Paul Ehrbar is a candidate for trustee on the Herricks School Board. We have known Paul for 21 years and have found him to be one of the most honest and trustworthy individuals that we have ever come across. He has been on the board for six years and presently holds the position of president. His community involvement has ranged from school committees to athletic organizations to charitable events. His commitment cannot be questioned.

Paul has brought a direct approach to the board. It is very rare when you find an individual as committed as Paul who stands up for what he believes in, even in the face of adversity. A school board trustee is probably one of the most thankless volunteer positions that anyone can undertake. During a term of office as a board member dedications and votes are made that do not satisfy 100 percent of the residents. Paul has made some tough decisions and has always worked for the betterment of the district.

As residents of Herricks, we should look at the quality of education that is offered to the children and how well they do against their peers. It is my feeling that over the last six years while Paul has served on the board, Herricks has been successful. Whether it is in academics, in music or athletics, Paul has been a proponent of and supported sound choices to make Herricks better. The district has a lot to offer to all of its residents, its senior citizens, its students, graduates and their parents.

Paul listens to the concerns of the Herricks community. He has been instrumental in starting fireside chats with the residents and students, and holding regular meetings with the staff and bargaining units. His creativity will enable the district to move ahead and allow Herricks to remain one of the most desirable school districts.

Paul Ehrbar has focused his energies on meeting the needs of all Herricks' students and residents. His tireless, unselfish and committed efforts have brought fresh ideas, which has helped meet the educational needs of our students. With Paul's persistence we can be assured that he will be up to the challenge to work diligently for our children and our property values. Please consider the alternatives and join me in voting for Paul Ehrbar on May 16.

Ray and Kathy Masaitis

I grew up in the Herricks School District and graduated from Herricks High School. I have known David Stollwerk since 1970. As a student, I was immediately taken by David's gentleness and his deep and fervent commitment to his students. David Stollwerk is a master teacher and exemplifies all of the virtues, talents and abilities that a good educator should possess. David's knowledge and mastery of his academic discipline as atypical of today's high school English teachers. It is David's love of literature, poetry, theater and the English language itself that has been transferred to his students for the past 31 years.

David was never interested in becoming a vice principal, principal or school superintendent. David has spent his entire adult life wanting to be a great "teacher" and that is exactly what he has been...an extraordinary, dedicated, diligent and professional teacher. David has extended himself to his students far beyond the scope that his day to day professional job description has called for all these years. David Stollwerk understands that "four walls do not a classroom make." He has managed to build an army of students who stick to him like glue during his tenure at Herricks. As a former teacher, I remember trying to figure out how I could be a referee between people who don't know about children, and people who don't care about children. David has apparently learned the way to manage this delicate balance. David has truly made his mark on the Herricks students as well as on the community.

I was thrilled to learn that David was a candidate for school board. It is my sincere hope that on May 16 the Herricks community will use this unique opportunity to elect David Stollwerk as trustee of the school board. David's keen understanding of education combined with his extensive knowledge of the workings of the Herricks community as a resident, parent and teacher, will give Herricks the opportunity to be heard, cared about and truly represented by a qualified, dedicated and "pure" individual. The Herricks community has greatly benefited from David Stollwerk, the teacher. Now, you have an opportunity to take this man's incredible talent and put it to work "in the kitchen." Elect David Stollwerk and put a truly gifted educator on the board...David can make a difference, for he already has...a big difference!

Peter D. Savitt

Emilia Sutz is running for reelection as trustee of the Herricks Board of Education. She and I have not always agreed on every issue, but I am confident of her integrity, compassion and competence. She has been an independent voice on the board, rejecting the "go along to get along" attitude shown by the board membership in recent years.

Emilia is acutely aware that policy decisions, made in the vacuum of the board room, have a real life impact on people's lives.

Her genuine concern for children, commitment to community issues and refreshing candor make Emilia Sutz the better choice on May 16. Let's re-elect Emilia as trustee on the board of education.

