasquez reflected.

Her time in education doesn’t end there, she is the current president and former vice president from last year with

Barry

Tech has changed me as a student because I’m able to get experience that I probably would have not got if I never came to BOCES

LIDIA VeLASquez

Hempstead High School senior, Barry Tech student

SkillsUSA, a service organization specifically for students who are taking career technical educational programs.

“It’s another form of student government and it definitely helped me with my skills, especially with the help of my advisors,” she added. “We also do competitions, my skills have improved, especially my communication skills.”

The organization uses competitions as a central method of developing, showcasing and evaluating student’ technical and leadership skills. As for skill development, the competition is structured around real world standards or expectation to learn practical skills.

“I think Lydia is amazing, just like all of her ex-official members,” Torres said. “It’s just really nice to see a student who maintained her grades, maintained her enthusiasm and always want to do more.”

The Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports and enhances the programs and services provided by Nassau BOCES. Its mission is to expand educational opportunities for students across Nassau County by funding innovative initiatives, scholarships and resources that may not be covered through traditional school budgets. The foundation often partners with businesses, community leaders and donors to support career and technical education, special education programs and workforce development efforts, helping students gain the skills and experiences needed for college and careers.

— Nassau BOCES

Icons. Insights. Impact.

Jean-Pierre encourages civic engagement

By ABBY GIBSON & KUMBA JAGNE Interns

Hempstead native Karine Jean-Pierre, the former press secretary in President Joe Biden’s administration, was the latest guest in Hofstra University’s “Signature Speaker” series.

Jean-Pierre, who served in the White House from May 2022 to January 2025, made history as the first Black and first openly LGBTQ person to be press secretary.

She is a graduate of Kellenberg High, in Uniondale, and Columbia University, and her involvement with Hempstead has not diminished: She gave Hempstead High School’s commencement speech in 2022, and was given the keys to the village by Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. in 2024.

“This is very much home for me,” Jean-Pierre said on Feb. 12. “This is not unfamiliar ground.”

Sister members of her honorary sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Hofstra students, community members and students from 18 area high schools attended the event.

Hempstead High senior Zeydi Guerra, 17, said that Jean-Pierre’s speech left her with more motivation to succeed in her own career. “She’s a Hempstead native,” Guerra said. “I feel like if she can make it, I can definitely do something as well.”

Speaking directly to the high school students, JeanPierre encouraged them to be curious, ambitious and passionate. A common thread through her speech, a panel discussion and an interview with student media was urging people to become involved in politics, even though the options may be imperfect.

“Your civic identity doesn’t begin at 18 — it begins when you start paying attention,” she said. “When you

Kumba Jagne/Herald

Karine

Jean-Pierre, a Hempstead native and former White House press secretary, spoke as part of Hofstra University’s Signature Speaker series.

notice what feels fair and what doesn’t, who gets heard and who has to jump higher just to be seen.”

Eleanor McKay, of Hempstead, president of the Long Island Cross County Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women, said she attended because she recognizes the importance of Jean-Pierre being a Black woman who held a high-profile government position.

“She talked about seeing someone touch President

Obama’s hair, a young [Black] boy, and realize that from the texture he was here and how real it is that he is just like us,” McKay said. “Sometimes it’s not really appreciated, or we don’t understand the magnitude of representation. It impacts us and the next generation.”

Hofstra University President Susan Poser introduced Camryn Bowden, a senior majoring in political science and journalism, who in turn introduced JeanPierre. Poser spoke so glowingly of Bowden’s resumé that Jean-Pierre said she would be working for Bowden one day.

“I had the opportunity to get her to sign my copy of her book ‘Independent,’” Bowden said. “She wrote in the book, ‘I’ll be watching you on the news someday.’ It was, again, just a surreal experience to hear someone who held such a high position of power in the White House say such sweet things.”

Jean-Pierre’s first book was “Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America.” Her most recent, published last October, is “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.”

She empathized with young people’s feelings of being disconnected from the two-party system. “The two-party system often feels rigid, outdated and unresponsive,” she said. “It forces false choices and limits imagination. Questioning that system is not a failure of citizenship.”

She expressed disdain for the current administration, saying, “This too shall pass.”

“We have to work as a people to make sure that there is people power in this time, that our voices are heard, that we hold powerful people accountable,” Jean-Pierre said. “We are celebrating 250 years of this country, and that is a young democracy. If we don’t fight for it every day, we will lose it.”

LICM celebrates Lunar New Year with puppet show

Children of the Long Island Children Museum enjoyed a special puppep performance and crafts on Feb. 14.

“Hao Bang Ah! Horse!” is part of the company’s annual “budaixi,” or glove puppet, tradition. Theater Works presented puppep shows for Lunar New Year annually, however this is the first time they presented at the museum.

Through the performance children heard new and familiar terms surrounding Lunar New Year. Co-founders Roni Kohen-Lemle and Robert Lemle sponsor the performance.

The celebration continued with a creative workshop in which children crafted their own paper lanterns. Using bright colors and simple materials, giving families a chance to take part in the holiday’s themes of renewal, light and good fortune. The crafts were sponsored Portledge Schools, crafting paper lanterns.

Together, the performance and craft activity offered an interactive cultural experience, blending storytelling, art and tradition for visitors of all ages.

— Stacy Driks

State highlights workforce training on L.I.

By CHRISTIE LEIGH BABIRAD & CAROLYN JAMES of the Herald

As employers across Long Island struggle to fill open positions, State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon visited Suffolk County Community College’s Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood on Feb. 17 to spotlight workforce training and emphasize child care access as a critical barrier to employment.

“There are many pathways leading to middle-class, family-sustaining jobs right now, and many of them lead through community college programs,” said Edward Bonahue, president of Suffolk County Community College. “An apprenticeship, an industry-recognized certification or license or a two-year degree. Eventually, many of them can also lead to bachelor’s degrees as well, and I appreciate Commissioner Reardon helping to shine a light on these opportunities.”

