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Suozzi, LiPetri go head-to-head in debate

By
Cameryn Oakes
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Rep. Tom Suozzi and Republican challenger Mike LiPetri faced off in a News12 debate Tuesday night. (Photo courtesy of News12)

Rep. Tom Suozzi (D–Glen Cove) and Republican challenger Mike LiPetri went head-to-head Tuesday night in a News12 debate, where they debated abortion, affordable housing, the SALT deduction, the migrant crisis and climate change.

“While in Congress, I reject extremism,” Suozzi said. “I use common sense and I try to work across party lines to accomplish my four main priorities.”

LiPetri is challenging Suozzi for the seat of New York’s 3rd Congressional District representative, which stretches from Whitestone, Queens, across the North Shore to the Suffolk County and then to just south of Farmingdale.

Suozzi, who served as congressman from 2017-2023, was re-elected to the seat in February during a special election to replace ousted George Santos.

“Washington’s broken and Tom Suozzi won’t fix it,” LiPetri said. “… This is an opportunity to pass the torch from the age of the career politician to the next generation common sense Republican.”

Suozzi said during opening statements that his four priorities are securing the border, restoring the SALT deduction, bringing money to the district and healing the partisan divide. LiPetri did not list any priorities.

While the two disagreed on certain issues or approaches to resolving them, the two did agree on abortion rights. Both opposed a national abortion ban and supported codifying Roe v. Wade.

Both also expressed their support for Israel and supporting the local Jewish community.

LiPetri called for consequences for local school campuses that enable antisemitic protests, including holding back funding, removing accreditation and deporting foreign students who partake.

Suozzi called for a “degrading” of Iran, which is inciting the war against Israel.

Affordability has been a main issue in local elections.

Suozzi said a solution to bolster affordability while preserving Long Island’s suburban makeup is to establish cool downtowns, or develop downtown areas around train stations by increasing available housing.

LiPetri said Suozzi’s proposed solution is modeled after Gov. Kathy Hochul, who proposed a train-centered housing increase that was struck down by local pushback, and an effort to make Long Island look like New York City.

“I don’t bend the knee to the governor,” LiPetri said. “I’m here for us, the people of Long Island.”

Suozzi said he had opposed the governor’s proposal as it overridden local control.

LiPetri said he supports first-time homebuyers of single-family homes. He said he would work towards this by achieving regional public-private partnerships an low-interest loans for first-time homebuyers.

Suozzi asked LiPetri to identify where in the district single-family homes could be built to increase the housing stock. LiPetri did not answer the question, saying the solution is not just about building homes.

The two did agree on removing the cap on the State and Local Tax deductions, otherwise known as SALT.

In 2017, former President Donald Trump signed into law a Republican-backed bill imposing a $10,000 cap on SALT deductions. Just two weeks ago, Trump reversed his opinion and said he supported removing the cap.

LiPetri, who is endorsed by Trump, supported a “lift” of the cap and removing taxes on tips, overtime, and social security.

“It’s imperative that we make Long Island an affordable place for both younger generations like my own but then older generations who want to stay here and watch their children and their grandchildren grow up,” LiPetri said.

Suozzi, who has advocated for the restoration of SALT, called the cap a “body blow” to Long Islanders.

Regarding the migrant crisis, Suozzi has called for securing the southern border, saying he requested Biden stop allowing asylum applications between the ports of entry, among other things.

While an executive order has paused influxes of migrants entering the country, Suozzi called for bipartisan solutions in Congress to establish these measures.

LiPetri said he supports mass deportations of migrants illegally residing in the United States. He called the migrant influx a safety issue, saying that thousands of them are murderers and rapists.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, released data showing that about 13,000 noncitizens entered the country, but according to Newsweek, the Department of Homeland Security said these numbers span years and multiple presidential administrations.

Suozzi called LiPetri’s rhetoric extreme, saying that crime rates are at a low locally.

As for climate change, Suozzi said it is real and something Long Island is bracing with recent intense storms. To address this, Suozzi said the longterm solution is bringing in money to make a more environmentally green economy and bolstering resiliency in the meantime.

“We have to do whatever we can to try and make sure that our shoreline is secure,” Suozzi said.

LiPetri said his environmental protection approach would be from the bottom up, achieved by working with localities to find solutions. He touted his endorsements by town supervisors to show this.

He called Suozzi’s approach from the top down in seeking “government-controlled” solutions.

Suozzi said it was not surprising for LiPetri to be endorsed by the town supervisors, who are also Republicans, and touted that he is endorsed by Republican and Democrat mayors.

He said he meets with them regularly to discuss local issues and work toward solutions with federal money.

Election day is Nov. 5, with early voting from Oct. 26 through Nov. 3.

Neighbors ask for ‘expedited investigation’ of D’Esposito

By
Ben Fiebert
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Claudia Borecky, part of the Nassau Residents for Good Government working group, speaking at a rally, demanding for U.S. Representative Anthony D’Esposito’s (R-CD4) to be held accountable. (Photos by Ben Fiebert)

Nassau Residents for Good Government hosted a rally in front of U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito’s (R-CD4) Garden City office, where he allegedly broke House ethics rules.

Members of NRGG holding up signs about D’Esposito, calling him corrupt following the New York Times article last month.

A New York Times report revealed D’Esposito hired a woman he was having an affair with, along with his fiancée’s daughter.

The article said shortly after D’Esposito took the oath of office in 2022, he hired his fiancée’s daughter as a special assistant in his Garden City district office, for which she was paid $3,800 a month.