Alice O'Leary

On May 15 the Parks Civic, Lakeville Estates, Greenway Civic, Floral Park Centre, Manhasset Hills Herricks, North Lakeville and Holiday Gates are jointly sponsoring an informational meeting at the Clinton G. Martin Recreational Facility, corner of New Hyde Park Road and Marcus Avenue, New Hyde Park at 7: 30 p.m. to discuss the latest information regarding the Lockheed Martin Superfund site.

This will be a time to find out if any environmental laws have been ignored. The nine acres of on-site swamp water contained in what had served as the facilities storm water basins it appears will not be cleaned up and filled.

One of the two plumes is spreading out of control and only the on-site plume is being treated, but nowhere near the rate legally required.

The state appears to be dragging its feet on investigating the off-site plume, as well as on forwarding an overall cleanup schedule.

The state has also approved Lockheed's plan to use the country storm basins to discharge the treated ground water, eventually exposing our local acquifier and the air we breathe to residual levels of volatile organic compounds.

The question is have we been fully informed of these developments. Have we had a say? Come to the May 15 meeting and express your opinions on these important matters.

Stephen Cipot

Executive-Parks Civic Association.

The voters of the New Hyde Park/Garden City Park School District have a privilege and responsiblity that will occur on Tuesday, May 16. They will have the ability to vote for a school board trustee and to demonstrate support for an individual who believes there is always the capacity for improvement. The candidate is Larry Montreuil, the current president of the school board.

Since first being elected to trustee of the school board in 1997, Larry has always tried to ensure the primary goal of the district places the needs of its children first, while being mindful of the costs necessary to provide a superior education. He has been concerned about every aspect of the management and operation of our district. I have a high regard for Larry's vision and motivation. He will ensure that every element of the district's responsibilities will be exceeded.

I urge all voters to support Larry, who is seeking re-election. He will continue to represent our goals and will implement the necessary changes to meet and exceed our collective expectations. Cast your vote for Larry on May 16 and provide him with the feedback and incentive to continue the quest for excellence for our district.

Bob Lofaro

We are writing this letter to announce our support for Debbie Beer. I have been a lifetime resident of Williston Park and my husband has lived here since our marriage 15 years ago. We decided to stay here because of the wonderful reputation of the Herricks School District, as well as the small town atmosphere that Williston Park has.

We have never before felt as strongly as we do now about the candidates running for the board. We have decided to support Debbie Beer for a number of reasons. Some of them are as follows.

Firstly, Debbie is also a lifetime resident of the area. She grew up in Albertson and also went through the Herricks Schools. What better candidate could there be? She knows the issues that face us now, and she also knows the issues that have faced us in the past. I remember her from high school although we did not know one another well. We met again at Center Street when both of our children entered the school system.

Second, Debbie has a passion for children. She dedicates her time to ensuring that all children have a safe and fun environment to grow up in. For example, she did not think that the playgrounds at the elementary schools were sufficient for the children of the area. She fought very hard to get the funding to redo all of the playgrounds for the children (which, if you haven't seen it's a trip worth taking to see). It not only made the children happier and safer, but also made the schools look so much better. We as residents should be very happy with the outcome, as our schools' playgrounds are now top notch.

Thirdly, she became involved with the Youth Council at the middle school. Thanks to Debbie, they now have a recreation program that the children can go to twice a month on Friday evenings, and socialize and have fun with their peers, again, in a safe environment. She volunteers her time so that all of the children have a place to go.

She is a leader. You can't help but to become passionate for an endeavor when Debbie is working with you. She is a person who puts 100 percent effort all of the time for what she feels will benefit the children of the community. Isn't that what we are all here for? To raise our children in a community where they can be safe, get a great education, and have childhood memories that will last them a lifetime.

Debbie does not take no for an answer. She fights for what she believes is right for all. I ask you to help us in supporting Debbie on May 16. A vote for Debbie is a vote for the future.

