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Zucker School of Medicine celebrates the Class of 2028’s transition to medical professionals during14 White Coat Ceremony

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The Zucker School of Medicine Class of 2028, reciting the oath to “do no harm” (Photo Credit: Hofstra University)

On Oct. 18 the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell held its 14th White Coat Ceremony at the Long Island Marriott Grand Ballroom.

Surrounded by their families, friends, faculty, and school administrators, 101 first-year medical students participated in the ceremony, donning the iconic white coat — the representative emblem of the medical field, for the very first time.

Established in 1993 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, the White Coat Ceremony is a traditional rite of passage celebrated by medical schools throughout the nation, marking the transformation of medical students into healthcare professionals.

The ceremony took place just a few weeks after the students completed their first course in emergency medical training, instead of at the beginning of their educational journey, recognizing them as new learners and as colleagues in medicine.

“We believe that this journey from student to physician is a transformative process. It takes time to nurture, and there are sometimes bumps along the road in defining one’s professional identity from person to professional,” explained Dr. David L. Battinelli,  Deborah and Lawrence Smith Dean of the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and executive vice president and physician-in-chief, Northwell Health.

“Congratulations to all of you on your White Coat Ceremony and for this journey that you’ve just begun.”

After being individually presented and coated by Zucker School of Medicine faculty members, Drs. Taranjeet Ahuja and Carmen Rodriguez, the first-year students recited an adaptation of the Hippocratic Oath, under the leadership of Dr. Samara B. Ginzburg, vice dean and dean for education, pledging to “do no harm”, an important promise to take as they continue on their journey in the medical profession.

Susan Poser, president of Hofstra University, also joined the ceremony and had the opportunity to address the Class of 2028.

“Your coat symbolizes candor, and truth-telling to your patients and in research. This new vestment will make you recognizable as someone who is highly educated in a career whose purpose is to care for others, and who took an oath to keep healthcare human and to care for your patients with dignity, compassion, empathy and respect,” said Poser. “The entire community of Hofstra University is here to support you throughout this passage to becoming physicians, we are genuinely excited for you, excited to get to know you, and already very proud of you for getting to this moment in your lives. On behalf of Hofstra University, I congratulate you as physicians in training, and I look forward to following your progress.”

Dr.  Stephen Trzeciak, professor and chair of medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, delivered the ceremony’s keynote address.

His critically acclaimed 2019 book, “Compassionomics,” explores how compassionate healthcare can be a matter of life and death for patients. In his latest book, “Wonder Drug,” co-authored with Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli, Trzeciak reveals how serving others is the best medicine for oneself.

In his keynote address, Dr. Trzeciak touched on both of these points, urging students to let their compassion shine at the forefront of their care and focus on it in an effort to be the best physician they can be.

“I want you to commit yourself to getting better at compassion because compassion is the cornerstone of caring for patients. It is the emotional response to another’s pain or suffering involving an authentic desire to help. Your white coat is a responsibility to serve. Serving others is central to what this school and our profession are all about,” said Dr. Trzeciak. “You were selected to be here not only because of your academic record but because of your personal attributes, your service to others, your resilience and your compassion fits the ethos. Therefore, let this white coat you’re about to receive be your cloak of compassion, your ever-present reminder of the responsibility to serve and the beginning of finding your true fulfillment.”

Comprised of 101 students, the Zucker School of Medicine’s Class of 2028 is a culturally rich group with students from a mix of socioeconomic backgrounds, academic/career experiences, and various walks of life. The class represents 14 states and 53 universities across the country.

 

Keiserman, Sillitti tackle health care and housing at NAACP Candidate Forum

By
Julie Prisco
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Assembly Member Gina Sillitti at the NAACP Candidate Forum (Photo by Julie Prisco)

Two Democratic women from Nassau were the only ones to show up Monday for a Candidate  Forum organized by the North Shore Chapter of the NAACP.

North Shore Branch President Qiana Hobdy moderated the forum at the Port Washington Library and said most of the invited candidates did not respond or declined to attend. Candidates running for Congressional District 3, State Senate District 7, and State Assembly Districts 13 and 16 were invited to participated,

The North Shore chapter of the NAACP organized a Candidate Forum on Monday, Oct. 21, at the Port Washington Library for the candidates of Congressional District 3,

Senate District 7 candidate Kim Keiserman and District 16 Assembly Member Gina Sillitti bucked the trend and showed up

Keiserman discussed her professional background in education and experience in educational advocacy and activism outlining her goals in running for the State Senate.

“As a state senator, I will always be advocating for the funding that our schools need to create the programs that would help serve students who struggle, students who have disabilities or students who are being overlooked,” Keiserman said. “We also have to make sure that we pursue policies that provide standards to make sure that schools are serving all students.”

When asked about how to help minority students succeed in the school system, Keiserman said guidance counseling needs to be considered.

“I think that we need to be putting a lot more resources into guidance counseling and ensuring that all of our students are getting the counseling that they need to help them as they move into careers, college and adult life,” Keiserman said. “I think that currently, we’re not doing enough to provide those services to kids with basic barriers. Whether those barriers are because they’re the first in their family to go to college or whether they’re economic barriers or whether the barrier is simply their interests aren’t the same as all of the other kids.”

Sillitti focused on the issues with the healthcare system in the state.

“I am a proponent of universal health care, government-funded health care, Medicare expansion, Medicaid expansion,” Sillitti said. “We do a lot of it in New York. We’re constantly increasing our Medicaid reimbursements and making sure more people are eligible, but the fact that people can go broke in this state because they get cancer or break their leg is disgusting. I think our federal government has an obligation to do this.”

While one of the biggest parts of the New York budget is health care, it’s not enough, Sillitti said.

