Welcome Back to School!

This week the Great Neck Public Schools welcome all of the students, from pre-K through high school seniors, back for another enriching school year. We thank the school district for its dedication and high level of individualized education. And we wish each student a happy and productive school year.

Congressman Ackerman Statement on Death of Senator Edward Kennedy

U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) issued the following statement on the death of Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass).  

“The passing of Senator Ted Kennedy is a tragic loss for our nation. Not only have we lost one of the great icons of American politics but we have also lost a man who dedicated his life to being a champion of the American people.

Editorial: Our Library: You Will Write Its Next Chapter

It is understandable that the general public has wearied of the years of debate swirling around renovating and/or expanding the Main library, a beloved landmark that, while now a little frayed around the edges, has served us well since the ’60s. People have often remarked to us that they do not even read our library stories any more. “Just let me know when things get serious,” they conclude. They expect a never-ending circle of indecision and lack of resolve.

Local Poets : Edward Rieff

Forget Him

My friends say to forget him

Forget his smile

Forget his style

Forget that he made life worthwhile

Forget him

I’m trying to forget him

Forget the look that always took

my breath away

but by the book

I’m trying to forget him

And just about when I think I do

A song will come out of the blue

And I forget the forgetting I’ve been through.

And so I have to start anew

Forgetting.

It’s so hard this forgetting.

Forget the days, forget the nights

Forget the kisses after the fights

Forget the thousand and one delights

Forget the wrongs; forget the rights

Forget him

I think I can forget him

Forget the joy, forget the bliss

Of his tender good by kiss

The quiet times

The jokes I’ll miss

Forget him

I hope I can forget him

I pray that there will come a day

When years have flown

And hair turns grey

That in conversation

I will say

I loved this guy

His name was

Hey

I’m trying to remember – It’s so hard to remember

— By Edward Rieff

Letter: Steppingstone Park

For many years we’ve had the pleasure of attending many of the wonderful summer programs at Steppingstone Park.

We have always felt part of the evening’s entertainment, regardless of the program, since the performers always addressed the entire community, and made us all feel part of the evening.

Unfortunately, Sunday evening Aug. 16, was different. It was an evening devoted to Persian music, and not a word of English was spoken. We felt totally excluded, because we did not understand the conversation with the audience.

We hope in the future that the performers and the sponsor, the Persian Cultural Committee, recognize that the Great Neck Park District provides this facility for all of the Park District members, and we expect to be recognized as part of the audience.

Allen Leboff and Irma Leboff

 

From the Desk of Senator Craig Johnson: August 20, 2009

Legislation to Extend Some Health Insurance

Important legislation that will improve access to affordable health insurance for young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 recently passed the Senate and has been signed into law by the Governor, Senator Craig M. Johnson, (D-Nassau), announced.

This bill, (S.6030), requires commercial insurers, non-profit corporations and HMOs to offer an option for unmarried young adults through age 29, regardless of financial dependence, to continue under a parent’s group health insurance policy. It also extends a COBRA-like benefit to this young adult population.

Previously, many young adults lost their health insurance due to an inability to continue to be covered by their parents’ plan at 19, or upon graduating from college at the age of 23. Faced with either no access to health insurance of their own, or with prohibitively expensive coverage, many in this age group went without any health coverage.

Senator Johnson notes that 31 percent of New York State’s uninsured falls within this age bracket.

“This problem is even more pronounced in Long Island and other parts of the state where the high cost of living has caused many young adults to choose between rent and their health,” said Senator Johnson, who is a member of the Senate Insurance Committee. “This is a common-sense measure that will allow parents, if they have the resources, to continue to assist their children, while at the same time helping to combat this epidemic of the uninsured.”

This legislation will take effect Sept. 1.

Urging Governor to Sign Public Authority Reform Bill

Senator Craig M. Johnson (D-Nassau) urged Governor Paterson to sign landmark legislation that will bring unprecedented scrutiny and accountability to New York’s authority system.

“These shadow governments that have access to literally billions of taxpayer dollars and currently have the ability to take on new debt with minimal oversight,” Senator Johnson said. “Every year we see new examples of fiscal mismanagement, abuse, and outright scandal that directly stem from the free reign and lack of public accountability that these entities operate under.”

The Legislature passed reform legislation that would:

Empower State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli with the duty to approve any authority contract that is more than $1 million;

Create strict new rules to control public authority debt;

Create an Office of Authorities Oversight that would have jurisdiction over authority budgets;

Codify the fiduciary duties of board members;

Prohibit the creation of subsidiary authorities without legislative approval;

Strengthen rules on the disposition of public authority property;

Offer whistleblower protections to authority employees who expose wrongdoing.

Recently, officials from Nassau University Medical Center contacted the governor and, while stating that the goals behind the legislation were laudable, requested a chapter amendment clarifying that this bill did not extend to public hospitals. These hospitals are already highly regulated and, unlike other authorities, have to compete with private healthcare institutions.

Senator Johnson said he supports this effort, and restated his strong support of the authority reform bill.

“This measure will ensure that, especially in this difficult economic climate, these authorities’ spending practices are brought under control,” Senator Johnson said. “I am hopeful that the governor follows the Senate and the Assembly’s lead and signs this bill into law.”

Summer Is Sports Time!

The warm sunny days of summer are still here, perfect for enjoying the outdoors. And, for many of us, that means sports —- tennis, golf, swimming, biking, ball games, just to name a few. Children and adults join lively summer teams, camps provide all sorts of sports activities for youngsters, and country clubs proudly sport their own teams too. How about sharing some of this sports news with your neighbors!

The Great Neck Record loves local news, and so we would love to feature stories and photographs about your teams and leagues, your club, or your children’s camp sports. Just send us the copy and we will take care of the rest.

Our sports pages are waiting for you!

An Opinion By Robert McMillan: August 13, 2009

Origins of the GPS

After some frustrating trips by car, I finally purchased a portable Global Positioning System, (GPS) back in 2004. My frustrations were based on the difficulty in traveling to visit relatives even with the use of a traditional paper map. Little did I know how great the GPS can be if you are on the road.

Whither Thou Goest

Long ago, in the last century, some of our readers may remember that many cars had no directional signals. If a driver wanted to turn left, it required rolling down a window and sticking one’s hand straight out. If turning right, the hand went up at a 90-degree angle. If slowing down, the proper thing was to point the hand and arm downward. Whether the weather was cold, rainy or hot, folks seemed to be able to handle the inconvenience and give other drivers warning as to what they were up to.

Town Topics: By Supervisor Jon Kaiman

Project Independence

We regularly put the reins of tomorrow in the capable hands of our youth. But, too often we fail to acknowledge that the hopes of past generations for a healthy, productive society were pinned on the shoulders of our present-day matriarchs and patriarchs, the progenitors of our history, our heritage.