Paul and Gloria Tantillo

After working with an individual for 31 years, one develops a fairly accurate appraisal of that person. Thus, after more than three decades of traversing the halls of Herricks High School, I believe I know David Stollwerk - his strengths, his weaknesses and his character.

During his tenure at Herricks, David has taught all levels of students - from those who have the choice of ivy league universities to those who have difficulty grasping mundane concepts. His philosophy of education is simple - afford each student every opportunity to achieve his/her potential. To this end, David has spent thousands of hours of his time meeting with students to review their work, discuss a literary excerpt, or simply to ponder some philosophical question.

While David and I have disagreed on many issues, there is one about which we have always concurred. Quality education requires the most competent teachers, who demand the most from their students and thus, force the students to perform at a higher level.

It is with this knowledge of the teacher and the person, that I am confident that the dedication and commitment David Stollwerk had to his students will continue as he serves on the Herricks Board of Education.

Robert G. Zenie

Social Studies teacher

For those of us who live in the Herricks School District, the one thing we can all agree on is that Herricks is at a crucial decision-making juncture. Two of the three central administrators have resigned and our buildings require major costly renovations to accommodate continued student growth and special needs.

Two of the five individuals responsible for making decisions regarding our district will be elected May 16.

Debbie Beer has challenged Emilia Sutz for her seat on the Board of Education. I commend her accomplishments at a PTA level; however, I cannot fathom how she arrived at her decision to oppose Emilia. Firstly, last year she chose to contact Emilia requesting advice on being a school board member since "she respected and admired her." Secondly, during "Meet the Candidates" night, many questions were posed to Ms. Beer that she declined to answer. In particular, she felt she was unable to answer a question about the philosophy of using fund balance monies to offset the impact of budget increases on our tax rate. This was a fundamental question that barely scratches the surface when compared with the in-depth issues that need to be addressed.

I have known Emilia Sutz for 15 years and we have worked very closely together. Emilia's vast experience, depth of knowledge and continued responsiveness to the community is invaluable. All the accolades written about her are true. There is no choice on May 16 but to re-elect Emilia Sutz for our benefit and for all Herricks' students. Please vote at your local elementary school on May 16.

Terry Thomson

Past President

Herricks Board of Education

I have been a resident for over a decade and a half. During that time, I have attended the vast majority of the open school board meetings. I am, therefore, very qualified to speak about Herricks Boards of Education.

The current board is dysfunctional. Meaningful dialogue is virtually non-existent. The public is given perfunctory opportunities to speak, but is generally overtly ignored or met with open antagonism by the "Ehrbar" majority. Dr. Freund, our previous superintendent, expressed the belief that a three member majority was all that mattered. Other viewpoints were meaningless! This attitude continues to flourish today.

When the public rejected the bond issue, the Ehrbar majority, considered the people to be ignorant. Nevertheless, the people had spoken and the board has been faced with the need to closely examine the line by line components and costs of the referendum. If this process had been followed earlier, maybe a more reasonable bond would have emerged. Arrogance alone prevented this course of action.

I see a light at the end of this dimly lit tunnel with the election of David Stollwerk. He will bring a Herricks educator's perspective to the board. We have administrators who are educators, but an individual who has firsthand knowledge and is in touch with Herricks students and staff will be invaluable. With Stollwerk's election, the balance of power will be adjusted. The Freund three will be no more, and with its leader gone, the remaining members can merge to form a functional and respectful board.

It is time the majority of the board are truly representatives of the people. Please join me on May 16 by making it a reality for the first time in a very long time.

I support David Stollwerk for election in the hope of realizing an open and truly independent board for the Herricks community.

Emilia Sutz

We have just recently met Debbie Beer through the new middle school program. A hard and diligent worker with a flair for positive thinking; she possesses many qualities that our Herricks School Board would greatly benefit from. Her concern for our schools and community is evident in the many projects she has pursued. Please join us in our support of Debbie Beer for Herricks School Board Trustee.

Gary DeTrano

Donna Hart

Bonnie Straus

Joy Kriebs