Hicksville Schools, Library Vote Results

Residents Vote to Pass All Budgets;
Carroll, Garger and Culhane Voted as BOE Trustees

On May 17, residents voted to pass the proposed budget for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year as 1865 voted in favor of the budget and 1036 voted against.

The budget increased $3,006,092 from last year, a 2.63 percent increase, totaling at $117,178,303 (compared to last year’s $114,172,211).

Hicksville Downtown Revitalization Meeting Set for May 21

Early last year, the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce and the Hicksville Community Council hosted a series of public meetings for the Downtown Hicksville Revitalization at the VFW and the Hicksville Community Center. Over 300 residents, business owners, civic leaders and agency representatives attended to determine the future of the triangle area of the downtown. At these meetings, community members shared their hopes and concerns for the future of downtown Hicksville and worked together to develop design plans for the area.

The design team took all of the plans and suggestions from the community and began to form a cohesive plan that could be implemented with short and longer-term strategies. The design team was led by Vision Long Island and AECOM, with assistance from PS&S, Anderson Kim Architects, StreetPlans Collaborative, ADL III Architecture, Marc Wouters and Steve Meehan Landscape Architecture.

Hicksville Board of Education Budget Vote, Trustee Election May 17

Three Seats Up for Grabs;

One Candidate Unopposed

On Tuesday, May 17, residents from the Hicksville Public School District will have the opportunity to vote on the 2011-2012 budget and three board of education trustee seats.

Qualified voters of the Hicksville Union Free School District will be able to vote on Tuesday, May 17 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the following schools: Burns Avenue (District 1), East Street (District 2), Woodland (District 3), Lee Avenue (District 4), Fork Lane (District 5), Dutch Lane (District 6) and Old Country Road (District 7).

Residents Speak Out Against Redistricting Plan at May 9 Hearing

Calling the May 9 redistricting hearing “contentious” would be a gross understatement. While many of the residents and elected officials who took the podium criticized the plan logically and eloquently, there was a lot of screaming and yelling in the chamber. While the audience in the chamber was diverse in every respect, many members of the minority groups whose current alleged under-representation the redistricting plan is supposedly intended to correct, were present to tell Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt-in no uncertain terms-that he does not speak for them.

Minority Leader Diane Yatauro also did not mince words: “This hearing is nothing but a farce...I can tell you how most of this self-serving ‘Republican Protection Plan’ will play out today, over the next week. Here’s what will happen: We know that Peter Schmitt will claim to be the great protector of the minority community…” (the rest of this sentence was inaudible due to audience laughter). “Just as they were spending millions of dollars to defend the NIFA fight, but to no avail, as the Republicans were shot down in court, we’re expecting the same action. And that’s where this will end up again- in court,” Yatauro said.

Sarah Grace Foundation Receives Outpouring of Community Support

Night of Laughter, Charity Hockey Game

Among Events Held

April was a busy month for the Hicksville-based Sarah Grace Foundation For Children With Cancer with two major fundraising events held on Long Island.

After losing their 12-year-old daughter Sarah Grace to Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in 2002, Matt and Marissa Weippert set out to keep her memory alive while helping other children and their families facing the financial and emotional challenges and hardships brought upon by childhood cancer.

Hicksville JV Softball, Others Support Resident at Jones Beach MS Walk

On Sunday, May 1, on what appeared to be one of the most beautiful days of the year so far, the offices of Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology hosted their annual Zwanger-Pesiri MS Walk for A Cure at parking field 5 of Jones Beach.

Local talent was available to lend their support. The Hicksville JV Softball Team, coached by Danielle Sekesan, walked along with Team Zamboni. Team Zamboni is the team of Patricia Servidio, a Hicksville resident who was diagnosed with the disease in May of 2007. Patricia’s daughter, Brianna, is the captain of the JV Softball Team and the co-captain of Team Zamboni, as well as the designer of the buttons that Team Zamboni members will be receiving for their donations, time and support.

Hicksville Downtown Revitalization Meeting Set for May 21

Early last year, the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce and the Hicksville Community Council hosted a series of public meetings for the Downtown Hicksville Revitalization at the VFW and the Hicksville Community Center. Over 300 residents, business owners, civic leaders and agency representatives attended to determine the future of the triangle area of the downtown. At these meetings, community members shared their hopes and concerns for the future of downtown Hicksville and worked together to develop design plans for the area.

The design team took all of the plans and suggestions from the community and began to form a cohesive plan that could be implemented with short and longer-term strategies. The design team was led by Vision Long Island and AECOM, with assistance from PS&S, Anderson Kim Architects, StreetPlans Collaborative, ADL III Architecture, Marc Wouters and Steve Meehan Landscape Architecture.

Hicksville Dancer Rahul Rai Stars In When Harry Tries to Marry

The manner in which 20-year-old Rahul Rai was discovered is, well, almost straight out of Bollywood – India’s equivalent to cinema culture here in the United States.  

A graduate of Wheatley High School in Old Westbury and current student at Pace University, Rai was performing as a dancer in the Hicksville-based dance company Bollywood Performing Arts when movie director Nayan Padrai spotted Rai and asked him to audition for the leading role of Harry.

Hicksville’s Schweitzer Heading Upcoming LIWC Water Contest

Best-Tasting Competition Part of  National Drinking Water Week

The week of May 2 through 6 is National Drinking Water Week, a celebration of the vital role that water plays in our daily lives and in our communities. The Long Island Water Conference (LIWC) will mark the occasion with their 26th annual Best-Tasting Water Contest, taking place at the Campus Commons at Farmingdale State College. 

Montesano Holds Anti-Drug Forum At Hicksville Community Center

Assemblyman Michael A. Montesano (R,I,C-Glen Head) recently held his first anti-drug forum at the Hicksville Community Center to raise awareness and promote cooperation between law enforcement, the district attorney’s office and the community.

“Nassau County suffers with a horrible drug problem that is having a detrimental effect on our youth,” said Montesano. “As a former police officer and detective, I am all too familiar with the detrimental influence drugs can have on individuals and communities. I believe it is important to hold events like this that bring together different parts of the community to discuss the problem.”