Reardon toured the college’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Center, met with students and educators and highlighted several workforce development and child care initiatives included in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed state budget.

Long Island faces ongoing shortages in skilled trades like electrical work, heating and air conditioning, plumbing and advanced manufacturing. Nassau and Suffolk community colleges offer workforce training in those areas, as well as in

College

health care. And the Long Island Educational Opportunity Center, sponsored by SUNY Farmingdale, offers regional residents tuition-free vocational training.

Officials said the programs help create a pipeline of locally trained workers who can remain in their communities.

Will Testa, owner of Will Testa Remodeling Inc., in Copiague, noted the shortage of workers. “There are not enough people coming in to the workforce who are trained properly,” he said. “The problem is, everyone forces their kids to go to college, which may be good for some, but

it’s not good for everyone, and trade schools are important — it’s the infrastructure of our society.”

What’s important, Testa added, is that this training is designed hard in hand with local employers.

While workforce-training programs are expanding, Reardon said, employment growth also depends on addressing Long Island’s child care shortage.

Reardon, who also co-chairs the state’s Child Care Task Force, said that increasing access to affordable care is essential to strengthening the labor force. The task

force, relaunched in 2023, is developing strategies aimed at universal, high-quality, affordable child care statewide.

“The governor has spoken a lot about this issue, and made it clear that she wants every New Yorker to be able to work at their fullest capacity and desire,” she said. “And that means that we have a responsibility to help them have accessible, affordable child care to do that.”

Child care costs on Long Island are among the highest in the country, second only to Massachusetts. Families typically spend between $15,000 and $24,000 annually per child for full-time, center-based care, according to the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island.

“When you couple that with the high costs of everything else — housing, food, utilities — child care is a tremendous stress on families,” Reardon noted.

Prachi Shah, owner of Kiddie Academy, in Hicksville, said that care providers also face financial pressures. “We are grateful for Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon’s visit to the Brentwood Campus and her attention to matters affecting our industry,” Shah said.

The Kiddie Academy of Hicksville and Bethpage are independently owned and operated franchise locations that serve 350 children and employ 75 early-childhood educators. “It is essential to keep this discussion going,” Shah said, “and highlight ways the state can better support providers on Long Island.”

BioBus inspires children to pursue STEM education

bles, they’re going to have a lasting impression [from] this. She’s going to remember this,” she added of Rae, who stayed by the earthworm station most of the visit.

Brathwaite explained that her daughters have read books about worms from Raz-Kids, a website where they could choose what they want to read, and the trip to the BioBus made the literary experience come to life for her kids.

Built on a strong partnership between the Long Island Children’s Museum and National Grid, the BioBus is set to return throughout the year. Organizers expressed hope that the hands-on experience will continue sparking curiosity — and perhaps inspire the next generation of scientists.

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National Grid’s partnership with the museum goes back more than three decades, when community members and spouses Roni Kohen-Lemle and Robert Lemle established the museum. The partnership later expanded with the support of Bob Catell, 89, former chief executive of KeySpan, who attended the ceremony, and through development efforts led by Edward Smits of Nassau Heritage.

“In 2010, that partnership deepened with the STEM initiatives,” Erika Floresca, the museum’s president, said at the Feb. 16 ceremony. “National Grid became the initial sponsor of Westbury Schools’ partnership, a green team environmental leadership program and our annual STEM weekend.”

Floresca said the continued support allows the museum to expand programming for students K-12, including special education services and bilingual instruction to ensure broader access.

“We know, and National Grid understands, if you spark curiosity early, if you nurture children’s confidence in asking questions, solving problems and testing ideas, you open opportunities,” she said. “Waiting until high school, if often too late, early engagement matters – National Grid gets this.”

Robert Simmons, head of the National Grid Foundation, addressed the attendees and invited Matthew Aromero, 7, and his brother, Jayden, 8, of Glen Cove, to the podium to share their excitement about the BioBus.

“I’m always ready,” Matthew said, eager to begin exploring.

STEPPING OUT

Rhythms, rituals and revelry

Carnival is back at Long Island Children’s Museum

By Abbey Salvemini

Let the good times roll when the museum opens its doors to Carnival on Saturday.

As a globally cherished cultural celebration, Carnival honors the unique traditions and diverse identities of the Caribbean and Latin American cultures it touches. Locally, Long Island Children’s Museum transforms into a vibrant street festival for its second annual Carnival — a vibrant showcase of creativity and self-expression — through a blend of music, dance, crafts and interactive programming.

Supported by New York State Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, the event highlights the museum’s commitment to creating shared cultural experiences for Long Island families.

“As a woman of Caribbean descent, I am proud to sponsor this event at the Long Island Children’s Museum, an institution that plays a vital role in educating and inspiring our young people,” Solages says. “Events like this remind us, and teach the next generation, that diversity is our strength and that honoring our roots can be both joyful and meaningful.”

American Chamber Ensemble in concert

Hofstra University’s renowned ensemble-in-residence celebrates the legacies of founding clarinetist Naomi Drucker and longtime violist Lois Martin at its upcoming concert. The program — a diverse selection of works by Mendelssohn, Hurlstone, Beach, Dimmler, and Steven Gerber — honors both who were instrumental in shaping ACE’s storied history. In a special tribute to Martin, the ensemble performs Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, a masterpiece known for its prominent viola scoring. Drucker, a revered educator and co-founder, is remembered with David Holsinger’s On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss. In a testament to her impact, f Drucker’s former students, colleagues, and friends join the ensemble on stage for this moving tribute

• Saturday, Feb. 28, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Admission: $18, $16 65+

• View the LICM events calendar at licm.org for additional information or call (516) 224-5800

• 11 Davis Ave., Garden City

While the iconic celebrations in Rio de Janeiro and Portau-Prince often steal the spotlight, the museum’s festival dives deeper into the tapestry of the region — from the energetic parades of Barranquilla to the historic traditions of Oruro and Montevideo. They are expressions of heritage and identity, artistic creativity and community spirit that define the joy of marking the changing seasons and the region’s rich tapestry.

