Friday, 27 January 2012 00:00

Prompts questions about state of the Academy

The campus of the United States Merchant Marine Academy with its breathtaking views of Long Island Sound, its stately buildings and grand history is a source of pride in Great Neck. We see the midshipmen jogging through our streets, volunteering for community projects and enjoy hearing their marching band in local parades. The haunting sound of taps being played at night echoes through quiet streets in Kings Point. Graduation days have brought high officials here, including former President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and many other dignitaries.

For the last several years, questions and rumors about the fiscal health and welfare of the Academy have surfaced and circulated and then gone dormant. But the recent evacuation of 39 midshipmen, who were rescued from a dorm with dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, underscored the timeliness of having those questions answered.

Had the odorless, colorless, deadly gas been emitted from the faulty water heater after midnight, the story might have been tragic. There were no CO detectors installed in the dorms even though colleges and universities across the country are required to have them. Federal facilities are exempt from state and local laws governing such safeguards. Now, they have been installed at the Academy.

Friday, 27 January 2012 00:00

(Editor’s note: Interim Superintendent Dr. Shashi Kumar gave the following answers to a list of questions submitted by the Great Neck Record.)

GNR: What has been the trend for the last five years for the operating budget for the Academy? Specifics, please.

Dr. Kumar: The Academy’s operating budget has generally increased over the past five years.  The operating budget has increased over 28 percent since fiscal year 2008.

GNR: Has money been appropriated by Congress for capital infrastructure improvements at the Academy? If so, how much?

Dr. Kumar: Yes. The amounts appropriated each year by Congress for capital infrastructure improvement are reflected in the table below.

Friday, 27 January 2012 00:00

Moulson, Martin reaching out to military families

 “Home ice advantage” is a common expression used throughout the National Hockey League, and one usually utilized for good reason: as of Jan. 16, only two out of the 30 NHL teams had a winning percentage below .500 on home ice.

For New York Islanders’ forwards Matt Martin and Matt Moulson, playing at the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum represents more than just a statistical advantage as the two athletes host a different member of the armed forces and his or her family for each of the team’s 41 home games. Win or lose, regulation, overtime or shootout, Martin and Moulson meet with their guests after games near the Islanders’ locker room – where, uncharacteristically, hockey isn’t the only topic of conversation.

Friday, 27 January 2012 00:00

Encouraging families to use the Holiday recess as an opportunity to play together and stay active at the same time, Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Councilman Angelo P. Ferrara and the North Hempstead Town Board announced that the daily entry fees to North Hempstead Aquatic Activity Center (AAC) at Michael J. Tully Park will reduced by half for Presidents Day weekend.

The 50 percent holiday discount will be effective from Feb. 18 to Feb. 20.

“With the movement growing to promote healthy lifestyles among young people, I urge all North Hempstead residents to take advantage of this special discounted holiday rate and bring your entire family to the pool for a healthy, fun-filled holiday outing,” Supervisor Jon Kaiman said.