“It’s not enough for our healthcare workers. It’s not enough for our drug service providers who are working with people with disabilities. And it’s not enough for people to afford healthcare,” Sillitti said.

Keiserman and Sillitti both discussed the political polarization of housing in the state and believe that discussions to solve housing issues should happen on the local level rather than a one-size-fits-all approach from the state.

“We need to be able to bring together local town supervisors and people in village government and other stakeholders to have these discussions to identify the obstacles in increasing housing options in our communities and overcome those obstacles. And so some of the obstacles are just identifying locations,” Keiserman said.

“Incentives for towns who want to increase their housing. Allow them to do studies,” Sillitti said. “They want to put in sewers; let’s give them sewer study money. They want to do a master plan to figure out additional housing, then give them the tools and incentives so they can build and develop where their community wants it.”

Upcoming Events at the Hillside Public Library

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PROGRAMS and EVENTS

Health Insurance Application Assistance – 1 st Floor Modular Room                                                                                                               Tuesday, November 5, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Get help from Health and Welfare Council of Long Island (HWCLI) experts with the Medicaid application process through LDSS, Medicare Savings programs and Medicare resources. Call HWCLI for an appointment at 516-505-4426, or walk-in with your questions. This service will be available on the following dates: November 5, 19 and December 3, 17.

Adult Craft: Make Your Own Corn Husk Doll! – All Purpose Room

Wednesday, November 6, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.  Explore the folktale behind the hobby of the corn husk doll, a traditional craft shared by Native American and colonist families. Learn about the cultural significance of corn husk dolls and how they were created. Then craft your own figure using corn husks and other materials to enhance your beautiful holiday home, or give as gift!  Presented by the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum.

  • PLEASE NOTE: Your registration will be CANCELED if the materials fee payment ($5.00, cash) is not received by November 1. 

Classics Book Club – 1st Floor Modular Room

Wednesday, November 6 at 6:30 p.m.  The book being discussed is: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. “Holmes and Watson face a so-called family curse on Dartmoor in 1889. Asked by an acquaintance to investigate the recent death of Sir Charles Baskerville and protect the next of kin, Sir Henry Baskerville, Holmes dismisses the curse as nonsense. At Baskerville Hall, Watson must keep on his toes to protect Sir Henry as Holmes gathers clues. From devilish hounds to the deadly Grimpen Mire to an escaped convict, England’s West Country seems determined to take Sir Henry like it took his kin.”

Brain Fitness Fun and Games for Everybody! – Virtual

Thursday, November 7, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. This class is uniquely designed for those who are interested in being proactive in maintaining and enhancing their cognitive functioning! New brain games, word games, trivia and other brain stimulating activities from Justin and Emma.

Senior Citizen Property Tax Exemption One-on-One Filing Workshop – 1st Floor Modular Room

Friday, November 8, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Staff from Family & Children’s Association will be on-hand to assist seniors file their Nassau County Property Tax Exemption applications. For a list of the documents needed, please go to the library’s website.

  • Appointments required

Movie! Challengers. Rating:R. All Purpose Room

Friday, November 8 at 1 p.m. “Tennis player turned coach Tashi (Zendaya) has taken her husband, Art (Mike Faist), and transformed him into a world-famous grand slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she makes him play a “Challenger” event — close to the lowest level of pro tournament — where he finds himself standing across the net from his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend (Josh O’Connor).”

CHILDREN and YOUNG ADULT EVENTS

YA Art Club – All Purpose Room

Friday, November 1 at 5 p.m. Grades 5 – 12.  Help decorate the YA Room by creating a unique art project with Ms. Ambadjes. No experience necessary! *All projects will be displayed & returned the following class/month.

Turkey Stuffed Animal Workshop! – All Purpose Room

Monday, November 4 at 5 p.m. Ages: 4 years & Up. Gobble Gobble down some Thanksgiving books & stuff your very own 15′ Butterball Turkey! Material Fee: $7

LIL Athletes – All Purpose Room

Thursday, November 7 at 4 p.m.  Grades: 1-4.  Fun & high energy athletic activities focusing on dribbling, bouncing & kicking skills!

 

Athletic Movements with Jane – All Purpose Room

Saturday, November 9 at 10:15 a.m. Ages: 4-5 years.  Get ready for some fun action and groovin’! Be up and moving in this class while having fun and teaming up for activities. Remember to bring a bottle of water!

 

 

 

 

Vulgar language prompts four-day closure of Bocce Ball court

By
Ben Fiebert
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New Hyde Park Mayor Christopher Devane temporarily shuts down Bocce Ball Court, following vulgar language. (Photo courtesy of The Island 360 archives)

The Bocce Ball court in New Hyde Park was closed from Oct. 18 to Oct. 22 after some residents said they heard “disturbing language.”

Chris Devane, the mayor of New Hyde Park, received a complaint about an incident at the park on Oct. 12, alleging that there was a group of middle-aged men playing bocce ball and yelling misogynistic and racist comments. The complaint said parents and children who were near the court likely heard the “disturbing language.”

Also in the complaint, the resident said they made a “playful and respectful retort” and were told “up yours,” followed by vulgar language.

“I have investigated this incident and two additional adult witnesses that were in the playground corroborated this encounter,” Devane said in an Instagram post. “There is zero tolerance for this type of behavior in our park.”

Diane Bentivegna, a member of the New Hyde Park Bocce Club, said nobody at the club was contacted about this incident. She said as a taxpayer who pays for this public facility, she is upset that the court was shut down for a few days.

“No member, and we polled all the members who were there that day and the entire membership, said this ever happened,” Bentivegna said.