Visitors will get a taste of Carnival’s jubilant spirit of throughout the day’s programming.

“We were looking for a festival that embodies the diversity of Long Island,” Aimee Terzulli, the museum’s vice president of program and visitor experience shares. “These cultural festivals are invitations to the community.”

Throughout the day, families can expect a lively mix of music, movement and creative experiences, set against the backdrop of upbeat Caribbean rhythms that create a lively, tropical atmosphere.

The Brazilian Samba Novo troupe, a returning favorite, gets everyone moving to the sounds of Samba and salsa music. The lively dancers and energetic drummers once again entertain the crowd and teach kids some of the dance steps, adding an interactive element to their entertainment. Those towering “Jumbie” stilt walkers, rooted as a symbol of spirit guardians, are also back, bring the magic to life as an iconic part of the Carnival celebration.

“The performances resemble what Carnival would really be like,” Terzulli enthuses.

No Carnival is complete without a massive parade to ring in the holiday. Here everyone gets into the parade spirit during what she describes as “the fantastic float parade.”

Kids can help decorate miniature floats before pulling them through the parade, accompanied by dancers and stilt walkers. And, of course, there’s a Carnival King and Queen involved — chosen from

Music in the air, joy in every step. Samba Novo dancers bring rhythms to life and invite young guests to move, groove and celebrate together.

Vsitors get creative with hands-on artmaking, turning tradition into playful masterpieces.

those in the “crowd” to reinforce the event’s playful, inclusive spirit.

Little faces, big imaginations! From butterflies to bold designs, creativity takes center stage as kids are transformed into works of art.

The museum’s animal ‘residents” even join in the fun, helping families understand how wildlife has historically inspired Carnival imagery and costume design. New craft offerings this year include maraca-making, ribbon stick design and face painting.

However, the day isn’t just about play — it’s about perspective.

“We want everyone to find an entry point,” Terzulli says.

While the event is undeniably festive, education remains a core focus. Museum staff and performers involve conversations about Carnival’s history and meaning throughout the day, helping visitors understand its cultural roots while enjoying it all. Through partnerships with authentic cultural contributors, the museum ensures the history of the experience remains front and center.

“We make sure that when they are making the crafts, there is an exchange of why they are making it,” Turzelli adds.

Of course, no festival is complete without flavor. Families can pause for a “pit stop” to sample sweet and savory treats inspired by various Latin American and Caribbean nations, providing a literal taste of the regions being celebrated.

At its heart, the aim is for families to leave with more than just memories of a fun day. Carnival also reflects the museum’s broader mission of serving as a community gathering place.

“I hope they walk away with a sense of joy about the holiday. I think it’s a beautiful, multicultural event,” Terzulli adds. “We want LICM to be a space where people come to learn about each other.”

Sunday, March 1, 3 p.m. $20, $15 seniors 65+ or students with ID; available at the door. Hofstra University, Monroe Lecture Center, California Ave., Hempstead. For information or reservations, call (631) 242-5684 or (516) 586-3433.

“Don’t stop believin’… 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.

Friday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com.

Your Neighborhood CALENDAR

Feb

26

Gele Magic! Head Wrap lessons

Learn the cultural and creative art of Gele

— traditional African head-wrapping — in this beginnerfriendly, 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

Family theater

Feb

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 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: 10:15 a.m. and noon; also March 3-5

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

Sõ Percussion in concert

The Grammy-winning percussionists return to the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center. For 25 years and counting, the quartet has redefined chamber music for the 21st century through an “exhilarating blend of precision and anarchy, rigor and bedlam” (The New Yorker). Their commitment to the creation and amplification of new work have made them a trusted partner for composers, allowing the writing of music that expands the style and capacity of brilliant voices of our time.

• Where: Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: adelphi.edu/pac or (516) 877-4000

Jessie’s Girl

Mar

Mar 6

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Molloy University’s CAP21 Musical Theatre students tackle Shakespeare. The Bard’s beloved comedy is a magical tale that explores the irrationality of love, desire, friendship, jealousy and magic. When the mortal worlds of four young lovers and a bungling group of amateur actors collide with a feuding fairy kingdom in a mystical forest on a midsummer eve, romantic misadventures ensue, causing chaos that only a bit of fairy magic can sort out.

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

• Time: 8 p.m.; also March 7, 2 and 8 p.m.; March 8, 3 p.m.

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

Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus

The all-new circus tour is a nonstop celebration of jaw-dropping acts, world-class performances and memory-making moments. Dance, cheer and celebrate from your seat.

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

• Time: 8 p.m.

Drag out that neon once again and give your hair its best ‘80s ‘do. Those crazy days are back — as only Jessie’s Girl can pull off, on the Paramount stage. The band of NYC’s top rock/pop musicians and singers gets everyone into that “Back To The Eighties” vibe with the latest edition of their popular concert experience. With a lineup including four pop-rock vocalists dressing and performing as 80s icons, backed by a dynamic band, this is the definitive ‘80s experience. Jessie’s Girl’s primary line-up includes a team of NYC’s top rock and pop vocalists: Jenna O’Gara, Jerome Bell-Bastien, and Mark Rinzel. They are backed by one of the tightest bands in the city comprised of 20+ year veterans of the NYC music scene: Eric Presti on guitar, Drew Mortali on bass, Michael Maenza on drums, and Karlee Bloom on Keys and the Keytar. Each with dozens of credits performing with authentic ‘80s icons who made the music famous to begin with! From the synth-pop glitz of the early MTV era to the power ballads of stadium rock, the band captures the specific magic that defined a generation. Throw on top of that: a load of super-fun choreography, audience participation, props, costumes bubbles, and confetti — and you have a party that audiences don’t want to leave. Their motto: There’s no decade like the Eighties and no party like Back To The Eighties with Jessie’s Girl. Whether you lived through the ‘80s the first time or are just a fan of the timeless anthems, you’ll want to join in the fun.l.

• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com

• Where: 2400 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont

• Time: Various, through March 8

• Contact: ticketmaster.com or ringling.com/circus

interactive storytelling, themed crafts, puzzle games and a kidfriendly snack break.

• Where: John J. Byrne Community Center, 800 Jerusalem Ave., Uniondale

• Time: Noon-2 p.m.

Mar 1

Metropolitan Klezmer

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

Little Readers Club

Each Saturday the John J. Byrne Community Center hosts a storytime and activity club for kids with big imaginations and parents looking to nurture a love of reading. Sessions feature

Art Perspectives

Nassau County Museum of Art welcomes acclaimed artist Adam Straus for engaging conversation with noted art critic-writer-filmmaker Amei Wallach. Together, Straus and Wallach discuss his artistic process, share insights from his current and past work, and present images that illuminate the evolution of his practice. Their dialogue offers a unique window into the artist’s creative journey and the broader role of art in reflecting and responding to our contemporary world. $20, $15 seniors, $10 students (members free). Limited seating, register in advance.

• Where: 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor

• Time: 3 p.m.

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

Long Island Children’s Museum welcomes families to dress up and celebrate Purim — costumes encouraged and fun guaranteed! Enjoy a performance by Metropolitan Klezmer on the museum stage. The band brings eclectic exuberance to Yiddish musical genres from all over the map. Performing vibrant versions of lesser-known gems from wedding dance, trance, folk, swing and tango styles, as well as soundtrack material from vintage Yiddish films, they re-invent tradition with both irreverence and respect. Sing and dance along with us at this interactive family concert! Also make a grogger, the traditional noisemaker used during the telling of the Purim story at a drop-in program, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $5 with museum admission ($4 members), $10 theater only.

• Where: 11 Davis. Ave., Garden City

• Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

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

Mar

DIY Natural Body Care

2

Tweens and teens in grades 6 through 12 can dive into the world of wellness

and creativity with this handson workshop from Carmen’s Creative Club at Uniondale Library. Participants learn how to safely mix and create their own natural body care products using everyday ingredients. From scrubs to moisturizers, it’s a chance to explore personal care without synthetic additives.

• Where: 400 Uniondale Ave., Uniondale

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: uniondalelibrary.org

Mar

Little Learners

Art Lab

5

Each week in this engaging workshop at Long Island Children’s Museum, 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 say goodbye to winter by turning paper cups into mini penguins! $4 with museum admission.

• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City

• Time: 11:30 a.m.-noon

• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800

Mar

7

Professional Championship Bull Riders

Buckle up — ’cause you ain’t seen nothin’ like this before. The PCB has been a full-throttle tour de force: a mano-a-toro showdown where the toughest cowboys on the planet face off against the rankest bulls in the game. May the boldest rider win. And it’s not just the cowboys. Watch the cowgirls blaze through barrel racing, showcasing speed, agility and sheer determination in a race for the fastest times.

• Where: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: ticketmaster.com

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.

Mayor pledges end to ICE Cooperation

By KYANNA WIGGINS Special to the Herald

An ad hoc group of activists confronted the Village of Hempstead board of trustees during a packed public meeting at Hempstead Village Hall on Feb. 3 over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Hempstead, calling on the board to end village cooperation with the federal agency.

ICE has, in recent weeks, come under increasing scrutiny following the deaths of Nicole Good, a mother of three, and Alex Peretti. Both 37 and U.S. citizens, they were shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

A line of activists, nearly all Hempstead residents, urged Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. and the four trustees to act immediately, saying ICE’s surge in the village has, for months, frightened residents who worry they will be detained and potentially deported. Many said they were scared, despite their own legal status. A number of speakers noted they were particularly concerned for local children, many of whom fear attending school away from their parents.

“I’m truly scared, said Monica Diaz, a Hempstead business owner and former resident of more than 20 years. “My family is scared. We no longer come to church. We attend church on Zoom. We attended a church on Franklin Street. I can no longer do that because that’s when ICE is out.”

“Fear and racial profiling are changing how people go to work, take their children to and from school, and move through their own village,” said Ashley Guardado, a mother and climate justice organizer. “These harms are not abstract, and they are happening today.”

Guardado called on board members to clarify their stance on ICE cooperation and follow the lead of cities such as Buffalo and Jersey City that have strengthened immigration protections for local residents.

“They have recognized that collaborations with ICE undermine community trust,” Guardado said.

Hobbs acknowledged constituents’ concerns, saying he had already agreed before the meeting that the village would end its cooperation with ICE.

“I have instructed our police department chief that we will not have any of our officers working with ICE,” Hobbs said, adding that he was working with Gov. Kathy Hochul on legislation to prevent local police officers from working with ICE.

Hobbs noted that, while the village may not cooperate with ICE going forward, it cannot stop ICE activity in the village, as the agency has federal jurisdiction to enforce immigration law throughout the nation.

He encouraged residents to reach out to federal officials such as Rep. Laura Gillen, who represents a large portion of Nassau County, whom he said has a greater influence at the federal level.

“It’s my job to protect you locally,” Hobbs said, “but make sure you also petition those who represent you on a federal level.”

Village Police Chief Richard Holland said the Hempstead P.D. must assist ICE if presented with a judicial warrant, a legally

binding document ordered by a judge.

“We’re obligated as a law enforcement agency to cooperate and assist any law enforcement agency — federal, state or local — if they have a valid order signed by a judge,” Holland said. “Our officers are instructed to make sure that agents have a valid warrant from a judge before they step in.”

It was unclear whether the practice would continue following Hobbs’ order. That is why Nadia Marin-Molina, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said she would like to see a clear policy laid out in writing. Local officials are not required to cooperate with ICE if presented with an agency-issued detainer or warrant, according to the office of the New York State attorney general.

Speakers said they believed people were being detained in the village without judicial warrants.

“People are walking on the street with a bookbag or because they have dirty boots, they’re getting picked up,” Diaz said. “That’s not a warrant.”