Congressional District 4 residents stood outside the office on Wednesday, calling for D’Esposito to repay the $29,000 in taxpayer funds that he used to pay for both employees. They also demanded for an “expedited investigation” into this potential ethics violation.

Prop at the rally symbolizing the alleged $29,000 in taxpayer funds that D’Esposito allegedly paid his fiancée’s daughter and a woman he was having an affair with.

Speakers at the event also reminded voters about former U.S. Representative George Santos (R-CD3) who was expelled from the House about 10 months ago and noted they wanted an “end to corruption in Nassau County.”

“This ‘rally’ is nothing more than a gathering of professional activists, promoting partisan talking points in an attempt to distract Long Islanders from focusing on the rallygoers’ unpopular progressive agenda, which they are trying to force on our community even though it’s failed in places like New York City and beyond,” Matthew Capp, spokesperson for D’Esposito, said.

D’Esposito is running for re-election against former Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen in a district that includes most of the Town of Hempstead and a small portion of the Town of Oyster Bay.

The district is one of the most watched in the country and seen as crucial to the control of the House of Representatives by both parties.

Jody Kass Finkel, founder of NRGG, said she formed the group a few months ago with the mission to gather nonpartisan residents who will “work to bring transparency, accountability and integrity to the county government.”

She said the group is “appalled” to hear the reports of “Congressman D’Esposito’s corruption.”

“We recognize that Nassau has some very serious problems and we need and we demand that our elected officials work together to solve them,” Finkel said.

Claudia Borecky, part of the NRGG working group, said taxpayers “bear the cost of D’Esposito’s corruption.”

She, on behalf of the NRGG, asked for any investigation to be expedited so that voters can make an educated decision when casting their vote in the November election. She said she doesn’t want voters to learn on Nov. 6 that there is “another Santos in the House.”

“The time has come for Congressman D’Esposito to be held accountable. No one is above the law,” Borecky said. “Today, we call upon the U.S. attorney to investigate D’Esposito. We believe that laws have been violated and assert that D’Esposito should face consequences for any criminal actions.”

Paul Bua, part of the NRGG working group, thanked members for coming out 27 days before the most “significant national election” in recent memory.

He said the group was hosted this rally to remind residents of the importance of good government, strong public institutions and calling out corruption when necessary.

“Leadership matters, who represents and serves the public matters, character matters,” Bua said.

Bua said the more sunlight the public puts on political cronyism, the better. He said the group demands better leadership from elected officials and accountability for those in power.

Other speakers at the event such as Pamela Korn, Deyania Mairena and Pearl Jacobs echo’d statements calling for an investigation of D’Esposito.

“What we heard today from residents from all over the district is D’Esposito has cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years and it is time that he be held accountable,” Finkel said.

Finkel ended the rally by asking, “how many more people are or were on D’Esposito’s payroll and how many of those did he have personal relationships with?” She said she believes this won’t be the last time residents will be hearing about this.

Temple Beth-El publishes Horizons, a catalog offering a year of events

By
archive.theisland360.com
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Temple Beth-El’s Horizons highlights its robust offerings that enrich the spiritual, intellectual, social and cultural lives of its members and the Great Neck community (Photo courtesy of Temple Beth-El)

Temple Beth-El, an elite institution for adult learning and a hub of activity for a modern, open-minded, gender-egalitarian and inclusive Jewish experience in Great Neck, just released a comprehensive course catalog called Horizons.

“It’s a catalog of everything that’s going on this year at [Temple Beth-El], but it’s much more than just a list of events,” Rabbi Brian Stoller said. “This booklet tells a great and exciting story of a congregation that is deeply committed to a strong future; a community that is investing in the spiritual, intellectual, social, and cultural lives of its members; a community that encourages everyone to live authentically to who they are—and it’s the story of a congregation that is ambitiously confronting change head-on, just as generations of Jews did before us, so that we can be the authors of our own destiny.”

Horizons’ offerings are organized according to the five core values of Judaism: Torah (Lifelong Learning), Avodah (Worship & Spiritual Practice), G’milut Chasadim (Caring & Social Action), Kehillah (Community), and Israel (the Land of the Jewish People).

“Many activities are cross-listed under more than one core value—just like in a college catalog, some classes are listed under more than one department,” Stoller said. “That’s because each of us has our own way into Jewish life, and we want you to find everything that sparks your curiosity, no matter which section you turn to first.”

Thanks to the new Susan Stumer Cultural Arts Fund, Temple Beth-El has teamed up with the Gold Coast Arts Center to produce a robust variety of music, theater, film and culinary programs for the whole community.

“This investment in our future will make Temple Beth-El a prime center for cultural arts on our peninsula,” Stoller said.

Temple Beth-El’s new Miriam & Moses Center for Pluralistic Adult Jewish Learning will ensure that the temple is a recognized home for sophisticated intellectual Judaism on Long Island, by attracting leading scholars to teach there.

“For nearly a century, we’ve been the beacon of Jewish life in Great Neck,” Stoller said. “People have always counted on this congregation to lead the way—and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. We are stepping up our activity, doing things to raise our profile, expand opportunities for involvement, and make our presence in this community felt even more strongly.”

View Horizons at www.tbegreatneck.org or learn more at 516-487-0900 or info@tbegreatneck.org.

Temple Beth-El, a leader in shaping the future of pluralistic Judaism on the western North Shore, has served the community for more than 95 years at 5 Old Mill Road in Great Neck.

My Turn: Voting is good for you and yours

By
stevenblank
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Robert Scott

By Dr. Robert A. Scott

When someone, such as a grandchild, says that their vote doesn’t matter, especially in
New York, I reply, “Yes, it does.” The popular vote counts and influences public opinion.
Yes, the Electoral College system can overcome the total vote count, but we should not
count on it. All votes matter.