Bentivegna said people were commenting on Devane’s Instagram post in support of the club. She claimed that because of those comments, Devane shut down commenting on that post.

Devane said people were making comments that were inappropriate and this incident was not up for debate.

“The complaint was made by a 28-year village resident and her husband, so we have two adults and then there was independent corroboration of that where people reached out to me that were in the children’s playground who were disturbed by the incident,” Devane said. “They were two different adults, unrelated to each other and unrelated to the person making the complaint.”

In an email, Bentivegna said Devane’s actions, including his decision to close the comments, show disregard for due process, free speech and the reputation of the club.

“I don’t believe that this justifies a full-scale trial,” Devane said. “I’m an attorney. I’m aware of what due process is, but this is a court on a park. This is not owned by the bocce group. There’s no exclusive use of that park.”

Devane said the park has a code of conduct that was violated. He said he doesn’t believe in elementary punishment where everyone gets punished, but because people allegedly sat idly by and “allowed it to happen,” the park had to be closed.

“What we’re trying to do is say, ‘listen, we need to be better than this and we are better than this’,” Devane said. “And we didn’t uphold that standard on that particular day and there needs to be repercussions.”

Devane said at the end of his Instagram post that by closing the park, the individuals who perpetrated this incident and the silent cohorts might take time to “look in the mirror and see the problem.”

Plandome eyes new cell tower to bolster poor service

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Cameryn Oakes
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Plandome Mayor John "Jake" Kurkjian explains to residents the village's pursuit to install a new cell tower (Photo by Cameryn Oakes)

The Village of Plandome is seeking to install a new cell tower to bolster cellular service in their village amid issues of dead spots and cell shortages, a proposal that drew overwhelming support at a public hearing Monday night.

“This is the latest and greatest,” Mayor John Kurkjian said. “I think we’re on the right track for better cell service for the entire village doing this.”

Kurkjian said the cell tower is proposed to be installed in the lot across from the Plandome Country Club, but an exact location in the lot has yet to be determined. Kurkjian said the lot has been studied and determined to be an ideal location.

“Somewhere back there, obviously ideally where it’s not too obtrusive and sticking out, we tuck it back as far as possible without running into the wetland,” Kurkjian said.

The cell tower being considered would be a 5G pole about 125 feet high that Kurkjian said would be tucked away as far as possible. He said the color is still to be determined but could be neutral. Renderings showed it in a dark gray color.

The cell tower would provide not only service to Plandome but also to the neighboring areas.

Kurkjian said multiple cell tower companies interested in the project and with “decent” proposals have approached them, but no application has been filed yet. The companies are independent and would then contract with cell service providers to bring their coverage to the village.

“These companies will have ideally every single carrier – T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T – on that pole so that everybody in the village, no matter which service you have, will get better service,” Kurkjian said.

He said the village is seeking to bring in a company that will solicit and secure the most carriers to bring their service to the village. He said the companies they are talking to have a track record of this.

“There are many companies that are interested so that gives us a feeling of confidence that they must have a pretty good idea,” Plandome Clerk-Treasurer Barbara Peebles said.

Kurkjian said they were initially approached by one company interested in installing the cell tower. After that, he said Peebles reached out to additional companies to see if they were interested and another company contacted them regarding the project.

“So we’ve done our due diligence,” Kurkjian said.

The mayor said the cell tower would benefit residents and local first responders who experience poor cell service throughout the village.

Multiple residents expressed a need for the service, explaining how there are often service dead spots throughout the village and in their own homes. One resident, who is a physician and relies on cellular service for his job, said he had to purchase a $200 personal cellular service box for his home.

All the residents who attended the public hearing Monday night supported the cellular tower. Kurkjian and Peebles said the feedback they received from residents was also positive.

Kurkjian said the cell tower would also be a revenue source for the village, but he could not provide numbers for what they expect.

He said that in addition to an upfront payment, the village estimates that it will receive 50% of the cell tower’s revenues based on the proposals it has received so far. He said the village would seek the proposal with the best deal.

Revenues would also depend on the number of carriers associated with the tower, Kurkjian said.

Kurkjian said the board is planning to vote on approving the cell tower at its next meeting. He estimated the tower wouls be in place within six to eight months.

Great Neck Library patrons to head to polls Monday

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Cameryn Oakes
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The Great Neck Library's Main Branch location (Photo courtesy of the Great Neck Library)

Great Neck Library patrons will head to the polls Monday to vote in the library’s election with a ballot featuring three seats on its Board of Trustees, two seats on its Nominating Committee and an amendment to its bylaws.

The library election will be held from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.

There will be three polling locations.

Residents of zip codes 11023, 11024 and 11363 can vote at the Main Library at 159 Bayview Ave. in Great Neck.

Residents of zip codes 11020, 11030, 11040, and 11362 can vote at the Parkville Library Branch at 10 Campbell St., New Hyde Park.

Residents of zip code 11021 can vote at the Great Neck Plaza Village Hall, located at 2 Gussack Plaza in Great Neck.

Three current board and committee members have chosen not to run for re-election.

The three seats on the Board of Trustees up for election are those of Kathleen Gold, Josephine Mairzadeh and Aliza Reicher. Gold and Mairzadeh are not seeking re-election.

Running for Gold’s seat is Reicher, who was appointed to the board in January to fill the vacancy left by former trustee Donald Panetta. Reicher was selected by the library’s Nominating Committee to run for the seat.

“I have served a short but productive term on the Board and there is so much more to do,” Reicher wrote in her candidate statement. “The Library needs a long-term capital plan for necessary and sustainable improvements while continuing to prioritize the funding of book acquisitions, patron programming, and technology services. This requires responsible money management and oversight. I want to ensure this growth happens with minimal Board conflict and with a focus on serving all Great Neck patrons. Our library is for everyone!”