“I’ve been out patrolling the streets myself,” said Kiana Bierria-Anderson, a Democratic candidate for New York’s 4th Congressional District, who plans to oppose Gillen in a primary in June. Speaking to Holland, Bierria-Anderson said, “I’ll have to be honest with you, I have seen police officers working with ICE. So there is a miscommunication in some way, shape or form.”

Gillen crossed party lines on Jan. 22 to support a Department of Homeland Security funding package. ICE falls under DHS’s purview. The spending bill includes monies for cybersecurity and immigration enforcement. Many at Tuesday’s meeting said they disapproved of Gillen’s decision.

“I would like to understand clearer if she has spoken to you about the mistake she made in terms of providing more funding for ICE,” Bierria-Anderson asked the mayor,” … and if you had time to speak with her one-on-one about how her decision has impacted your district.”

“I spoke to her while I was in Albany, and I spoke to her today,” Hobbs said. “We have a follow-up meeting (Feb. 4) about how that was a terrible decision. She said she realized it, and that’s why she corrected it.” Audience members laughed.

As the activists continued to press trustees about the lack of communication between officials and constituents, the exchange grew emotional.

“Everything makes me feel like I am suffocating under the reality that my elected

officials need to be convinced that we are humans,” said Eileen Santiago, Guardado’s wife and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

Santiago said local officials must take a collaborative approach to provide legal resources and “know your rights” trainings

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,

for residents.

“Let’s collaborate. Let’s distribute ‘know your rights’ cards,” she said. “Let’s support the community.”

Hobbs said he agreed with the approach. He noted he had been contacted by several Hempstead village workers about volunteering to educate the community about their rights. “I have responded to them, and we will have a meeting in place,” he said.

Located in central Nassau County, Hempstead is 45.3 percent Hispanic or Latino and 45 percent Black, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Hobbs said many on social media have sought to divide the village racially over immigration.

“If we’re going to talk about tensions between Black and Brown communities, what are we going to do to fix those tensions?” Bierria-Anderson said. “Because ICE is not just a Hispanic issue, it’s a Black issue as well.”

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 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

AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCF 2 ACQUISITION TRUST C/O U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff AGAINST CARLOS AZUCAR, SILVIA AZUCAR AKA SYLVIA AZUCAR, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered December 8, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 31, 2026 at 3:30 PM, premises known as 1345 Galley Street, Uniondale, NY 11553. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, and State of New York, Section 50 Block 336 Lot 10. Approximate amount of judgment $626,751.93 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #601687/2024. Cary D. Kessler, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 22-003487 88768 158539

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… To place a notice here call us us at 516-569-4000 x232

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE

Full Time/Part Time

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

DRIVERS WANTED

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Busy Print Shop in Garden City

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

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

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EDITOR/REPORTER

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

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

MULTI MEDIA ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT

Inside Sales

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

OUTSIDE SALES

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

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

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

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A Place to Call Home

What makes a basement a basement?‘finished’

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

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

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

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

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

© 2026 Monte Leeper

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

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OpiniOns Stephen Miller’s politics of sabotage

Every administration has its ideologues. Every president has advisers who translate impulse into policy. But once in a while, a single figure emerges whose real work is not governance but sabotage — the deliberate narrowing of civic life.

In Donald Trump’s White House, that figure is Stephen Miller.

Miller is often described as the architect of Trump’s immigration agenda.

That may be true, but it’s incomplete. Immigration is simply the most visible stage on which Miller operates. The deeper project is broader and more corrosive: a politics designed to make Americans afraid — not only of immigrants, but of one another, and of acting freely in public life.

Miller’s real architecture isn’t just about who gets in. It’s about what kind of country we become.

The through-line is intimidation. The point isn’t merely enforcement but atmosphere: to show that the state can reach into your life suddenly, harshly,

without apology. To make people think twice before speaking, gathering, helping or dissenting. To shrink civic space until citizenship itself begins to feel conditional. In such a climate, obedience becomes the safest form of participation, and democracy begins to feel like a risk.

That’s why Miller matters. He isn’t simply a policy adviser. He is both symptom and accelerant — a product of a political sickness and one of its most effective carriers.

The sickness is the belief that democracy is too messy, pluralism too dangerous, compassion too soft. Miller gives that belief bureaucratic form.

idone profound damage. And once that atmosphere is established, the most vulnerable are always the first to suffer the worst of it.

n a Millershaped America, protest would be treated as menace.

Miller’s defenders characterize him as “tough.” But toughness isn’t the same as callousness. A serious country can enforce laws without turning the machinery of government into an engine of humiliation. Miller’s politics depend on a story: that America is perpetually under siege, that outsiders are threats, that pluralism is weakness, that empathy is naïveté.

tions would be staffed by loyalty, not expertise; protest would be treated as menace; law would be less a shield than a club; and citizenship would be a conditional permit, not a shared inheritance. It’s tempting, and comforting, to say, “The Constitution will save us.” It won’t. Constitutions don’t rescue republics by themselves. They are frameworks, not force fields. They depend on officials who honor them, courts that enforce them, legislators who defend their authority, and citizens who refuse to be intimidated into silence.

It’s not a secret that his fingerprints are on some of the harshest immigration measures of the last decade, including family separation at the southern border — a policy widely condemned because it treats children not as human beings, but as instruments of deterrence. Whatever you believe about border control, using suffering as a message is a show of cruelty, not strength.

But the deeper lesson is about power. A government that can make ordinary people afraid — afraid to speak, gather, help or dissent — has already

Civil rights organizations have raised alarms for years about Miller’s proximity to white nationalist rhetoric. The Southern Poverty Law Center took the extraordinary step of listing him in its extremist files. That is not a marginal controversy; it goes to the moral and ideological foundations of the policies he designs. Whether you accept every charge or not, the pattern is difficult to miss: Miller’s governing worldview is built on suspicion — of difference, of openness, of the very idea of a shared civic “we.”

In a Miller-shaped America, the safest posture would be silence; institu-

The danger of Stephen Miller’s politics is that they treat laws not as a restraint but as an instrument — something to stretch, weaponize and exhaust until rights feel theoretical and the public stops believing that resistance matters.

