Anthony J. Tripp Sworn in as GCVFD Chief

The Glen Cove Volunteer Fire Department recently held its annual installation dinner. This year, Mayor Ralph V. Suozzi was proud to join Ex-chief William Swift, chairman 5th Battalion District, in swearing in the new chief of the Glen Cove Volunteer Fire Department, Anthony J. Tripp.

An unprecedented crowd of firefighters, families and friends gathered at the Waterview Club in Bayville to lend their support to the new chief and department officers Rodni Leftwich, 1st assistant chief; Joseph Solomito Jr., 2nd asistant chief; Philip Grella Jr, 3rd assistant chief; Lisa Dwyer, recording secretary; William Basdavanos, corresponding secretary; and Gilbert Tanaka, treasurer.

North Shore Schools Budget Will Likely Involve Staff Cuts

BOE Holds Town Meeting to Gauge Acceptable Tax Increase

In order to gauge public opinion on the 2010-11 North Shore Schools budget, the board of education held a Town Meeting session last week, presenting the facts for next year and taking questions. Interested residents made for a full house at the high school.

Board President Dr. Igor Webb told the audience, “It is very difficult for us to make an accurate judgment about what the community thinks without you telling us.”

Budget Presentation

Superintendent Dr. Edward Melnick also said that communication would be key. He went through a presentation on what financial realities the budgeting process would take into account this year. The superintendent said that there are several items that go into the budget and a very small percentage of these items are up to the board, most coming from the state and federal government or related to contracts with bargaining units. The small percentage of items that are up to the board, he said, unfortunately relate to the programs and initiatives that make for a “unique” and “special” school district.

The superintendent demonstrated with slides how the state mandates, loss in aid, and bargaining unit contracts are a large percentage of the budget that are not controlled by the board. He said that the goals for planning the budget this year include necessarily addressing these factors while also attempting to maintain the scope of the programs now in effect and providing the best education at a reasonable cost. 

He said that this year, the process could be likened to a “puzzle with pieces that don’t fit together. It’s the board’s job to make it fit.”

‘Take Us to Your Leader’ – Lobbying Albany to Ease Local School Taxes – (Part One)

North Shore BOE Rallies Civic Groups and Other Districts to Change State Law

Acting under the suspicion that a few hands in the New York State government pull all the strings, and under the frustration that those strings are tightening around the necks of local taxpayers, North Shore Board of Education trustees have been rallying area civic leaders, as well as other school districts and communities, in an effort to approach Albany as one broad united front with a message to those in charge: Schools will be in dire straights without serious changes at the state level.

At an exploratory meeting recently on this new effort, Board of Education President Dr. Igor Webb indicated that in this economy, many taxpayers will not accept the large tax increases that will become necessary in maintaining schools. Districts, therefore, are in a bind because local tax increases are the only way to support the New York State Education Department “mandates” that creep into local budgets. And, making matters worse, state law even hinders schools from taking certain financial actions that could help deal with these mandated costs as they are handed down.

Legislator Yatauro Speaker at Glen Cove IAC Meeting

Nassau County Legislator Diane Yatauro of Glen Cove attended last week’s monthly meeting of the Glen Cove InterAgency Council (IAC) held at the historic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Glen Cove. Legislator Yatauro spoke to the IAC members regarding several topics including the pressure the agencies are experiencing because their federal, state and county funding sources are at risk because of current economic conditions. Legislator Yatauro pledged her support and assistance to the agencies and urged them to contact her at any time with their concerns. The primary mission of the Glen Cove InterAgency Council is to enhance the delivery of human services through collaboration and communication, and to provide mutual support among community agencies through sharing and networking.

Glen Cove Council of PTAs Annual Sunday Brunch Fundraiser

March 14 Community Scholarship Event Honors Laurent Caballero

Readers are cordially invited to the Glen Cove Council of PTAs Annual Community Scholarship Fund Sunday Brunch at the NYIT De Seversky Center in Old Westbury. The event will honor Laurent Caballero for dedication, devotion and commitment to the community, schools and children of Glen Cove. It is March 14 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

A contribution of $68 per person is required - all proceeds will benefit the Glen Cove Community Scholarship Fund. Respond by March 9, to Tina Braja at 669-5370. The Glen Cove Council of PTAs: Connolly PTA, Glen Cove High School PTSA, Gribbin PTA, K.A. Deasy PTA, Landing PTA, Robert M. Finley Middle School PTA, SEPTA.