Reicher is a bankruptcy attorney and legal writer and editor at Thomson Reuters Practical Law. She received a B.A. in political science from Barnard College, Columbia University, and a J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

She ran in the library’s October election on a platform advocating against book banning and censorship and called for tighter finances, developing more programs for seniors and youth, and hiring more staff.

Reicher lost in the Oct. 30 election to newly joined trustee Chayim Mahgerefteh. She received 450 votes, the second-highest number but fell short of Mahgerefteh’s 1,163 votes.

Running for Mairzadeh’s seat is Brachah Goykadosh. Goykadosh was selected by the library’s Nominating Committee for the seat.

“Since before I can remember, the library has been one of my favorite places,” Goykadosh wrote in her candidate statement. “It is where the community congregates, where our horizons are expanded, where we are immersed in ideas, stories, and poetry.”

Goykadosh is an attorney at a litigation boutique law firm in New York City. She has previously served as a federal district judge clerk in New York’s Eastern District and as senior counsel at the New York City Law Department.

She is a graduate of the Benjamin N. Cordoza School of Law and received her B.S. from Macaulay Honors College and her master’s from Brooklyn College.

Two individuals are running for Reicher’s seat, which would be a one-year term. The library’s Nominating Committee selected candidate Matt Klein, while Neal Hakimi is an independently running candidate.

Klein is a National Fidelity Product lead at Lockton and a Great Neck Estates environment commissioner.

He said in his candidate statement that he is “committed to fostering community engagement” through programming.

Hakimi is a medical director at an intensive care unit at South Shore University Hospital.

He received his B.A. from SUNY Binghamton University and graduated from Ross University’s school of medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut and a fellowship in Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine at Norwalk Hospital and Yale New Haven Hospital.

Two seats are also up for election on the library’s Nominating Committee.

The two-year seats are for the ones currently occupied by Steve Jacob and Sabine Margolis.

Jacob is not running for re-election, and Inna Amir will be running for his seat. The Nominating Committee selected Amir as a candidate.

Amir has had a career in financial technology and said her philosophy is “rooted in community-first principles.”

“Candidates must prioritize serving the community over personal agendas, respect our diverse demographic, and embrace open-minded, objective thinking,” Amir wrote in her candidate statement.

Margolis is running for re-election and was nominated as a candidate by the Nominating Committee. Independent candidate Joshua Ishal is also running for Margolis’ seat.

Margolis is an IT director and project manager for a New York-based cosmetics company.

“Public service should prioritize access, inclusivity, and intellectual freedom extended beyond its physical four walls,” Margolis wrote in her candidate statement.

Ishal is a general dentist with a practice in Astoria, Queens. He said he is an active member of his synagogue and is committed to giving back to his community.

“I believe public libraries are essential for promoting education and community engagement,” Ishal wrote in his candidate statement.

The five individuals elected in October will start their term in January.

Long Island reacts to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death

By
Julie Prisco
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On Thursday, Oct. 17, Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, was killed during an IDF operation in Gaza.

Sinwar was widely regarded as the mastermind behind the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which Hamas slaughtered more than 1,200 men, women and children in the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Some 251 were taken hostage, but that number is considerably lower today.

Sinwar’s long history with Israel includes killing and kidnapping Israeli soldiers and being held in an Israeli prison for over 20 years.

In response to Sinwar’s death, the American Jewish Committee, a global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, said, “We pray that this critical development will lead to the return of the hostages and help pave the way for a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

The American Jewish Committee has a headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 overseas posts and partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide. The committee’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world.

Eric Post, the Long Island director of the American Jewish Committee, said while there is “somewhat of a relief” in the Jewish community following the news of Sinwar’s death, there are “very mixed” reactions, too.

“On one hand, I think as supporters of Israel, we feel vindicated that Israel has eliminated the leader of Hamas and the person who orchestrated these attacks,” Post said. “But on the other hand, our minds are on the 101 hostages, including seven Americans, who are in Gaza, and what this means for that situation. We’re yet to see.”

The wounds of Oct. 7 are still fresh for everyone, especially for the Jewish community of Long Island, home of Plainview native Omer Neutra, a soldier in the Israeli Army who was taken hostage on Oct. 7 by Hamas.

The Long Island Chapter of the American Jewish Committee has been working with Neutra’s family over the past year to raise awareness for the hostages in Gaza, Post said.

“It’s just a very tentative spot we’re in. We’re praying for the best, we hope that good will come from this, to free the hostages, which I think is first and foremost on our mind and on Israel’s mind and really what we hope this will lead to,” Post said.

Rabbi Moshe Weisblum, the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Tikvah in Wantagh, said “Sinwar was a man that didn’t value life whether it was of his own people or other nations.”

“Judaism teaches us not to be joyous when our enemy perishes and always pray for them to repent and change their ways to love all mankind. We pray that this will conclude the saga and era of hatred,” Weisblum said.

“May peace and love prevail between Israel and its neighboring countries, just as the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. Menchem Begin, Israel’s prime minister, and Anwar Sadat, Egypt’s president made this dream a reality. Begin prophesized in the most powerful words, there shall be, ‘No more war, no more bloodshed.’ We continue praying for the same. Amen.”

Readers Write: Hubris, chutzpah in Village of Great Neck

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The Island 360
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Dear Mayor Bral,

After 10 years in office, you are intending with one swift and unexpected hearing to change your terms of office from 2 years to 4. Your hearing is today. It is a move that deserves much wider attention.