So the question isn’t whether the Constitution can save us. The question is whether Americans will still insist on the constitutional order itself: limits on power, equal citizenship, lawful process, and a public life in which fear isn’t the organizing principle.

Miller’s project runs in the other direction. And if it succeeds, no piece of parchment will protect us.

Michael Blitz is professor emeritus of interdisciplinary studies at the City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The challenge of celebrating Black History Month

On Feb. 5, not long after Black History Month began, President Trump’s Truth Social account posted a video depicting former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes. In response to criticism from Republicans, the video was removed the next day, but with no apology from the president.

That’s the immediate context in which Black History Month takes place, but it’s been an entire year since the last celebration of this month, during which the Trump administration has advanced white supremacy and moved aggressively to undermine America’s longstanding commitment to diversity. The administration’s support for white supremacy isn’t new. In November 2019, in Trump’s first term, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights called for the firing of Trump adviser Stephen Miller, stating, “Stephen Miller represents white supremacy, violent extremism, and hate — all ideologies that are antithetical to

the fundamental values that guide our democracy. Allowing him to remain a White House advisor is a betrayal of our national ideals of justice, inclusion, and fairness.”

Yet in the second Trump administration, Miller has even more power. As Ashley Parker, of the Atlantic, told NPR recently, “He’s incredibly powerful. Steve Bannon and other people jokingly call him the prime minister.”

The Trump government has undermined our country’s commitment to diversity.

Miller is perhaps best known, as NPR reports, as “a chief architect of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.” That crackdown has generated intense public opposition due to the killings in Minneapolis of two American citizens with no criminal records by ICE officers. Because ICE is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, it ironically shares the department’s mission to “safeguard the American people.” That irony is not lost on Americans, and the public response to those two deaths has echoed the outcry after the 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers.

The irony of the administration continues, as the White House acts to ensure that America’s schools instill, in the words of Executive Order 14190, “a

patriotic admiration for our incredible Nation and the values for which we stand” — while detaining children through ICE crackdowns at accelerating rates. As MS NOW reports, “Recent independent analysis by the Marshall Project shows that the number of children held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement has skyrocketed in Trump’s second term — from an average of about 25 children detained per day during the final 16 months of Biden’s presidency to about 170 children per day under Trump.” On some days, the analysis found, “ICE held 400 children or more.”

What values, exactly, are those detained children learning at the hands of the administration? What values are all children learning as they witness detentions of other children, day care workers and young parents? These are actions of cruelty, not respect for human life and liberty. They are acts of lawlessness, not patriotism.

Now the administration proposes to change the way we vote in America. As The New York Times reports, “President Trump has repeatedly suggested that he wants the Republican-led federal government to ‘nationalize,’ or ‘take over,’

the running of elections.” His allies in Congress are simultaneously advancing legislation — the Make Elections Great Again, or MEGA, Act — that would make voting more difficult. These proposals completely ignore the fact that elections in the United States are free and fair.

As the Brennan Center for Justice writes, “In 2025, a new threat to free and fair elections emerged: the federal government. Since day one of his second term, the Trump administration has attempted to rewrite election rules to burden voters and usurp control of election systems, targeted and threatened election officials and others who keep elections free and fair, supported people who undermine election administration, and retreated from the federal government’s role of protecting voters and the electoral process.”

Nationalizing state elections is blatantly unconstitutional, and the legislative actions would make voting more difficult. That is exactly what this White House and its allies want to achieve.

As Black History Month continues, and in the months and years ahead, ERASE Racism will be championing inclusiveness, fairness and justice for all.

Elaine Gross is founder and president emerita of ERASE Racism, a regional civil rights organization based on Long Island.

opinions Another baseball season full of hope

The arrival of spring training, and the anticipation of another baseball season, brings back great memories. My earliest baseball memories date back to the early 1950s and the Brooklyn Dodgers, the famed “Boys of Summer,” in what is now regarded as the sport’s Golden Age. Baseball was the unquestioned national pastime, and New York’s Yankees, Dodgers and Giants were the dominant teams. From 1947 to 1956, the Yankees won eight league pennants, the Dodgers six and the Giants two.

For nine of those 10 seasons, at least one World Series teams was from New York, and for eight years, both teams were. That was a true monopoly of excellence.

The Dodgers teams of my youth included such Hall of Famer players as Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider and Gil Hodges. There was nothing better than sitting in the stands at Ebbets Field, watching these stars excel. (Tickets for bleacher seats cost 75 cents!) As mighty as the

Dodgers were, however, the Yankees, led by legendary stars like Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford, prevailed in five of the teams’ six World Series encounters.

And then, in 1957, Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley announced the unthinkable: He would move the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles the following year, and the Giants would go to San Francisco. My childhood had come to a crashing halt. National League baseball would be gone from New York.

Just one example: thousands of area kids looking forward to Little League.

My final goodbye to the Dodgers would come on Sept. 22, 1957, when I went to their final home day game at Ebbets Field. Brooklyn beat the Phillies, 7-3, and Duke Snider hit two home runs, but that was small consolation. Dodgers baseball in New York, and my years of sports innocence, were behind me. National League baseball didn’t return to New York until the Mets arrived in 1962. They were an expansion team, which meant they were composed of players others teams didn’t want. There were some rough, lean years, but to Mets fans, it didn’t matter. They rallied behind the team, and after seven seasons, and many losses, the 1969 Mira-

cle Mets, led by their manager, Dodgers legend Gil Hodges, won the World Series in a never-to-be-forgotten triumph over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles. The Mets captured the Series again in 1986, defeating the Red Sox in a memorable seven-game struggle. There have been several good runs since then that fell just short, including a World Series defeat to Kansas City in 2015 and, most recently, a League Championship Series loss to the Dodgers in 2024. Now the Mets face the 2026 season having decided to go forward without their all-time leading home run hitter, Pete Alonso, and star relief pitcher Edwin Diaz, as well as proven veterans Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil. Their core four are gone. For Mets fans, spring training will be filled with questions and unknown answers.