Voting is not only a civic duty; it also is a personal statement. Our vote is our voice. Why
should we be silent when we have the right to express our opinion? In fact, voting is
good for our health.

Voting is now recognized as a public health priority, says “Medicare Watch” (Voting May
Be Good for Your Health,” Julie Carter, August 29, 2024). Voting affects one’s sense of
self and well-being. It improves one’s individual sense of optimism, possibility, and
connectedness. It may be that people in better health feel better and that feeling better
leads to more activity, but the connection is real. Political determinants of health include
civic action and voting. When voting is restricted, health outcomes worsen according to
Carter.

Just consider: Voting not only affirms our choice, but it also connects us to others,
including those who agree with us and those who have a different opinion. That is the
democratic way. Voting connects us to the larger community. We are part of the body
public and participate in it.

In this way, voting empowers our voice. It helps reduce stress by taking purposeful
action. It combats disempowerment. In these ways, voting also promotes wellness.
By promoting social connections, voting builds personal agency and fosters community-
based leadership. We choose who will lead and influence the priorities of those leaders.
Voting helps preserve democracy.

Voting affects everyday life and families. It helps decide where our tax dollars go. If
promotes our values, whether they be about schools and education, tolerance and anti-
discrimination, or protecting voting rights. Yes, every vote counts. Don’t give up on our
country.

Voting is a big responsibility. We in America get to vote for local elections, including
special tax districts as well as school boards; county elections, including executives and
legislatures and land us issues; state executive and legislative officials, including
environmental protection; and federal offices including the House of Representatives,
the U. S. Senate, and the President. Every vote counts at every level every time.

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We are fortunate that we can vote in person or by mail, on election day or in advance.
Our vote counts. We can vote by political party or choose individual candidates. We can
write in the names of people we think could do a better job than those on the ballot.
We also can participate in elections by volunteering to campaign for a candidate or write
postcards encouraging others to register and vote in our district or in another. These too
are ways to make our voice heard.

I remember the first time I voted and have voted every chance since, even when I was
in the Navy in the Philippines when I used a mail-in ballot.

For this fall’s election, I have
joined with friends to write thousands of postcards encouraging others to register and
vote. Writing the cards is a community activity with a purpose and is fun at that.

So, if someone tells you their vote doesn’t count and that voting doesn’t matter, explain
to them why it is good for their health and the community’s health.

Dr. Robert A. Scott, president Emeritus, Adelphi University, co-Author, “Letters to
Students: What it Means to be a College Graduate,” Rowman and Littlefield, 2024.

Sikh community rallies after woman steals holy book

By
Ben Fiebert
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Sikh community members meditate across the street from New Hyde Park home of Prabhleen Kaur, who was arrested on Oct. 2 for stealing a holy book from a Sikh temple in Queens. (Photos by Ben Fiebert)

A New Hyde Park woman was arrested Wednesday in connection with the theft of a holy book from the Gurdwara Sikh Center in Queens that sparked the outrage of the religious community.

The Nassau Police Department said Prabhleen Kaur, 37, was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny for stealing a Guru Sahib.

The arrest took place hours after hundreds of Sikh community members converged in front of Kaur’s home at 42 Schumacher Drive in New Hyde Park.

Kaur, who is also Sikh, allegedly stole the book about seven weeks ago.

“She went to the temple and said she wanted to do a prayer at her house, and typically in our faith when you go to the gurdwara and make arrangements, they bring the holy text into the household in a certain traditional way,” said Japneet Singh, one of the organizers of last Wednesday’s rally. “And once the prayer was completed, the head priest went back to collect the holy text and she said ‘I’m not going to give it’. She refused.”

Singh said this was a very big sign of disrespect.

He also said it’s embarrassing for the temple when the holy text is not in the holy shrine, so the story was kept under wraps until people found Kaur’s home address and tried to contact her.

“She’s like, ‘I’m not going to give it to you,’ and she tried threatening them,” Singh said.

“Officers responded to her residence to place her under arrest, but the defendant refused to open the door,” the Nassau County Police Department crime report stated.

After seeing that she was not backing down, the local Sikh community started gathering in front of her home 24 hours a day, trying to make every effort to get in touch with her.

Singh said they would tell her, “We’re not going to harm you. We’re not going to do anything. We just want to take our Guru Sahib back to our house of worship.”

Three days later, after no search or arrest warrants had been issued, Singh organized a rally outside Kaur’s home.

He said some key community members knew about the situation, but the greater local Sikh community did not. Singh then posted a flyer about this rally on social media and said it “spread like wildfire.”

“I truly believe that the rally is what pressured Nassau County to really expedite the arrest warrant,” Singh said.

The rally featured hundreds of Sikh community members, along with U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (Democrat-district 3), state Assembly Member Michaelle Solages (Democrat-district 22) and Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages (Democrat-district 3). Also, there were Nassau County police officers on duty surrounding the street.

Hundreds of Sikh community members rallying outside Prabhleen Kaur’s home.
U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi at the rally last Wednesday.

Singh said the judge signed off on the arrest warrant at around 9 p.m. last Wednesday. He said the county’s Police Department entered the house by force and arrested her that night.

“The way they swatted her, I would think they were about to go get a terrorist,” Singh said. “They had helicopters, SWAT teams, at least 10 NCPD members. It was very intense.”

Singh said the Police Department worked very closely with the community to ensure that the holy text was not disrespected.

“Usually, when searches like this happen, they don’t let anyone go inside the home with them, but they knew what this meant to us and the magnitude of the situation, so they allowed us to go in the home,” Singh said.