In your 10 years in office, you have accomplished a tiny number of noticeable things:

  1. When certain residents come to you and request a reduction in fees and fines, they find you amenable. Meanwhile, the rest of us residents pay the tab for your financial favoritism.
  2. You purchased a small plot of land from a developer who had been unable to unload it for 20 years. That will be the location for a downsizedvillage hall for the largest village on the Great Neck peninsula. The meeting room is on the second floor instead of the main floor in a town whose elderly population is 19%.
  3. You have the village Department of Public Works hang flags on Middle Neck Road in honor of Nowruz.
  4. You force out employees who pre-date you and outshine you in knowledge and experience. You want fealty, above all.

In a recent meeting you announced that you come from Iran and therefore no government can tell you what to do. So as a government official in the United State you just equated the autocracy of the Ayatollah to our United States democracy.

In this light, you and four trustees appear to be largely ignorant about representative government and democracy, the concepts and the reality.

After 10 years during which it has become painfully apparent that you do not read, you have decided all of you deserve to remain in office 4 more years instead of 2. And lest the taxpayers forget, your $10,000 a year has earned you $100,000 in addition to your income from your private medical practice.

Your desire to extend power long into the future indicates the time is overdue for the Village of Great Neck to feature in the news in the wider media. Your vote tonight, voting yourselves more time in office, will be the confirmation.

Rebecca Rosenblatt Gilliar

Great Neck

D’Esposito and Gillen meet on the debate floor once again

By
Ben Fiebert
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Laura Gillen, Democratic nominee for Congressional District 4, left, and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito debated key issues they would tackle if elected in November. (Photo courtesy of News 12)

Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito and Laura Gillen, Democratic nominee for Congressional District 4, went head-to-head during a News 12 debate, discussing issues they will focus on if they win the November election.

The 4th Congressional District includes most of the Town of Hempstead, Long Beach and a small portion of the Town of North Hempstead.

The Oct. 15 debate featured pre-submitted questions from News 12 viewers. Key issues discussed during the debate included alleged corruption, D’Esposito’s response on ethics question, rising antisemitism, abortion rights, immigration reform, climate change and the SALT tax. This debate is ahead of the Nov. 5 rematch between the candidates.

A New York Times article was published alleging D’Esposito hired his mistress and fiancee’s daughter. This would be in violation of House ethics rules. During the debate, D’Esposito said these reports are untrue.

“My hiring practices were done above board and there was absolutely zero ethics violated in any of my decisions,” D’Esposito said.

D’Esposito accused Gillen of hiring over $2 million patronage jobs from the Nassau County Democratic party during her tenure as supervisor. He also cited a New York Post article claiming that Gillen helped hand a $1.5 million contract to renovate the area around Nassau Coliseum to a political donor.

“This is a ridiculous, baseless attack and Congressman D’Esposito knows that,” Gillen said. “The contract that he’s talking about is the contract to have the coliseum and renovate the coliseum. That contract was given out by the Republican-controlled Nassau County legislator.”

Moderator Rich Barrabi asked both candidates about the recent rise in antisemitism. A resident from West Hemstead, Avi Rosman, expressed fear for children’s safety due to an increase in anti-semitic incidents.

“This isn’t about what you’re going to do. For me, it’s what I have done and what I will continue to do,” D’Esposito said. “I have been at the forefront in calling and rooting out antisemitism. I was chosen by the speaker of the House to sit on the National Holocaust Museum board, which allows me to bring resources to combat antisemitism to communities not only here on Long Island, but across the United States of America.”

D’Esposito said he is on the first-ever parliamentary working group, a bipartisan group between the House Knesset in Israel and the House of Representatives in the U.S. He said he shares intelligence with them and talks about the rise in antisemitism.

Gillen said she agrees with D’Esposito that addressing the rise in antisemitism is crucial. She outlined her antisemitism action plan, which includes leveraging federal dollars to enforce codes of ethics and responsibility in colleges, sending more resources to the Office of Civil Rights and addressing hateful language on social media.

Donna M., a Lynbrook resident, asked the candidates how they would vote on a national abortion bill.

“We must protect reproductive freedom in this country,” Gillen said. “It is not a state’s right. It’s a human right.”

Gillen said she will always vote for reproductive freedom, including the Women’s Health Protection Act and access to IVF.

“I made it very clear that I would never, ever support a nationwide abortion ban,” D’Esposito said. “I have co-sponsored four bipartisan bills to protect access to IVF.”

Gillen said “action speaks louder than words” and D’Esposito isn’t doing enough to fight for reproductive rights. She said he didn’t vote for the Women’s Health Protection Act and would not sign a discharge petition to bring a bill about IVF legislation to a vote.

Barrabi asked the candidates what they will do to address border concerns if elected.

“The only party who’s done anything to secure our border in the House of Representatives are the Republicans,” D’Esposito said. “We, back in April, passed H.R. 2 to secure the border. It’s the most comprehensive border bill that this country has seen.”

Gillen said the bill was “hyper-partisan” and the Republicans knew it had a zero percent chance of becoming law, so they used it as a talking point. She said the House was working on a bill that had bipartisan support, but said former President Donald Trump told D’Esposito and his colleagues not to “solve the crisis so they can campaign on it.”

“First, we should point out what I wouldn’t do and that is to just haphazardly accept every green energy policy that comes across our desks,” D’Esposito said in response to a resident, who said he is worried about the effects of climate change on the district.

D’Esposito said he would focus on ensuring the funding of the National Flood Insurance Program, continuing to work with the Army Corps of Engineers on potential floodgates, continuing to fund projects along the south shore to replenish the shoreline and providing funding to communities to ensure they have the hazard mitigation funding.