The Glen Cove Community Scholarship Fund was founded in 1958, and administers funds in the form of scholarships which are awarded annually to deserving Glen Cove High School Seniors. See inside for more about Laurent Caballero.

 

Glen Cove Arts Council and Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club at The Nutcracker Ballet

A week before Christmas, the Glen Cove Arts Council took a group of girls who take dance instruction at the Glen Cove Boys and Girls Club, to see the Eglevsky Ballet perform The Nutcracker at Tilles Center.

Accompanying the girls were the dance instructors, Alyssa Harvey and Carmen Capobianco, executive director of the Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club Melissa Tierney, and Victoria Crosby, founder and president of the Glen Cove Arts Council. None of the girls had seen a ballet performance before and it was an experience for them to see other children performing alongside adult dancers.

New York Daily News Golden Gloves Bouts Coming to Glen Cove High School

Thursday, March 4 at GCHS Gym, 7:30 p.m.

On Thursday, March 4, the 83rd Anniversary New York Daily News Golden Gloves Boxing competition will be held in the Glen Cove High School Gymnasium. At least 10 bouts will be held in the open and novice divisions of this historic tournament. Winners of these bouts advance on to further rounds and hopefully to the finals, which will be held at Madison Square Garden on March 25-26.

This event is sponsored by the Glen Cove Boxing Club and the City of Glen Cove Department of Parks and Recreation. The doors open at 6:30 p.m.; boxing begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 each and are available at the door the night of the show beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Find “Zeke” Zuccala, WWII Paratrooper

The Mayor’s Office called and told of an author from Ann Arbor, MI, looking for a Glen Cover who served in the famed 82nd Division that jumped into fortress Nazi Europe in June 1945. Her father, an Army hospital medic serving in England, treated this Glen Cove soldier for wounds received when landing in France on D-Day. Dr. Johnson was so overtaken by the bravery of this paratrooper known to him as Sgt. Zeke Zuccala.

Dr. Johnson wrote half of his war memoir about the brave 82nd Division jumper. Zeke was informed that he received a back side wound which was eligible for a stateside trip home to be treated. Dr. Johnson reports that he was begged by Zeke he’d have no such thing. Zeke’s fellow paratroopers did not leave him on the battlefield but took heavy fire to get Zeke to a medic station on the Normandy Beach and no way was he going to go home. Doctors believed him and treated him to get him back to his “All American” division. Zeke’s fellow Army buddy informed Zeke that their Division was preparing the largest jump operation to cut off the Nazis in Holland. The operation was called “Market Garden.” Dr. Johnson said, “Goodbye” to the recovered Glen Cover and Dr. Johnson, hearing that this British planned jumped in Hitler’s backyard was a disaster. “Market Garden” consisted of 82nd Airborne, 101st Airborne, British jumpers and a brigade of Polish troops – 35,000 in all. This operation failed and the loss to the allies was higher than the D-Day invasion, which were 5,000 killed in action. Dr. Johnson finished his memoirs thinking that this brave Glen Cover never survived “Market Garden” or “The Bridge Too Far.”

Public Invited to Meeting on Glen Cove Former Gas Plant Site

State to Present Site Investigation And Cleanup Plan

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in conjunction with the State Department of Health (DOH) and representatives from National Grid, will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m., to present the findings of the final cleanup investigation report for the Glen Cove former Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) site in Glen Cove, Nassau County.

The meeting will be held at Gribbin Elementary School located on Seaman and Walnut Roads in Glen Cove. At the meeting, DEC, DOH and National Grid staff will describe the contents of the final report, present a cleanup action plan to address contamination found at the site, and respond to questions and comments from the community. Key findings in the report and cleanup plan include:

St John’s of Lattingtown Donates to Many Charities

After the very successful Fall Fair at St John’s of Lattingtown, the outreach committee met for four consecutive weeks to determine which of the 23 charities that applied for funding would be the recipients of the 2009 donations.