For Sikhs to go near their holy text, they must wash their hands, and at least five people must be present. The police allowed five Sikh community members to go inside the home, and they retrieved the holy text.

“Recently, there has been significant activity near my home in New Hyde Park related to the return of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Sikh holy book, to its temple in Queens,” Christine Liu, Town of North Hempstead council member, said on Facebook.

“I want to express my gratitude to the Nassau County Police Department Third Precinct for their efforts in securing the holy book, making the necessary arrests and ensuring the safety of our community throughout this difficult situation. I also appreciate my neighbors’ remarkable patience and understanding during the investigation. I am truly thankful for the peaceful resolution of this troubling situation.”

Singh said he feels a range of emotions, from relief that this is over to anxiety that it was easy to steal this scripture in the first place. He said the biggest win for the community was how everyone came together and displayed the essence of chardi kala, which means high spirit.

“No matter how hard things were, despite all adversity, as much as it was hurting us, everyone came together and we even started meditating and we started a little prayer,” Singh said. “That’s the essence of what a Sikh is.”

Singh said the community is now in a “protective mode. ” They will work to ensure that this does not happen again.

Going Places: Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Old Bethpage Village Restoration is a Long Island Halloween Treat!

By
Karen Rubin
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The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze takes over Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Long Island, for Halloween (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Historic Hudson Valley has brought its enormously popular “The Great Jack o’ Lantern Pumpkin Blaze” extravaganza to Long Island to our most fabulous living history destination, Old Bethpage Restoration Village, for the fifth year. They have brought the extraordinary artistry, charm and delight, and kept Sleepy Hollow’s Headless Horseman, but have tailored the displays and story around Long Island’s history, heritage and culture.

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Old Bethpage Village Restoration pays tribute to Long Island’s maritime tradition: stroll the trail lined by pumpkin jelly fish © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

On view on select nights through November 3, this is a must-see attraction/experience that delights all ages, with more humor than horror.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration, a 209-acre living history museum with homes and buildings that date back to the 19th century, is the perfect setting – the stories marvelously weave a context of reality to the fantasy, which makes them even more spooky.

Lots of scary monsters have taken up residence at the Hewlett House for the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, one of the Old Bethpage Village Restoration historic homes that are reportedly haunted in their own right © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Hewlett House is a stand-in for the Amityville Horror, with similar architecture, but has its own spectral story. The pumpkin cemetery is peopled by the Hewlett family, a prominent farming family who remained loyal to the Crown during the American Revolution whose farm was built in 1794, near Pequot Lane in Woodbury (the house was moved to a hilltop at Old Bethpage in the 1970s). Their actual house is one of several historic houses in Old Bethpage said to be haunted.

For the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, the historic Hewlett House from a far built in 1794 by a wealthy farming family, plays the part of the Amityville Horror © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The Doomsday Clock outside the house, is an enormous pendulum clock made of pumpkins such as would have been popular in the 19th century and wealthy Long Island families like the Hewletts and Laytons might well have had one. But this one, standing 12 feet tall, features a single hand, ominously counting back the hour.

Witches come to Old Bethpage Village Restoration for the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze; an actual witch trial took place in East Hampton in 1658, 35 years before the Salem witch trials © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

And in 1658, some 35 years before the Salem witch trials, 16-year old Elizabeth Gardiner Howell of East Hampton was accused of witchcraft – but she was acquitted in her trial.

The Hewlett family cemetery re-created out of carved pumpkins! © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

 

And the Blaze Long Island Hall of Fame inside the Visitors Center, before you start your walk on the trail, features intricate pumpkin sculptures of famous Long Islanders (Natalie Portman and Jerry Seinfeld are the newest, joining Billy Joel, Joan Jett, Sue Bird, and Dr. J).

Jerry Seinfeld is immortalized in the Blaze Long Island Hall of Fame © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

You walk the pumpkin trail through this 19th century village and see more than 7,000 hand-carved jack o’lanterns, all carved by its team of artisans, each one unique.

Blaze Long Island’s homage to the Statue of Liberty © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The structures – all built with carved and lighted pumpkins – are absolutely incredible: a display featuring a police car, ambulance, firetruck, firefighter spraying a hose and a firefighter climbing a ladder;  a windmill; a Statue of Liberty as tall as a tree, a lighthouse with a working light (Montauk is Long Island’s most famous but this pays tribute to the lighthouse commissioned by President George Washington himself), an 80-foot long circus train with animal skeletons as passengers (a nod to Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey bringing its circus train to Long Island in 1972 to the newly opened Nassau Coliseum), a working carousel with horse skeletons.

The Montauk Point Light , the first public works project in America, commissioned in 1792 by the 2nd US Congress under president George Washington and completed four years later. Blaze Long Island offers this version, which features a blazing beacon of illuminated pumpkins © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The displays pay homage to Long Island’s farming heritage, its maritime heritage (a whaling center!), and its cultural contributions, from the inventor of one of the first computer games, to the factoid that “Jaws” was inspired by the capture of a 4500 lb white shark off Long Island.

The movie ‘Jaws” “Jaws” was inspired by the capture of a 4500 lb white shark off Long Island© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

There are also a series of displays that trace Long Island’s history, from the Native American tribes who first inhabited, to Long Island’s role in aviation history (Lindbergh took off on his historic flight in his Spirit of St. Louis to Paris in 1927 from Roosevelt Field, and nuclear physicist William Higinbotham’s of the Brookhaven National lab who in 1958 arguably developed the first video game, Tennis for Two, a primitive version of Pong and precursor to Pac-Man and Mario Bros.