“I was proud of the work I did as supervisor to make sure that we are addressing the impacts of these storms and preparing ourselves for the next one,” Gillen said. “We did storm stabilization projects in Valley Stream, in Point Lookout by rebuilding the dunes and working with the Army Corps of Engineers by creating living barrier reefs.”

D’Esposito responded to a question about what he has done to repeal the SALT Cap to reduce federal taxes by using state and local deductions in his first term in office. He said he has worked every day to restore the SALT deduction for taxpayers who itemize. He said he is being stonewalled by Democrats, which is why it hasn’t been restored.

“He doesn’t need one single Democrat,” Gillen said. “He’s in the majority. If he was an effective congressman, he could bring this bill to the floor and get a vote on it. He said Democrats didn’t deliver, but Tom Suozzi got this passed in the House. He (D’Esposito) has failed.”

“The 4th Congressional District needs a bipartisan leader who has delivered results. I am that person,” D’Esposito said in his closing statement.

“In Congress, I will reach across the aisle and start delivering bipartisan solutions for your family and for mine,” Gillen said in her closing statement.

Early voting for Nassau County residents will begin on Oct. 26 and end on Nov. 3. The Nassau County Board of Elections website has information about local early polling places and times.

Polling will continue Nov. 5 on Election Day.

Garden City Park Fire and Water District eyes new firehouse

By
Ben Fiebert
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0
Garden City Park Fire Department Station no. 2 on Denton Avenue. The Garden City Park Fire and Water District is planning to reconstruct the house. (Photo courtesy of Maylan Studart)

The Garden City Park Fire and Water District is moving ahead with planning a new firehouse despite residents voting against a bond to replace the fire station on Denton Avenue last year.

The bond, which was $5.9 million, was voted down by 251, or 77% out of the 325 total votes in Sept. 19, 2023. The district has been looking to renovate or reconstruct the firehouse, which was built in the 1970s, since 2007. Robert Mirabile, co-commissioner of the district, said that since then, the district has been putting money aside to save for renovations.

“They were putting money away and once we would get close to saying, ‘we probably might have enough to build, let’s save another year’ and then we start to get hit with Covid and inflation and supply chain issues drove the price up tremendously,” Mirabile said.

Mirabile said the commissioners wanted to get this project done last year before losing even more money. He said the district didn’t have enough money to do the project that the department initially wanted so they had to put up a bond vote.

Mirabile said that with the bond being voted down, the department now has to determine whether it can design an adequate firehouse with the money it has at hand.

“What we’re exploring now is trying to design a firehouse that will fit the needs of the department and also fit the budget that we have so there can’t be any tax increase,” Mirabile said.

The budget for this project has yet to be determined as the district is currently reviewing preliminary plans with architects and engineers. After the plan is approved, it will go to a third-party cost estimator. He said if the budget comes in too high, then changes will need to be made, but that is something he said he is uncertain about until the plans are finalized.

“We’d like the firehouse to be adequate-sized to house the three companies that turn out of that firehouse,” Mirabile said. “There’s five companies within the department. Two of them are at headquarters, three of them are at station two.”

Mirabile said he wants this new firehouse to have a place where the firemen can relax in between calls called a Day Room, a room for meetings and a room for training. He also said he wants the new firehouse to be built to current safety standards, which he said station No. 2 is currently not.

“The turnout gear the firemen wear need to be stored in a separate room from where the guys are to make it a room so that any contaminates from the gear don’t affect the people in the house,” Mirabile said. “So that’s an important aspect of a new building.”

Mirabile said he would like to see the new building be more handicap-accessible with an elevator that the current building does not have.

Also, Mirabile said the new building should have backup power since right now the building only has temporary backup power on a trailer in the parking lot. He said this is because the infrastructure in the building over the years has decayed to the point where it can’t be fixed or replaced.

He said he would like to have “a current HVAC system that would filter the air properly and it’ll be a lot more efficient than the 50-year-old units that we’re currently dealing with.”

Mirabile said he wants the building to look nice for the neighbors and not encroach on them in any negative way. He said he wants the building to be inviting so that new people in the neighborhood would want to join the department.

Every year, the Board of Commissioners would put money away for either renovating or constructing a new firehouse, according to Mirabile. He said there is a department-wide committee of representation from each fire company within the fire department that sent out questionnaires to the members throughout the years, asking whether a new building or a renovation of the current building would be best.

“What the members were asking for in regards to the renovation of the firehouse caused the board to reach out and hire a firm of architecture and engineers to look into the feasibility of renovating the firehouse back in 2015,” Mirabile said.

Mirabile said the engineers and architects determined that it was cost-prohibitive to renovate the firehouse. They said new construction would require less money and the building would be “more efficient.”

“When you’re talking about a commercial building like this, the engineers investigated over and over and they said that not only will it (reconstructing the house) be more cost-effective, it will streamline the process and you will get it done faster because when the houses are being rebuilt, we have to temporarily relocate and that creates a disturbance,” Mirabile said. “By putting a new structure in, you actually do it faster than if you would renovate.”

Frank Carnevale, former member of the fire department, said this money should be set aside to possibly pay daytime firefighters. He said the money can also be used to build up the current force, which, according to him, is struggling to stay afloat due to lack of volunteers.

“Neighboring departments such as New Hyde Park and Mineola have been assisting the Garden City Fire Department with their calls,” Carnevale said.

Mirabile said Garden City Park has mutual agreements with neighboring departments, depending on the type of call they receive. He said the department automatically sends the alert to neighboring departments to ensure they have adequate manpower at the scene. He said Garden City has the same agreement where if they have a certain type of alarm in a certain area, they automatically call Garden City Park’s fire department.

“That’s something that every department has in their procedures, which they call mutual aid procedures to make sure you have adequate coverage when you have an alarm,” Mirabile said.