I know that baseball has changed dramatically since years ago. There are almost twice as many teams now as there were then; players move from team to team, season to season; and teams regularly play inter-league games. As well, the Super Bowl has surpassed the World Series in public attention, and sports such as hockey and bas-

ketball crowd the calendar, playing well into the baseball season.

But still, that sense of anticipation remains. There is something about the fresh spring air and the crack of the bat that brings our attention back to the baseball diamond. The distances from the pitcher’s mound to home plate, and between the bases, remain the same, as do ball and strike counts. And, especially on Long Island, many thousands of kids are looking forward to playing Little League baseball in a new season, when, as always, their parents and grandparents will be in the stands, cheering them on. They’ll create new memories that, in years to come, they’ll pass on to their children and grandchildren.

No matter the rule changes or league realignments, baseball will remain unchanged as an essential component of the American fabric. Almost 75 years ago, the renowned cultural historian Jacques Barzun famously proclaimed, “Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball.” That is as true today as it was then, and I believe it will be true for generations to come.

Play ball!

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

Ed Ra’s new post is good for Long Island

Having spent 23 years of my life in the State Assembly, I keep close contact with members and monitor the progress of significant legislation. I make it a point to call individual members to encourage them to take action on proposals that are good for Long Island. Which is why I was thrilled that Republican Assemblyman Ed Ra was chosen as minority leader earlier this month, in a unanimous vote.

Living as a bipartisan person, I have been supportive of Ra in his many roles as an elected official. During his 10 years in office he has been a proactive legislator, proposing laws focusing affordability, antisemitism, workforce development and controlling state costs. I was especially pleased when he became the ranking minority member of the Ways and Means Committee.

I had the good fortune to chair that

committee for 10-plus years, and have great respect for committee members who pay attention to pending laws and ask questions. Ra has been a diligent member of the committee, and he has kept the majority members on their toes. Ways and Means is the most important committee in the Assembly, and it desperately needs members who keep an eye on the 7,000plus bills that are sent to it each year.

He’s worked hard to become the Assembly’s Republican minority leader.

Ra is the third Assembly member from Long Island in my career who has held the title of minority leader. The late Assembly members Perry B. Duryea and Jack Kingston also held that job. Duryea eventually became the speaker, and holding the minority post was a springboard to the top job. I know for a fact that Ra didn’t get the leadership job without a lot of preparation, forging coalitions to win the support of the minority caucus.

I doubt that even the Republican leaders on Long Island fully understand what it took for Ra to get his new job. Over the years he has taken on all of the

thankless jobs that most members do not covet. He has been involved in reviewing all of the bills that affect the Island, and for a few years he acted as the Republican floor leader, organizing debates on bills advanced by the majority. It’s the job of minority members to craft credible arguments opposing majority legislation.

There’s a separate issue that most of the Albany establishment doesn’t understand. The Assembly’s Republican membership is dominated by upstate legislators. They tend to be anti-downstate, and want all of the key jobs for their delegation. If you talk to an upstate Republican member, don’t be surprised if he or she is anti-Long Island. They are jealous of the attention Long Island gets, and many think negatively about the downstate region in general.

When the previous minority leader, Will Barclay, an upstater, announced that he wouldn’t seek re-election this year, the upstaters immediately began to caucus to support one of their own to

keep the job in their region. At the same time, Ra had to move quickly to win a majority of the conference. That backroom stuff happens in any type of legislative body, and it takes political smarts to pull it off.

Why make a fuss about the election of an assemblyman who’s in the minority party? We’re a very big island, with multiple needs and demands. We need all the voices we can get to speak out for the bi-county area. New York City legislators have a strong voice on a variety of issues, and the Island has to fight for recognition when the dollars are being disbursed and laws are passing that help other areas of the state.

Last year I wrote a column singling out Democratic Assemblywoman Mickey Solages and Ra for their hard work in Albany. I was pleased then and now that Ra has advanced in his party leadership. Solages is a rising star in the Democratic Party, and I’m happy that Ra is now a part of the four-way leadership.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He currently chairs the Capitol Insight Group, a government relations firm. Comments? jkremer@liherald.com.

Long Island students need news literacy

on Long Island, where school boards debate curriculum priorities and districts navigate tight budgets, one subject can no longer be treated as optional: media literacy.

Across Nassau and Suffolk counties, students scroll through a relentless stream of headlines, commentary and viral content, frequently without formal instruction on how to tell the difference between verified reporting and misinformation.

In an era when misinformation travels faster than facts and algorithms reward outrage over accuracy, the future of journalism and civic trust hinges on what young people understand about news.

A November 2025 study from the News Literacy Project makes the stakes unmistakably clear: Teenagers are not rejecting journalism outright, but they are struggling to distinguish it from everything else crowding their feeds.

The nationwide study builds on a troubling News Literacy Project 2024 finding that 45 percent of teens believed journalists harmed democracy. But the new research goes further, examining not just skepticism but the roots of distrust — and the confusion at its core.

Teens often lump professional reporting, partisan commentary and outright online misinformation into a single category: “news.” When everything looks the same, nothing earns trust.

However, there is a mandate for action. An overwhelming 94 percent of teens said news or media literacy should

be part of their education. They are not tuning out because they don’t care. They are asking for help.

The problem is access. Only 39 percent of students reported receiving any media literacy instruction during the prior school year. More than six in 10 teens are left to decode a complex information ecosystem by themselves. They scroll through algorithm-driven headlines, influencer commentary masquerading as reporting and viral misinformation engineered for emotional impact — often without being taught how to verify a claim or evaluate a source.

That gap isn’t just an educational oversight. It is a civic vulnerability.

According to Donnell Probst, executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education, the most effective time to teach these skills is early, before beliefs harden and misinformation calcifies into identity.

Encouragingly, instruction works. Students who had lessons in media literacy were more likely to seek out news, and reported higher levels of trust in journalists. This is measurable impact backed by research.