The pumpkin Circus Train, harkening to the Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey train that came to the newly opened Nassau Coliseum in 1972, is 80 feet long © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Among the new displays this year is a stunning tribute to the Day of the Dead and a moving ferris wheel.

The sound effects, original musical soundtrack, lights, colors, motion of some of the larger exhibits, even smoke effects and bubbles, are pure delight. The ambiance in such a historic, rural setting is just phenomenal.

Nicole demonstrates pumping carving at Blaze Long Island © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

You also get to see actual pumpkin carving and get to talk with the carvers and see the 100+-pound carved winners, a marvelous Blaze Boo-tique featuring seasonal gifts and merchandise, while Café Blaze, features fall treats like cider donuts and pumpkin beer.

We encounter Rocco, a pumpkin carver, starting his “Bona Lisa” at Blaze Long Island © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The photo ops are precious.

Advance online purchase of timed tickets is required; no tickets are sold at the venue; capacity is limited and prices increase if you purchase on the same day.There are also FLEX tickets that allow you to visit at any time, even when it is sold out. (For a small fee, you can exchange a ticket up to 24 hours in advance.) New this year is a $10 flat rate children’s tickets (ages 3-17), valid for every date and every time slot.

One of the new Blaze Long Island displays is this magnificent tribute to the Day of the Dead © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is open select evenings Oct. 4-Nov. 3 including Halloween.

It’s a pleasant walk along a dirt trail (about half the size of the Village), suitable for strollers – allocate 45-90 minutes to enjoy. (I suggest families try to come as early as possible so the kids aren’t too tired; others come later when it may be less busy, like 8:30 pm – last entry at 9 pm.

Proceeds support the education and preservation efforts of Old Bethpage Village Restoration and Historic Hudson Valley.

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Old Bethpage Village Restoration features some 7,000 carved pumpkins © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The original Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, celebrating 20 “gourd-eous years” this year, is already underway at Historic Hudson Valley’s Van Cortlandt Manor, Croton-on-Hudson through Nov. 17 (advance purchase tickets necessary, https://pumpkinblaze.org/blaze-hudson-valley.html). And other special Halloween events are underway at Philipsburg Manor and Sunnywide (historichudsonvalley.org)

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Old Bethpage Village Restoration features some 7,000 carved pumpkins © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Sponsored by Catholic Health, the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is presented through a partnership of Historic Hudson Valley, Old Bethpage Village Restoration and Nassau County which owns and operates OBVR, with support of the NYS Council of the Arts, NYS Economic Development, and I Love NY.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration, 1303 Round Swamp Rd, Old Bethpage, NY 11804, https://pumpkinblaze.org/blaze-long-island.html.

See also:

HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS: SPIRITS OF THE SEASON TAKE OVER AREA ATTRACTIONS

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© 2024 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to FamTravLtr@aol.com. Tweet @TravelFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures 

Proposed law ‘fires’ up community members

By
Ben Fiebert
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John Fabio, Greenvale Civic Association president, talking to the Town of North Hempstead board about the proposed temporary moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems facilities. (Photos by Ben Fiebert)

Residents aired their support and concerns on Tuesday about the Town of North Hempstead’s proposed temporary moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems facilities.

The proposed local law would place a one-year moratorium on the issuance or approval of using any land in the Town of North Hempstead for battery storage systems facilities.

Two council members were absent during Tuesday morning’s scheduled public hearing and vote on the moratorium, so the hearing became a public comment discussion.

One main concern was the potential for fires at these facilities.

Community members said the local fire departments are not equipped to tackle fires caused by lithium batteries. They also mentioned fires at other battery storage facilities, such as one on Cove Hollow Road in East Hampton and another that caught fire in San Diego.

“BESS facilities are claiming they are necessary for New York’s transition to clean, renewable energy, but what exactly are we rushing into,” said Glen Head resident Robert Mazzella.

John Fabio, president of the Greenvale Civic Association, repeated concerns he heard at the Greenvale hearing about the proposed BESS facility there.

He said residents’ primary concern is the “inability of the local volunteer fire department to adequately fight a lithium battery fire.”

“Thousands of gallons of water may be required to douse these fires,” Fabio said. “So what happens when this water filters down into our aquifers and impacts our drinking water? Also, toxic chemicals are released during the fires.”

Hildur Palsdottir, a resident of Port Washington, said the fire wouldn’t release toxic fumes into the air because they would be contained within the facility. She also said you can’t fight BESS fires with water and have to let it burn out on its own.

Town Council Member Robert Troiano echoed Palsdottir and said the facilities are “self-contained,” and the fires won’t emit any chemicals into the atmosphere. He said it would not take thousands of gallons of water to put these fires out, but it would take several days for them to burn out.

Robert Troiano, town council member of District 1, speaking to Hildur Palsdottir, resident of Port Washington.

“If you look at California and Texas, you can see how it’s done right,” Palsdottir said. “They have no blackouts. We’re not preparing and last time I was here, I asked for a plan, not the ban.”

Christina Kramer said the batteries in California and Texas are surrounded by acres of land. She is concerned that any battery storage facility created in the town would be placed within a densely populated area, putting people at risk if it were to catch fire.

“If you want to put this a mile from schools, the kids will be locked in the schools, people will be locked in their houses and it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” Kramer said.

Maheen, a spokesperson for the Long Island nonprofit All Our Energy, said of the 40 storage facility fires in the past decades, there have been “virtually no injuries.” She said the facilities would help meet peak energy demands throughout the year.

The date for the public hearing and vote on the proposed law is not set yet. As of now, no BESS facilities are being created in the town.

