Letter To The Community From Legislator Arnold W. Drucker

Press release from the Nassau County Legislature:

June 25 2020

I hope this message finds you safe and healthy as we embark upon phase three of reopening following the COVID-19 pandemic. I am truly grateful for the kindness and compassion so many of you have shown during these trying times, and I continue to draw hope and inspiration from your example of selfless service.

First and foremost, I remain in awe of the unwavering commitment and bravery demonstrated by our first responders, our frontline heroes in healthcare, and all essential workers - each of whom has placed the health, safety, and wellbeing of others above their own throughout this crisis.

Restaurant owners have also gone above the call of duty, frequently offering discounts to first responders and essential workers. Whenever I would send meals to the fine men and women at our Second and Eighth Precincts, these restaurant owners were eager to help and give back to their communities. Restaurant owners across the district stepped up to serve more than meals: Humanity, solidarity, and generosity in the form of gracious discounts were delivered daily and were available to all residents wishing to send meals to our heroes. Among the many, I would especially like to recognize and thank Steve Cohen at Town Bagel of Plainview, George Michalakis at Bella Vista in Plainview, and Mario’s Pizza of Plainview and Syosset.

Through their partnership with Frontline Foods Nassau County, dozens of generous business owners and community members made it possible for me to join their mission of delivering meals to staff at local hospitals, clinics, and assisted living facilities. I am grateful to Nadia Holubnyczyj-Ortiz and to Frontline Foods Nassau County for including me in their efforts.

As we continue to think of others during these difficult times, our attention often turns to the fact that food insecurity on Long Island has increased drastically. We often think, “That doesn’t happen in my community,” but this pandemic has proven otherwise.

With the support of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Chamber of Commerce, the Syosset-Woodbury Chamber of Commerce, Maffucci Moving & Storage, the Islamic Center of Long Island, and our 19 hard-working high school interns who worked remotely from Plainview, Old Bethpage, Syosset, Hicksville, Jericho, Roslyn Heights, East Williston, and Herricks, we were able to collect over 1,000 pounds of food from caring residents in support of Island Harvest’s ongoing hunger relief efforts. These same student interns also helped coordinate “Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” our grocery shopping service in partnership with the MIYJCC for seniors and immunocompromised residents. I’d also like to thank Jon Greenfield, owner of ShopRite Plainview and ShopRite at Country Pointe, for his kindness and generosity in supporting local Long Islanders.

For their efforts to address the mental health impacts of self-isolation and self-quarantining, I would like to thank Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds of Family and Children’s Services and David Hymowitz of the Nassau County Department of Social Services for conducting webinars on mental health in partnership with my office. Thank you to Dr. Shetal Shah, Dr. Eve Krief, Dr. Leonard Krilov, and Dr. Sara Siddiqui and the American Academy of Pediatrics, in partnership with the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hills, for your informative Zoom webinar on child health and COVID-19.

Although I am relieved that the worst of the pandemic seems to be behind us, my commitment to offering health services, education, and opportunities for engagement will remain the same. This June, I partnered with Advanced Cardiovascular Diagnostics to offer COVID-19 antibody testing, and thanks to Dr. Perry Frankel, Sophia Demetri, and the support of community partners like the Mid Island Y JCC and the Sid Jacobson JCC, over 200 community members were tested during two community clinics. I plan to offer these services again on Friday, July 10, and you can follow me on social media or sign up for my email list to receive location details as they are finalized.

I will provide reopening guidance virtually, and I am thankful to Gregory S, Lisi, Esq. (Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP), President-elect of the Nassau County Bar Association, Erin K. McCabe, Esq. of Fusco, Brandenstein, and Rada, P.C., Dr. Uzma Syed, and the Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs for their assistance in providing crucial information.

Though our lives will be forever changed by the times we are living in, I am excited to share that a permanent symbol of hope and gratitude will be placed in our community: Old Country Road, from Kalda Lane to Central Park Road in Plainview, will be renamed “Heroes Way” to honor the tireless efforts of our heroes at Plainview Hospital, the Plainview Fire Department, and Central Island Nursing Home. Our gratitude will now be memorialized eternally, and I would like to thank Michael Fener, CEO of Plainview and Syosset Hospitals, for your leadership on this endeavor. I look forward to a social distancing community celebration and I will provide more details as they become available.

Finally, amid this global health crisis, we are now faced with the long-overdue mandate to eradicate systemic and institutional racism in our country by making meaningful and permanent changes in every aspect of our society. By doing so, we will finally live up to true meaning of the ideals inherited from our forefathers more than 250 years ago, with the words E Pluribus Unum: “Out of Many, One”.

In a few weeks I will host a virtual town hall focused on exploring newly enacted reforms signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo and engaging in meaningful conversations with communities of color about race and racism in a safe virtual space. These conversations are tough, but we are all in this together, and together, we will get through this stronger than ever.

Stay connected by following me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest, most up-to-date information in our rapidly changing new reality.

Remember to observe social distancing guidelines as they are updated, wear masks, and wash your hands. For information on reopening, please visit www.nassaucountyny.gov/reopen or forward.ny.gov. As always, please feel free to contact my office at 516-571-6216, or by email at ADrucker@nassaucountyny.gov. You can also dial our Virtual Office phone number, 516-360-0743.

Stay safe and healthy, my friends, as you enjoy your summer!

Legislator Arnold W. Drucker is a lifelong resident of Plainview. He represents the 16th District in the Nassau County Legislature.

This press release was produced by the Nassau County Legislature. The views expressed here are the author’s own.