Since the bond vote failed, Mirabile said the commissioners are working to resign the house to fit the current budget. The design is still being revised before it gets sent to the cost-estimator.

Readers Write: Why I’m voting for Km Keiserman and Gina Sillitti

By
archive.theisland360.com
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1

I have long understood that politics involves a certain amount of gamesmanship and spin.  Candidates attempt to frame their opponents the way the wish voters to see them, but by using facts, not falsehoods, selectively and arranging them into a narrative that is more favorable to themselves and less so to their opponents.

That is normal and to be expected in election campaigns.  As conservative columnist Bret Stephens has written:  “In a democracy, a certain amount of division is natural.”

But in a healthy democracy, division and disagreement must be based upon a foundation of basic truth and decency.  What has decidedly not been normal or natural in recent local election cycles is the degree of maliciously misleading propaganda, vilification, and outright lying that have permeated some campaigns, and no more so than in the current cycle.

Kim Keiserman and Gina Sillitti have been superb community leaders and public servants throughout their careers.

They’ve fought long and valiantly for education funding, environmental concerns, reproductive freedom, law enforcement, common sense gun safety, keeping taxes as low as possible while maintaining and enhancing essential services, helping to solve the housing crisis, and ridding us of the lying and corrupt George Santos.

Especially they’ve done so with honesty, respect for all their constituents, and by being present in, and working for, our communities each and every week.  (Contrast that with Keiserman’s opponent Jack Martins’ statements that he considers his NYS Senate position to be a “part-time job”, that he makes his living as a practicing lawyer, and that there’s no conflict of interest between the two.)

But Jack Martins and Sillitti’s opponent Daniel Norber have disqualified themselves for elective office with campaign material that is nothing short of abhorrent.

Martins vilified Keiserman on his Facebook page by associating her with an event promoting state legislation to provide free school lunches for needy children, all because it was attended by state Assembly Member Jessica Gonzales-Rojas, who had every right to be there as a co-sponsor of the bill, but whom he maliciously and without evidence labeled a “blatant antisemite.”

The facts are: 1) Keiserman never even attended the event and 2) Ms. Gonzalez-Rojas is on record as deploring the loss of life on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

Those are hardly the words of a “blatant anti-Semite.”  More importantly, officials who have differences on one issue coming together to find common ground on another in order to achieve something positive is something to be applauded, not condemned.

We no longer have enough of that in our civic life today and if we don’t get it back, we will be lost as a society.

Martins put out a mailer accusing Keiserman of being a “tax hiker”, when that is impossible because she has yet to hold an office where she could have voted on any taxes whatsoever.

He has another mailer with the nonsensical insinuation that she’s supported by Chinese Communists.

Facts:  Linda Sun gave a paltry $250 in contributions to Keiserman’s campaign before Sun was investigated for her possible connection to the Chinese Communist Party.  Keiserman returned the money immediately when it was revealed Sun was under investigation.

Still another Martins mailer says she supported a “massive 5.6% School Budget Increase”, blatantly ignoring that the budget (Port Washington’s, where Keiserman lives) was approved by the electorate of the school district by more than 70%.  He has also falsely called Keiserman a supporter of, and the recipient of endorsements by, “police defunders”.

For his part, Daniel Norber has echoed the same “Chinese Communists” nonsense in his mailers about Sillitti.

On his Facebook page, he has a video brazenly claiming that Sillitti voted for “the cannabis shop opening up here in New Hyde Park”, when in fact the Village of New Hyde Park, Town of North Hempstead, and the Town of Hempstead have all passed laws outlawing cannabis shops within their boundaries.  And regardless of those laws, none of this falls within the purview of an Assemblywoman.  Norber’s claim betrays his ignorance of the very job he’s applying for.

Like Martins, Norber put out mailers attempting to tie Sillitti to high crime (in particular cashless bail), police defunders, and high taxes.  Facts:  1) Sillitti wasn’t even in office when the bail reform law was passed and has pushed for important fixes to bail reform; 2) she has been endorsed by Nassau County’s biggest police unions because she has delivered over $2 million for local police departments and passed laws cracking down on squatters, retail theft, hate crimes, and illegal cannabis shops; 3) she has brought tax cuts to middle class families, delivered property tax rebates, and delivered nearly $100 million in public school aid to the 16th District, a 20% increase in previous years funding, which eases pressure on property taxes.

Finally, after agreeing more than a month ago to debate Sillitti for the League of Women Voters (LWV) on Oct. 22, Norber recently cancelled his appearance after Sillitti, with utmost politesse and civility, unequivocally demolished him at their debate held by the Lakeville Estates Civic Association (beginning at 1:10:15 in the linked video).  And now Martins has followed suit by suddenly cancelling his appearance with Keiserman the day before same event, giving no reason to his opponent, the League, or his public.  LWV is the gold standard for candidate debates and barring illness, last minute cancellations for this event is yet another disqualification.

Campaigns like Martins’ and Norber’s are beyond the pale, demeaning to our community, and serve only to sow division and hatred, rather than bringing people together as Keiserman and Sillitti have long dedicated themselves to doing.  Our country is already exhausted, divided, and stuck in paralysis as a result of the same tactics.  But we on Long Island can be better than that.

Character, integrity, decency, and respect for the public one serves matter and Keiserman and Sillitti have them in spades.  The kind of leadership they have provided is within our grasp for the future.  It is time to turn the page to a new chapter of honesty, decency, and respect.  I hope you will all join me in categorically rejecting ugly, below-the-belt campaigning and restoring fulltime civility and competence to our local polity by voting for Kim Keiserman for NYS Senate District 7 and Gina Sillitti for NYS Assembly District 16.