Portugal prime minister visits Mineola

By
Ben Fiebert
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Mayor of Mineola Paul Pereira, left, with Prime Minister of Portugal Luís Montenegro in Mineola last month. (Photos courtesy of Paul Pereira)

Prime Minister of Portugal Luís Montenegro made a quick but historic stop in Mineola on Sept. 24, furthering Mineola Mayor Paul Pereira’s campaign to bring Portugal and the village closer.

This visit comes after Pereira, who is from Portugal, signed a Sister-City Agreement with Diamantino Sabina, mayor of Estarreja, Portugal. This opened the doors to cultural exchange programs between the two communities.

Montenegro visited Mineola during the 79th session of the U.N. General Assembly, which ran from Sept. 10-28.

“Portugal and the United States have a long history of cooperation,” Pereira said. “I absolutely think this visit ties into the sister-city agreement, ties into the bicoastal and bilateral discussions that into promoting investment from Portugal to here and cultural exchanges and academic exchanges.”

The village hosted Montenegro at the Mineola Portuguese Center, which is the oldest Portuguese social club in Mineola, dating back to 1936.

About 130 to 150 community members were in attendance Sept. 24, along with elected officials such as state Sen. Jack Martins, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and Town Council Member Dennis Walsh.

“It was an honor and privilege to welcome the Prime Minister of Portugal Luís Montenegro to our beautiful village of Mineola,” Martins said on Facebook. “I was not only proud to showcase our rich culture but also to share the importance of expanding our community. Thank you to my good friend and the mayor of the Village of Mineola, Paul Pereira, members of the Mineola Fire Department and my fellow colleagues in local government for joining in this special occasion.”

Before flying to the county, Montenegro planned to visit a Portuguese-American immigrant community in New York.

Pereira invited Montenegro to visit the village, as it has the largest concentration of Portuguese-Americans in the state.

After a two-day delay in his trip so that had could deal with wildfires in Portugal, Montenegro became the first sitting Portuguese prime minister to visit Mineola.

“He landed in JFK a little bit after 9 p.m. Through the Secret Service, as well as the Nassau County and New York Police Departments, he got a motorcade from the airport to Mineola and arrived in Mineola around 10 p.m.,” Pereira said. “Our fire department, in conjunction with neighboring fire departments, raised the Portuguese flag and the American flag on Jericho Turnpike.”

Portuguese flag raised in conjunction with Prime Minister of Portugal Luís Montenegro’s visit to Mineola.

At the center, Montenegro spoke about how much the Portuguese government respects, honors and holds in high regard the immigrant communities and how important they are to Portugal.

Pereira said Monetengero opened his speech by saying how he considers the United States one of Portugal’s best and strongest allies and they will continue to foster that alliance.

“The theme of my speech was essentially, I gave a brief history of the Portuguese and Mineola, dating back to the 1920s and how the community has grown, the demographics of the community,” Pereira said. “My comments to Montenegro were that we expect and request that the Portuguese government continue to invest in consular services, both through staff and services.”

Pereira said Mineola has many aging Portuguese immigrants who need passports, identification cards, healthcare and property in Portugal that they may have to sell or inherit.

He told Montenegro that the Portuguese community hopes the government continues to invest in the services of the council general and education.

“I also made a point of hope popular and how in Portugal is right now, both for American tourism, for American investment or even for Americans retiring there,” Pereira said.

Pereira said he will be visiting with Montenegro again this week in Portugal.

Temple Beth-El’s new vision plan to consider congregational partnerships, reassess building needs, update programming

By
Cameryn Oakes
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Temple Beth-El is undergoing a revisioning process to reassess its congregational needs of its building, bolster programming and explore partnerships with other congregations (Photo courtesy of Temple Beth-El)

Temple Beth-El of Great Neck has announced it has begun a process to reassess its congregational partnerships, building, and programming to serve a changing congregation.

“[Temple Beth-El’s] needs are not the same as they were a generation ago,” said Gary Slobin, the former temple president and the head of what is being called a visioning team

The temple, located at 5 Old Mill Road, described the process as a continuation of its commitment to Great Neck while “rightsizing” its footprint to serve its congregation.

The congregation will ultimately decide on the direction of the temple, though. The Visionary Team’s recommendations will be presented to members for approval.

The temple’s plan is three-pronged: partnering with other congregations, rethinking their building and expanding programming and accessibility to the broader community.

The temple, a Reform synagogue, prioritizes modern and pluralistic values, temple officials aid. However, Temple Beth-El is not closing the door to partnerships with non-Reform congregations that share these values.

“While it is important to emphasize that [Temple Beth-El] is remaining open-minded and is considering a wide array of possibilities, not everything is on the table,” said Temple President Jordana Levine said.

Levine said she is taking the lead in facilitating relationships with other local congregations.

“Although it is too soon to say for certain, the Visioning Team believes that [Temple Beth-El] may benefit from some type of formal relationship with one or more congregations,” Levine said. “We are actively exploring what arrangement with other congregations—including some type of unification or consolidation—would be best for Temple Beth-El and our membership.”

She said convergence with other congregations could look like sharing the same physical spaces, merging programs, sharing staff or combining finances.

Temple Beth-El’s physical building may also face changes.

The temple is evaluating its congregation’s current and future needs and how its building meets those needs. This includes discussing real estate options with real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.

Slobin said in a press release the temple is undergoing “a thorough, thoughtful process to identify the most appropriate physical space for our needs today—and into the future.”

Temple Beth-El is looking to establish The Miriam & Moses Center for Pluralistic Adult Jewish Learning to expand its programming. The center was established thanks to a gift to the temple.

