Proposed 2013–14 School Budget

On Tuesday, May 21, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., at the E.M. Baker Elementary School and the William A. Shine-South High School, qualified residents of the school district will vote on the: 2013–14 School District Budget (Proposition No. 1), 2013–14 Public Library Budget (Proposition No. 2) and one Board of Education seat (trustee Monique Bloom, who was appointed to the board in 2012, is running unopposed).

2013–14 School District Budget

After extensive public discussion and input, during a lengthy and open budget process that started in our schools, the Board of Education has adopted the Proposed School Budget in the amount of $209,442,904 for the 2013–14 school year. The increase over this year’s budget is 4.85 percent. The increase in the amount to be raised by real property tax is 3.14 percent.

Historical Society Recognizes Pond Road House

Another Great Neck house has been recognized by the Great Neck Historical Society’s Heritage Recognition Program, which honors notable buildings in the Great Neck area. The house, at 50 Pond Road, has a long and fascinating history.

The home was built in 1909, a date inscribed in the cornerstone, for E.M. Scott, who has been described as “one of the most successful manufacturers in the world.” At that time, the property was 62 acres, with close to 2,000 feet of frontage on the Long Island Sound. The same numbers were recorded by North Hempstead in 1925. A 1932 map describes the property as 16 acres, a 1947 map as nine acres, and today, it is less than two acres. 

Village Helping Village

Old Village sweeping streets for Kensington

Kensington Mayor Susan Lopatkin is delighted that she is saving money by having the Village of Great Neck public works department sweep her streets. “We are saving 20 percent of what it cost us last year,” she told the Great Neck Record. “This is a win-win for everyone … thanks to a close working relationship with Mayor Ralph Kreitzman, tasks like this one are easily arranged.”

Wood Road Property

The story that won’t go away

This lot, on the corner of Arrandale Avenue and Wood Road, has been unkempt and virtually abandoned by Nassau County for years. Once in a great while, after angry complaints from neighbors, county workers would come and do a half-hearted attempt at cleaning the litter strewn parcel. Once a load of tires was dumped into the mix, making it a mosquito breeding ground.

About Those Pipes On East Shore Road

The impasse on East Shore Road between the Water Authority of Great Neck North and the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District regarding the distance needed between a major water main and the new pipe being installed by the sewer district is not settled yet. 

Old Village Crafts Fair On Sunday

Fun, food and shopping for everyone

The forecast is “sunny” for this Sunday, May 5, when the Village of Great Neck sponsors its 35th annual Crafts Fair. It is always a beautiful Sunday when the Old Village presents the crafts fair. This year, as always, the fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., all along Middle Neck Road from Fairview Avenue to Hicks Lane. 

And of course, admission is free.

Meeting Rep. Steve Israel

Working for a better future for the next generation

“You learn more by listening,” said Great Neck’s fairly new congressman, Steve Israel, who added Great Neck to his district in the November 2012 election. Rep. Israel, whose district used to encompass only parts of Eastern Long Island, emphasized making the United States a better and safer country for the next generation, as he spoke at a recent Great Neck Democratic Club meeting.

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srael said he learned to shorten his speeches thanks to a fourth grade student, who, while thanking the congressman for visiting his school, also said “thank you” for a short speech, so he did not have to miss recess. Israel has that letter on display in his Washington, D.C. office. For him, it is important to have contact with his public and he just opened his new Great Neck office on Barstow Road in Great Neck.

New Parking Lot Markings to Come

In January, the Great Neck Record reported on the confusion of parking spot seekers at the newly designed and renovated parking field on the corner of Grace Avenue and Bond Street. Mayor of the Village of Great Neck Plaza Jean Celender reached out to assure that the plaza officials were aware of the situation and were planning better, bolder markings on the pavement as soon as weather conditions permitted new stripes and arrows to be painted.

And so last Friday, a day full of spring sun, breezes and floating blossoms, we walked the lot with the mayor who explained its improvements and challenges and introduced herself to parking lot patrons questioning them about their parking experience.

The work on the lot and its improvements, new paving, new lighting, landscaping, drip irrigation, sheltered benches, solar-powered meter stations and new curbing cost $400,000. 

Obituary: Jo Ann Hawley

Joy Ann Hawley of Lexington, Ky., age 65, died on March 17.  She was a resident of Great Neck from 1949 to 1968, graduating from Great Neck North High School in 1965.

Born in Lancaster, Pa., she was predeceased by her father, Rollin James Hawley, and a brother, Mark Hawley. Survivors include her children, Meredith McKenna Bush and Peter James McKenna, both of Lexington; her mother, Janice Hawley-Kopf; brothers Rollin James, Jr., George and Joseph; a sister, Mary Eddy; and her companion, Don Fischer of Elizabethtown, Ky.  A memorial service was held at Lexington’s Second Presbyterian Church, where Joy was a choir member. Interment followed at Blue Grass Memorial Gardens in Nicholasville, Ky. Arrangements were by Kerr Brothers Funeral Home in Lexington.

Revising Code Of Conduct Policies

In conjunction with new laws and changes in the Great Neck Public Schools, the Board of Education recently adopted two proposals to revise two Code of Conduct policies: Code of Conduct: Prohibited Student Conduct and Code of Conduct: Public Conduct on School Property. 

Both of these policies were revised to expand their lists of classes protected from discrimination as identified by the New York State Dignity for All Students Act (DASA). These two policy revisions address recent state and federal laws regarding synthetic substances designed to “mimic” the effects and usages of illegal drugs.