Robert Yamins

Great Neck

Guest column: The most important vote US Jews will ever cast

By
stevenblank
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1

By Abraham Foxman

With Israel in peril and the Jewish community under attack, we need a president with a commitment to democratic norms.

In my 50-plus years as a Jewish community leader, I have shared opinions and made calls to action on many issues affecting the Jewish people involving both civil and human rights issues.

The one opinion I had always kept to myself was who to vote for. That was until four years ago when, for the first time, I endorsed President Joe Biden.

Former President Trump’s first term had unleashed dangerous levels of bigotry, white supremacy, and viral conspiracy theories, all of which have fueled attacks on Jews and so many others.

He and his administration dehumanized immigrants, marginalized minorities, and undermined vital democratic institutions – the same institutions that had allowed Jews to achieve a level of security and freedom that no other diaspora community had achieved in over two millennia.

It is now four years later, and the volume and sheer brazenness of antisemitic incidents is beyond what I could have ever even imagined in 2020.

There has been an accelerated erosion of the basic belief in our nation’s pluralistic vision. A recent CNN poll showed that more than half of Republicans, 56%, believe that rising racial and ethnic diversity are “mostly threatening” to American culture.

Five years ago, that same statistic was less than half that, 21%. What we once called “dog whistles” are now out-and-out open calls to scapegoat Jews. And, while Israel is fighting a multi-front war, there has been an unprecedented global campaign to isolate her.

I believe this upcoming election is the most consequential vote Jewish Americans will cast, perhaps in their lifetimes, and again, I cannot remain silent.

Jews are safest in a pluralistic society where democratic institutions and civil rights protections are strong. The brand of authoritarian populism, laced with Christian nationalism and white supremacy that we have seen being normalized by the GOP, scares me.

Trump’s Project 2025 is a fully developed policy agenda that will endanger our democracy and, therefore, the Jewish community. It is clear that, in a second Trump term, there will be no guardrails when it comes to the consolidation of autocratic executive power.

I was a Jewish child living under a charismatic dictator who used hatred and division to consolidate power. American nativism and isolationism back then kept the U.S. from intervening in WWII, only doing so after five million Jews had already been murdered.

Today, a new America First movement has a leader who would dispense with NATO and who plays footsie with the world’s worst autocrats, including Viktor Orban, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong-un.

Vice President Kamala Harris has a detailed record as an active partner in the Biden Administration, as a senator, and as a senior officeholder of the largest state in the country.

In the face of significant public pressure and on the eve of a very close election, Biden and Harris continue to stand by Israel. Vice President Harris and President Biden pushed through Congress almost $18 billion in military support after October 7th.

Former President Trump played politics with military aid to Israel, instructing Republicans in Congress to link aid to Israel to border reform, which delayed the aid and, in fact, his running mate voted against it.

And on the night the United States and Israel prevented 300 missiles, UAVs, and rockets fired by Iran and its proxies from reaching their targets, the vice president stood with the President and his national security team while coordinating the response, She has never wavered.

She has consistently pledged that she will always ensure that Israel can defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups.

To be clear, antisemitism is also being normalized in progressive movements in the Democratic coalition, where Jews are posited as the root of all evil.

In their post-colonial, post-nationalist fight against oppression, they somehow view Jews and their homeland as the world’s worst colonizers and nationalists, the ultimate oppressors. And only one liberation movement, Zionism, is branded as the embodiment of hate itself.

This has real-world consequences for a lot of Jewish people facing exclusion, discrimination and intimidation. It’s especially painful for a community that has, in large part, made its home on the political left in America.

We need leaders like Vice President Harris to recognize and challenge anti-Jewish bigotry – no matter where it comes from. Harris’s record as Vice President and as the Democratic nominee gives me confidence.

In the face of intense political pressure to feature a critique of Israel at the Democratic National Convention, Harris and the Democratic Party stood firm in their unequivocal support for Israel and the plight of the hostages.

While some world leaders are clamoring to call for a cease-fire following Israel’s retaliation against Hezbollah and the killing of leader Hassan Nasrallah, Vice President Harris made sure to call Nasrallah what he was: “a terrorist with American blood on his hands” whose death is a “measure of justice” for Hezbollah’s countless innocent victims. In stark contrast, last October, Trump inexplicably praised Hezbollah’s leaders as “very smart.”

I also take seriously a longtime friend of Israel and Trump’s former National Security Advisor, John Bolton, who has warned that “Trump’s support for Israel in the first term is not guaranteed in the second term, because Trump’s positions are made on the basis of what’s good for Donald Trump, not on some coherent theory of national Security.”

I know that the former president promotes his staunch support for Israel. And I applauded his moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem. But his support often comes in tandem with the invocation of offensive stereotypes about Jews and dual loyalty charges. He continues to insult the millions of Jewish Americans who choose to vote for the opposing candidate or who simply don’t support him as being “ignorant,” “fools,” or “disloyal.”

In doing so, Trump has also set up Jews to be blamed if he loses the election. Trump has also said that Jewish leaders “should be ashamed of themselves” for calling him out for dining with antisemitic figures like Kanye West and white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Fuentes previously said “perfidious Jews” should be executed.

Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon used to say that Israel’s existence rests on two pillars: a strong Israel Defense Force and a strong United States of America and that even the former is dependent on the latter.

With Israel in more peril than most Jews have experienced in their lifetimes, we need an American president who leads with a steady hand and who demonstrates a deep and abiding commitment to democratic norms and the rule of law. All the evidence makes clear that only one candidate, Kamala Harris, can be the leader Israel needs.

Abraham Foxman was national director of the Anti-Defamation League for 28 years. He is a Holocaust survivor.

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