“This fund will seed the creation of a robust and intellectually challenging adult learning program, which will help reinforce [Temple Beth-El’s] role as a leader in shaping the future of pluralistic Judaism on the western North Shore,” Levine said.

The new Susan Stumer Cultural Arts Fund will also support the temple’s plan for expanded programming, which includes a variety of musical and cultural arts experiences and events.

These events include musician-in-residence weekends, guest cantors, Shabbat services with The Shabbatones band and the growth of a congregational choir under newly hired Pam Levy.

The nearly 100-year-old temple is also partnering with the Gold Coast Arts Center to expand its cultural arts programs for its congregation and the broader Great Neck community.

The temple’s Kehillah Project at the Gershwind Family Religious School will also be changing how religious school is offered, with program offerings expanded to the entire community and non-members at an affordable rate.

The temple said in a release that the school programming includes family-friendly schedules, personalized participation in Jewish traditions, quarterly field trips, hands-on learning, and intergenerational experiences.

Discussion began during Yom Kippur last year when Rabbi Brian Stoller recognized global and local changes impacting Tempe Beth-El’s congregation during his sermon.

“Everyone here knows that the world around us has changed dramatically, and it’s impacting our congregation in significant ways,” Stoller said. “This is a historic congregation with a proud legacy. Today, we are the trustees of that legacy. As the newest links in the chain, it is our duty to carry that legacy forward. And the only way to do that is by taking up the responsibility of writing a new chapter for our congregation: one that is coherent with—and faithful to—the past, while also putting us on the right trajectory for the future.”

The multiyear Vivid Vision process is being led by the temple’s Visionary Team, which will determine a “clear vision for the congregation at this pivotal moment in its remarkable history,” according to a press release.

“The history of Judaism teaches us how to protect our core values and traditions while adapting to the changing world around us,” President Jordana Levine said. “[Temple Beth-El] is well prepared to take on this challenge.”

Temple Beth-El’s vision intends to move the temple’s Jewish experience through the 21st century, the temple said in a press release.

This includes its current commitment to inclusion, gender egalitarianism, full and equal participation, civic involvement, modern spirituality, social action and support of Israel.

 

New Hyde Park business takes a massive hit

By
Ben Fiebert
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A car crashed into Touch of Class 2 in New Hyde Park on Sept. 27. (Photos courtesy of Elena Arnella)

Touch of Class 2’s storefront in New Hyde Park sustained extensive damage after a car crashed into it on Sept. 27 at around 1 a.m.

Antonio Fleming, 28, allegedly drove into the building at 18 Jericho Turnpike with his 2024 Acura sedan while intoxicated.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired and resisting arrest, and was arraigned on Sept. 27. Nobody was in the building when the car drove through the store.

Tire marks on the floor and structural damage to the salon after a car drove into it on Sept. 27.

“At 1:10 a.m., we got a phone call that a car had gone through the front of the shop,” Lisa Margro, co-owner of Touch of Class 2, said.

Damage in the salon after the crash.

Margro, who lives a few blocks away from the store, said she heard sirens going towards her business.

She said she then called Elena Arnella, co-owner of the shop, who lives in Massapequa, to come to the store. When they arrived, they saw that the car was in the back of the salon.

“He went through the light, heading south on Cherry Lane,” Magro said.

Arnella said they were “very lucky” that the salon was closed at that time because if it wasn’t, she said there would have been fatalities.

Margro and Arnella are working with four insurance companies: their personal insurance company, the dealership’s insurance company that loaned the Acura sedan to Fleming, Fleming’s insurance company, and the landlord’s insurance company.

They said they don’t have a current timeline for when repairs will start and finish.

“So at this point, we have to wait for the adjuster to come,” Arnella said. “We hired a public adjuster and once we get the green light and the check, we can start repairs, but there’s a lot of damage.”

The shop’s structure and furniture need to be replaced. Margro’s sister created a GoFundMe page to help with the repairs. Over $13,000 was donated.

“Luckily, the community’s been great and a lot of great people donated to the GoFundMe page,” Margro said. “We’re doing the best we can do to get back on our feet.”

“We’re hoping to raise more because we have a lot of work ahead of us,” Arnella said.

The shop is relocated to 234 Jericho Turnpike at All In One Salon. The shop allowed Margro and Arnella to sublet their storefront for their business. However, because of the new location, they are taking a financial hit.

“We also lost one of our workers because there was not enough room in the new salon,” Margro said.

Margro and Arnella said this hit to the business is also affecting their personal lives, as they both have children they are putting through college.

“We are rebuilding, we are coming back to the community and we want to open up again,” Arnella said.”We have a very supportive client base so they are expecting us to open. They’re already willing to help us do whatever it takes to reopen.”

“Thank you for supporting us, following us, standing behind us, and all your generous donations, which make a big difference to us,” Margro said in a message to her clients.

Arnella said they will rebuild their store bigger and better. She also wants to build a barrier in front of her salon to prevent another crash like this from happening.

You can donate to the GoFundMe page at TinyURL.com/aszc8yzr.

Viewpoint: Who would you prefer in charge in a climate crisis: Trump or Harris?

By
Karen Rubin
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Karen Rubin
Karen Rubin, Columnist

Karen Rubin, Columnist

Trump continues to lie (when doesn’t he?) about the Biden-Harris administration’s outstanding relief response to a historic storm that devastated six states and took over 220 lives – so far – saying that they are spending disaster funding on illegal migrants while neglecting Republican areas, and ignoring Republican governors – all debunked by the governors themselves.

