Patricia Mahon a longtime resident of Island Trees School District for almost 25 years is a great candidate for a school board member. She is running for seat #2. Pat has a daughter who attended Island Trees Schools from pre-school through high school. Pat was also active in sports with the children of Island Trees as a coach for the Island Trees Little League Baseball and a basketball coach for Levittown PAL. Pat is currently a high school teacher at Newton High School for 21 years and served 10 years as the dean of students. If elected to the board of education she would serve the community well by balancing educational needs with a fiscal responsibility for our residents. She also feels there is a need for the community to be part of advisory boards, this would make the school board aware of how the majority of residents feel about a certain issue. We hope you will support her as we think that with her longtime experience within the educational area she will have a lot to contribute to the Island Trees Board of Education. Thank You.

Diane and John Kirk

My wife and I as well as our two children are graduates of the Island Trees School District. I was fortunate enough to serve on the Island Trees Board of Education for 15 years. During that time Robert Condela lead the district in increasing test scores, increasing programs and services to the students of Island Trees without undue burden on our taxpayers.

I can honestly tell you that there is no one who cares more for the quality of education than Bob Condela. He is a strong leader who has fought many battles over the years in order to educate, protect and serve the children and taxpayers of this district.

When I left the school board, I was saddened because I would no longer be a part of one of the best boards of education in New York State, but confident because I knew that our district would do very well under the leadership of Bob Condela.

Bob is an attorney, a Vietnam veteran, an 18-year member of the school board who also volunteers much of his time to community activities. He is a well respected resident of Island Trees who deserves your support. That is why I urge you to vote for Robert Condela on May 17.

I also have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Kenneth Rochon for over 20 years in his capacity as lieutenant at the Nassau County Correction Center. Over those years I witnessed his leadership, his intelligence and his ability to make sound judgments with regard to personnel and budgetary matters. These are indeed the attributes necessary to serve on the school board. He is a fair-minded person who listens and sorts things out before taking action. He is a civic minded ex-chief of the Levittown Fire Department having served for 35 years. He has taught CPR life saving procedures to employees of the Island Trees School District. In his free time, you can usually find him coaching children on the soccer field which he has been doing for many years.

His experience coupled with his community involvement and his commitment to serve the residents of Island Trees are but a few reasons why I ask you to vote for Ken Rochon on May 17.

Jerome P. Donahue

Joe Buda, father of two girls in the Island Trees Memorial School and a boy in the Michael F. Stokes School, is a great candidate for the Island Trees School Board. He is running for seat #3.

Joe enlisted in the Navy and served three years on active duty and five years in the Naval Reserve. In 1989 he became a police officer with the NYPD. In 1994 he became a firefighter with the FDNY and was promoted to lieutenant in 1999 and later to captain in 2003. He also worked for the NYC Board of Education as a substitute teacher.

Joe is also active in sports with the children of Island Trees, including coach of girls' softball for the Levittown Athletic Club and T-Ball for the Island Trees Baseball League.

If elected, Joe will be addressing issues such as safety, independent audits, reducing unnecessary spending and investigating new technology to reduce huge fuel costs.

With Joe's experience in the military, civil service and educational background we know he will make a difference in the lives of our children.

We hope you will support him on election day, May 17 from 12 to 9 p.m. at the Michael F. Stokes School.

Edith Gerlang and Dale Bertan

After attending Meet the Candidates Night, I am confident in recommending Sonia Meyer as the best choice to take the seat Ronald Tauss is vacating on the Island Trees School Board of Trustees.

I have had the privilege of working with Sonia, for the past six years, as a trustee for the Island Trees Public Library. In that time, she has demonstrated her commitment to making sure all members of our community are considered when making decisions regarding services and fiscal responsibility. She is a team player, does her research, is involved in many areas of our community and brings this wealth of information to the table for consideration. She has worked tirelessly to create and take advantage of opportunities, to gain support from our government officials, obtaining grants, which have enabled the library to provide computer centers, improved programming, create and update collections and much more.

With the exception of Robert Condela, it was obvious to those of us who have been actively involved in supporting our district that Sonia was much more accurately informed about the workings of our school system. Having volunteered her services to PTAs, administrators, teachers and students for more than 11 years, she is not only informed but has been instrumental in improving services in our district. Sonia has now stepped forward to take that commitment, her skills and talents to further the mission of our district, to promote "excellence and success for all students."

Like Bernadette Bento, Sonia made this decision with the desire to give back to the community she loves. She does not have a personal agenda to promote, an ax to grind, or a single issue motivating her to run for this position.

I urge you to inform yourselves about the candidates you vote for. I hope you will vote for those who have proven to be committed to providing the best we can, while maintaining cost effectiveness. Sonia Meyer has a proven record.

Donnalee Dugal