Long Island school districts should take note.

Across Nassau and Suffolk counties, some schools offer journalism electives or student newspapers. Others offer none. According to a 2022 survey by Baruch College, 73 percent of New York City public schools lacked student newspapers — with access concentrated in private and selective schools. The same inequities often surface on Long Island,

where opportunities vary widely by district.

The decline of school newspapers and journalism classes compounds the media literacy crisis. These programs teach students what real journalism requires: cultivating sources, verifying facts, and asking tough follow-up questions.

If we want a generation that values journalism, we must first ensure that it understands journalism. This isn’t a “kids these days” problem. It is a larger one — and it is also a business imperative for local news organizations across Long Island. If the next generation cannot differentiate between a reported investigation and a viral conspiracy thread, it will not subscribe to, support or defend professional journalism.

Doubling down on media literacy in school curriculums is no longer optional. It should be embedded across grade levels, integrated into English and social studies classes and reinforced through experiential learning like student newsrooms. Policymakers should treat media literacy as foundational civic infrastructure, not a niche elective.

News organizations on Long Island must also step forward and partner with schools, open newsrooms, support media literacy initiatives and provide mentorship and transparency about how reporting is done.

The answer isn’t louder defenses of journalism, but deeper public understanding — teaching media literacy so people can recognize misinformation and think critically for themselves.

Prioritize safety in retirement incentive’s implementation

Nassau County’s Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program rightly rewards our hardworking public servants for their dedication to our residents. It must be implemented, however, in a manner that does not jeopardize the operation of critical county departments that keep people safe.

On Jan. 26, I joined my colleagues in a unanimous vote to approve VSIP. The program will give union members of any age with more than 10 consecutive years of full-time county employment the opportunity to receive a lump sum payment of $2,000 for each year of their consecutive service as of the date of their resignation.

The Corrections Officers Benevolent Association, the Nassau County Detectives Association, the Inspectors Police Benevolent Association, the Police Benevolent Association, the Superior Officers Association and Civil Service Employee Association Local 830 have all signed agreements to offer this incentive to their members.

According to the experts at Nassau County’s independent, nonpartisan Office of Legislative Budget Review, this

Framework

brings the potential for a substantial impact on our workforce. As many as 3,401 union members in the county’s 7,585-person workforce are eligible for this benefit. The county administration has estimated that roughly 40 percent of the eligible workers will take the offer, with many coming from the pool of qualified employees over age 55.

Under those projections, several already-strapped departments stand to absorb the largest number of retirees, and it is worrisome that there seems to be little strategy in place to address those potential shortfalls. My concern grows even stronger when you consider how departments that are vital to public safety will be hit hardest.

TReducing the workforce could therefore curtail revenues and reduce VSIP’s overall savings potential.

Within the group of 55-and-older employees in our law enforcement bargaining units, there are 123 members from COBA, 75 from the PBA, 71 from SOA, 40 from DAI and 24 from IPBA. Paired with existing vacancies, the shortfall climbs by another several hundred unfulfilled roles.

his benefit brings the potential for a substantial impact on our workforce.

Within the group of 999 CSEA employees ages 55 and over, 192 are civilians in the Nassau County Police Department and 174 are in the Department of Social Services. When you pair those figures with existing vacancies in the departments, the number of potential unstaffed positions soars to 310 and 264, respectively.

The issue becomes even more serious as we pursue our roles as fiduciaries of the county. Many of these positions, and the caseloads they handle, provide the county with much-needed state and/or federal revenue in the form of reimbursements as the work is performed.

by Tim Baker

When you consider the roles of these specific departments, such deficiencies are a cause for concern, and it requires a targeted response. Civilians in the Nassau County Police Department respond to 911 calls from residents who are in urgent, immediate need of emergency services, and our sworn officers do yeoman’s work to keep our communities safe every day. Nassau’s dedicated Department of Social Services staff oversees and addresses critical issues of child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, homelessness, and more.

Moreover, these are taxing, demanding careers in which public servants address life-and-death issues amid heartbreaking scenarios. The risk of burnout is significant, and this leads to greater attrition. Slashing the workforce would only exacerbate these issues and further increase the risk of burnout. We

need a plan to prevent this avoidable outcome.

But under persistent questioning by members of the Legislature’s Democratic minority and me, the county administration had few concrete answers as to how they would prevent labor shortfalls from worsening further, other than to conduct routine backfill exercises to replenish staffing. This is neither adequate nor sustainable, and a more aggressive and proactive approach is necessary.

In signing off on the VSIP, the Nassau Interim Finance Agency correctly directed the county administration to closely monitor the program’s implementation to ensure that sensitive positions are backfilled in a timely manner. Accordingly, it is essential for the Legislature to receive routine written updates from the administration, advising us on who is departing and how this will impact vacancies, caseloads, statutory obligations, and potential revenue for federally and state reimbursable positions.

By working proactively and collaboratively, we can uphold our responsibilities as county fiduciaries, safeguard critical county operations from adverse impacts, and ensure that sufficient resources remain in place to keep our communities safe and healthy, while preserving the quality of services our residents fund and depend upon.

Viviana Russell, of Westbury, represents Nassau County’s 2nd Legislative District.

Your opinion Matters

Your opinion Matters

Your opinion Matters

The strength of our community comes from open dialogue. We invite residents to submit letters to the editor on issues affecting our neighborhoods, schools, businesses and local government.

The strength of our community comes from open dialogue. We invite residents to submit letters to the editor on issues affecting our neighborhoods, schools, businesses and local government.

The strength of our community comes from open dialogue. We invite residents to submit letters to the editor on issues affecting our neighborhoods, schools, businesses and local government.

Letters must include your name and contact information for verification. Send lettters to execeditor@liherald.com

Letters must include your name and contact information for verification. Send lettters to execeditor@liherald.com

Letters must include your name and contact information for verification. Send lettters to execeditor@liherald.com

Be heard. Be part of the conversation.

Be heard. Be part of the conversation.

Be heard. Be part of the conversation.

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