And don’t forget that Trump tried to pressure Speaker Johnson to shut down government rather than pass a budget resolution and had he been successful there would have been no federal workers to mobilize to provide emergency response.

Now, with Hurricane Helene already costing $34 billion, Hurricane Milton barreling down on Florida, and FEMA expecting to run out of funds in the next week, 35 Republican Senators rejected allocating more funds for FEMA while Speaker Mike Johnson is refusing to take up more funding until after the election – clearly expecting the suffering and hardship to be blamed on Biden-Harris and Democrats and not the traitorous Republicans to tilt the election.

And, even as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gladly accept federal aid, they have all but banished climate change from government policy and action. These Big Oil stooges have done nothing to mitigate disaster or adapt to be resilient. And they clearly do not see their states as part of a national or a global endeavor – doing their part to stem the forces that are heating the oceans that turn storms into super storms and cold snaps into a polar vortex.

As Margaret Renkl wrote in the New York Times, “There Is No Climate Haven. We All Live in Florida Now.”

Every three weeks, the United States experiences an extreme weather event that produces $1 billion worth of damage, averaging $150 billion a year ($165 billion in 2022) according to the latest US National Climate Assessment, CNN reported.

“The more the planet warms, the greater the impacts. Without rapid and deep reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, the risks of accelerating sea level rise, intensifying extreme weather, and other harmful climate impacts will continue to grow. Each additional increment of warming is expected to lead to more damage and greater economic losses compared to previous increments of warming, while the risk of catastrophic or unforeseen consequences also increases,” according to the Fifth National Climate Assessment.

But, the NCA notes, “This also means that each increment of warming that the world avoids—through actions that cut emissions or remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere—reduces the risks and harmful impacts of climate change. While there are still uncertainties about how the planet will react to rapid warming, the degree to which climate change will continue to worsen is largely in human hands. In addition to reducing risks to future generations, rapid emissions cuts are expected to have immediate health and economic benefits. At the national scale, the benefits of deep emissions cuts for current and future generations are expected to far outweigh the costs,” the NCA notes.

Hurricane Helene is already expected to cost $100 billion to rebuild the roads, bridges, communities that have been decimated. But there is so much – a life’s work, a life’s savings, a life – that cannot be rebuilt, reconstructed, repaired or resuscitated.

I am frankly sick of sending billions of dollars to climate change-deniers. There should be no federal disaster aid for any recovery, rebuilding, restoration project that does not require climate change and climate resiliency to be core to the plan.

You require communities to rebuild to be sustainable, eco-friendly, ergonomic and healthy, with clean, renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal) – walkable, bikeable; electric-powered cars, buses, delivery trucks, mail trucks, school buses. You rebuild affordable housing and commercial buildings with net-zero goals in mind and require sustainable agriculture.

The climate crisis is actually a disruption of the entire ecosystem that supports human life. And all of it is connected – greenspace; healthy living, working and recreational environments; affordable, nutritious food; clean air and water; healthy oceans. Communities need to think and plan holistically; states need to establish code (after Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord, New York State joined a coalition of states to adhere to the goals of reducing carbon emissions); and the federal government should continue what the Biden-Harris administration has put into place, funding an economic and infrastructure renaissance based on climate action.

Trump has such unmitigated gall as to lie about the Biden-Harris administration response, when his ‘relief” to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria came in the form of tossing paper towels into a crowd and awarding a $300 million no-bid contract to a two-person Montana company with ties to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Whitefish Energy, to rebuild the electric grid (it didn’t).

But this outrageous lie that the Biden-Harris administration discriminated against “Republican” communities is yet another example of Trump’s accusation being more of a confession.

Politico revealed that when he was president, Trump would refuse to provide disaster relief until he could inspect political maps showing how many people there voted for him; want to cut programs that help prepare, manage and mitigate wildfires and refused to give California wildfire aid until he learned how many people in the affected area voted for him; dangled federal aid for Michigan if they would oppose the state’s mail-in ballot program.

Trump rolled back flooding standards to appease his wealthy donor, real estate developer Richard Lefrak; diverted $150 million in FEMA disaster funds ahead of Hurricane Dorian hitting the Southeast; threatened to veto legislation providing $5 billion in disaster relief after extreme earthquakes; and proposed budget cuts to NOAA that would have left the US unprepared for extreme weather.

But that was only the first term. In a second term, Trump and Vance’s Project 2025 agenda proposes eliminating disaster loans to enable families and small businesses rebuild after storms and to cut assistance for hurricane victims; calls to raise FEMA’s threshold for state and local government disaster assistance; advocates privatizing FEMA’s National Flood Insurance program and rolling back emergency response spending, putting the burden for preparedness and response costs on states and localities; dismantling NOAA and eliminating the National Weather Service’s federal weather forecasting.

One last thing: just imagine Donald Trump in the Oval Office, who can’t get through a paragraph or read off the teleprompter without rambling into irrelevance and who during his first term didn’t have the focus or interest to sit through a briefing, having to juggle a climate disaster of historic proportions, an escalation of war in the Middle East, a Putin invasion, and an impending dock strike that would cripple the economy.

Biden is handling all of these with Harris along side. They have the people heading the agencies and the teams necessary to get the job done.

See also: Viewpoint: Climate crisis poses threat to public health, economic stability

Correction: Manhasset schools now observing Diwali

By
The Island 360
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0

A story in the Oct. 3 edition of Manhasset Press titled “Manhasset schools now observing Diwali” reported that the school district’s agreement with the Center for Forensic and Clinical Psychology provides resources to students and families. This is incorrect. It was also reported that the district is seeking to hire private security. The district is actually looking into services of a security company for security management and training consultations.

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