The following is a list of top stories, compiled by the editor, which occurred throughout 2007. The stories are in the order of which they appeared in the paper. Full stories can be obtained by logging onto www.antonnews.com and clicking on the Levittown Tribune archives. Due to space constraints, not all stories from 2007 appear in this Year in Review. While most American children wait all year for Christmas morning to arrive so they can be inundated with gift boxes filled with toys, clothes and the like, there are plenty of children out there, who are not as fortunate to receive all these gifts, and be able to truly enjoy the holiday season. Levittown resident and volunteer firefighter Clifford Archer, 49, realizes this, and for 19 years now, has been personally delivering toys, clothing and food to underprivileged families on Christmas. The United States Post Office has had a program called "Operation Santa" since the 1920s where children's "Dear Santa" letters were then retrieved by postal employees and they donated as much as they could to the needy children. Island Trees Memorial Middle School student Jesse Kinch, a seventh-grader and Levittown resident, was chosen by promoters to be the opening act for Ryan Star of the hit CBS television show Rockstar Supernova. The show took place on Thanksgiving night at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale. Kinch's band included Rick on keyboards, Randy Coven on bass and John Macaluso on drums. Kinch and the band played several songs from the Rockstar Supernova show and a couple of originals. The highlight of the night was when Kinch was performing Star's hit Back of Your Car, Ryan began to film him with his camcorder, eventually joining him on stage for the remainder of the song. In February, the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook will open the front door to understanding how suburban Long Island became what it is today. Sixty years after the rise of the most famous American postwar housing development, the museum brings together stories of the dream-makers and the dreamers who participated in this great social change. Living the American Dream: Levittown and the Suburban Boom is an exciting, three-dimensional exploration of the rise of Levittown and the post-war housing boom on Long Island. Forty years ago, Island Trees was granted a charter by New York State to establish the Island Trees Public Library. To commemorate the anniversary, the library presented Charter Day on Saturday, Jan. 27. Fun activities and enjoyable presentations occurred throughout the day as local elected officials were on hand to celebrate with Island Trees residents. On Feb. 4, American Legion Post 1711 hosted a service to commemorate the memory of the four chaplains who were killed when their ship was torpedoed during World War II. The service, held at the Levittown Community Church, marked the 44th anniversary of the sinking. Levittown native Doug Robins, 58, lost a brave battle to brain cancer on Monday, Feb. 12 with family and friends by his side. Robins worked in the Levittown School District for 30 years and served as the Division Avenue High School athletic director and head varsity baseball coach. Hempstead Town Buildings Commissioner John Loeffel resigned last week after town inspectors discovered three major building code violations at his Levittown home. Loeffel, who was appointed to his position on Dec. 12, 2006, was issued notices of violation for plumbing on a second floor without permit, renovations without permit and having an apartment without permit for his 10 Knoll Lane home, according to Susan Trenkle, press secretary to Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray. Two Levittown firefighters' efforts ended up saving two people in separate incidents. The first rescue took place on a train heading toward New York's Penn Station. On Monday, Jan. 29, Levittown Engine Co. 2 member Clifford Archer was on the 7:26 a.m. train out of Wantagh, en route to Penn Station. Just outside the Woodside, Queens station a plea for help came over the train's PA system for anyone with emergency medical training to go immediately to the fifth car back for a sick passenger. Archer rushed back to the car and found a nurse giving aid to a 50+ year-old male unconscious on the floor. In another incident, this one in 2006, now just coming to light, training also played a big part in a person being saved. Firefighter Beth Pipinou of Engine Co. 5 was working at a local Red Lobster restaurant when a patron started choking on the food he was eating and went into respiratory arrest. Pipinou immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver followed by chest compressions to start the patron's respiratory and pulmonary systems. Arson Bomb Squad Detectives of the Nassau County Police Department reported details of a fire that occurred on Thursday, March 8 at 9 p.m. in Levittown. According to detectives, the Solar Lane homeowner, while walking through her house, noticed that the outside front of the house was on fire at which time she evacuated the house with two other family members. The Levittown Board of Education approved the 2007-2008 school budget, totaling $109.97 million. After a 15-minute private meeting between Dr. Sirois, Carlson and Assistant Superintendent Victor Longaro, they came back with a solution to get the levy down to 4.77 percent. The turf field, approved on a 5-2 vote, includes the implementation of $3 million into the expenditures portion of the budget to add lights and field turf to both the MacArthur and Division Avenue football fields. This renovation would not impact the tax levy, however, there was concern on the board's behalf that the perception would be the turf and lights are the reason for the high levy. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Pfc. Daniel A. Fuentes, 19, of Levittown, died on April 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered after his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, deployed out of Fort Riley, KS. This was Fuentes' first deployment in Iraq. The Hempstead Town Board recently approved a temporary moratorium on all new construction of single-family and two-family houses on substandard lots for up to six months. The local legislation was passed in response to residents' concerns regarding the construction of oversized homes, also known as "McMansions," on substandard sized parcels of property. Longtime Levittowner Bob Koenig has released a new CD, titled Abbey Lane, which features eight folk songs about Levittown. For more information about Koenig or how to purchase his new CD visit www.bobkoenigmusic.com. He will also personally deliver the CD to you if you live in Levittown. Write P.O. Box 143, Levittown, NY 11756 or call 796-3826. CDs are $10. Residents of the Island Trees School District will be voting on one of the lowest tax levy increases in Nassau County as the district is proposing a 2.65 percent tax levy increase over last year, well below the average for county school districts. Voting on the proposed budget will take place on Tuesday, May 15. There is an increase in expenditures of 4.7 percent, which translates into an increase in the tax levy of 2.65 percent for the 2007-08 school year. The Levittown Public Schools budget for the 2007-08 school year of $167,762,201 passed in a 2,017 to 1,694 vote. This number represents a 6.49 percent increase over last year's budget; however, the tax levy increase for the 2007-08 school year is 4.77 percent. Residents also elected incumbent Gina Interdonato and newcomer Dan Bornstein to the board. Current board member Roseanne Gullans also ran in the election. Residents passed the Island Trees Public Schools budget of $51,839,417 for the 2007-08 school year in an 811 to 492 vote. The budget represents a 4.7 percent increase in expenditures over last year's, while the 2007-08 tax levy represents a 2.65 percent increase. Residents also elected incumbent Carl Bonsignore to the board, who was challenged by Brian Kelty. Board President Peter Ray ran unopposed. Robert E. Abrams, founder of the Levittown Tribune, died on May 14 at the age of 85. Abrams started the Levittown Tribune in December of 1947 after moving into a Levitt Cape Cod-style home on Blue Spruce Road just one month prior. The Island Trees High School Varsity Baseball team made history on Wednesday, May 30. The Bulldogs defeated the Clarke Rams by the score of 9-5 and thus completed a sweep in the County Finals to capture its second Nassau County Championship title in team history. The Levittown Board of Education extends an invitation to district residents to serve on a special bond issue committee pursuant to New York State EXCEL Building Aid legislation. Under this legislation, the Levittown School District is eligible to receive up to $7 million in state aid for capital improvements. The unique feature of the EXCEL aid is that it would not involve any tax increase for District residents. On Wednesday, May 2, Steve McQuail, a senior pitcher for the MacArthur Varsity Baseball team, became the first MacArthur pitcher in 13 years to pitch a perfect game. Longtime principal in the Island Trees School District Jon Segerdahl has announced his retirement, effective at the end of this school year. Mr. Segerdahl began his career in the Island Trees District in 1977 as principal of Karopczyc Elementary School. With the crowd full of "Project: Save Mr. Nessler" T-shirts at the July 2 Levittown Board of Education meeting, the board surely knew what was coming. MacArthur Physical Education Teacher/Assistant Varsity Lacrosse Coach John Nessler was denied his tenure at the school, despite what many call an "unblemished teaching record" and "phenomenal rapport" with the student body. Reportedly, Nessler has been reassigned to Abbey Lane Elementary School, but according to the Levittown residents who attended this meeting, that is not good enough. LIHome411.com co-founders Tom Mirabella and Bob Roddini are taking their home improvement knowledge on the road to help Hurricane Katrina victims rebuild their homes and lives. The Wantagh natives who grew up on the same block created www.LIHome411.com, an online directory service that offers visitors 60 home improvement categories ranging from plumbing and electrical to outdoor renovation, will be heading to New Orleans, LA in late August to help rebuild some of the city's hardest hit areas by Hurricane Katrina. Members of the Levittown Fire Department received an influx of calls the morning of July 17 when a passing storm deluged the mid-island area with up to three inches of rain. Several motorists were stranded in their cars on local streets after flash floods created high waters. While Levittown Fire Chief Mark Janovsky said no one anticipated that much rain falling within a half-hour, once calls began lighting up the switchboard they "alerted a general tone for all available manpower." A parade celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Levittown will take place on Sunday, Sept. 30. The 60th Anniversary Planning Committee is seeking original Levitt homeowners to participate in this parade. If you are the original owner of a Levitt home, call Joel and Pat Bearman at 731-1454. If you know an original owner, please let that person know that the committee is interested in hearing from them. Back in February, Levittowner Donnie Klang, 22, also known as Donnie J, was chosen among 10,000 male singers and dancers from around the county to compete on MTV's Making the Band 4. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Herman Sirois informed the Levittown Board of Education last week that preliminary end-of-year financial analyses reveal that the 2006-07 budget was overexpended by about 2 percent. The analysis confirmed that isolated accounting errors resulted in funds not being included in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 budgets. Dr. Sirois noted that the preliminary findings need to be confirmed by the district's annual independent audit, which is usually completed in the fall. The Farmingdale Jewish Center recently closed its Farmingdale location and combined with the Wantagh Jewish Center. Now called the Farmingdale Wantagh Jewish Center and located in Wantagh, the center serves over 400 families, making it one of the largest congregations in southeast Nassau County. Long Island homeowners are once again eligible for a real property tax refund check, only this year it is not only based on their property tax burden, but their income level as well. The checks, which are part of the 2007 Middle Class STAR Rebate Program, are offered to all homeowners who receive the basic STAR exemption. Residents of the Levittown School District who earned (combined income of residential property owners and their spouses) up to $120,000 in 2005 can expect to receive a rebate check of up to $838.10. Enhanced STAR recipients in Levittown will receive up to $733.33. Residents of the Island Trees School District in the same category will receive a rebate check of $643.66, while Enhanced STAR recipients can receive up to $563.21. Wednesday, Sept. 5 was not just the first day of school for all 11 Levittown schools, but it also marked the first board of education meeting of the 2007-08 school year. As far as other pressing issues are concerned, the State Comptroller's Office will honor the request of Levittown for an audit of budget and finances to begin in the fall. This is after last month, when a potential $7 million gap was found in the school budget. Dr. Sirois said he remains confident that this was an isolated error, but this audit will reassure that. Levittown resident Joe Pries recently returned from a two-week assignment in Oregon to help combat raging wildfires in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Pries, a fish and wildlife technician with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for over a year, is among a team of 20 DEC forest rangers and employees who set out to control the large scale wildfires and protect life, property and natural resources. This year marks the 60th anniversary of when Levittown opened to the public. Over 300 residents, mostly World War II veterans, agreed to rent Levitt homes for $60 a month. Others, with their GI Bills in hand, put a $90 down payment on a $7,990 ranch. Sixty years later the Levittown 60th Anniversary Committee, co-chaired by Louise Cassano, Legislator Dennis Dunne, Sr. and Kevin Regan, president of the Levittown Chamber of Commerce and the Levittown/Island Trees Youth Council, have planned a year chock full of events celebrating the community's rich history. Under gorgeous sunny blue skies, but with an autumn chill in the air, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Sept. 16 to commemorate the opening of the ELIJA School in Levittown. Located on the west end of the grounds of the Levittown Community Church on Periwinkle Road, the school is dedicated to teaching students with autism. On Sunday, Oct. 14, the board of directors of the Levittown Public Library conducted Recognition Day in the Mildred B. Cantor Community Room of the library. The event offered appreciation to members of the Levittown 60th Anniversary Committee and the Levittown Fire Department for their service to Levittown. The event also honored three staff members who are celebrating 25 years of service to the library as well as John Bosco who is completing his term as a trustee on the library board. At the request of the Levittown Board of Education, the New York State Comptroller's Office has begun an audit of the Levittown School District's 2006-07 school budget. The state auditors began their work in Levittown on Tuesday, Oct. 23 by meeting with representatives of the Levittown school board and the office of the Levittown Superintendent of Schools. At a press conference in front of CVS Pharmacy in Farmingdale, Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman announced the extension of the NassauRx Prescription Drug Discount. Created by Weitzman's office three years ago, NassauRx is not an insurance product, but rather a free discount card available to all Nassau residents. There are no enrollment forms to fill out. The card can be helpful for persons of any age with inadequate health insurance. The total enrollment between Salk Middle School and MacArthur High School has risen by a total of 34.8 percent since 1998, according to the enrollment trends chart provided by Levittown Assistant Superintendent for Administration and Personnel Darlene Rhatigan. Salk and MacArthur combined had 1,858 students enrolled in 1998, and nine years later that number has jumped to 2,506. This represents a collective increase of 648. Salk has risen from 847 to 1,096 students enrolled over that time, with MacArthur seeing a 400-pupil increase of 1,011 to 1,410 students enrolled. In a ceremony honoring 33 Levittown and Island Trees young men who lost their lives while defending the U.S., Island Trees Memorial Middle School dedicated a remembrance plaque to be mounted in the school. In a fitting ceremony just before Veterans Day, the Island Trees School community, VFW Post 9592, American Legion Post 1711 and the Levittown/Island Trees Veterans Council planned a moving ceremony that brought many in the room to tears. Levittown and Island Trees voters both voted to pass the EXCEL Bond Issues at the polls on Nov. 15. The Levittown EXCEL Bond Issue was passed 1,225 yes votes to 216 no votes. Both propositions in Island Trees also passed. Proposition 1 received 308 yes votes to 120 no votes and Proposition 2 received 242 yes votes to 149 no votes. Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi recently announced a public-private partnership to make Levittown, America's first suburb, America's first green suburb. At the Nov. 15 announcement on Periwinkle Road in front of one of the original Cape Cod-style homes built 60 years ago for returning WWII veterans and their young families, Suozzi outlined a comprehensive program to reduce Levittown's carbon footprint by 20 percent in 2008. The Levittown Library will be undergoing renovations this winter and spring to create an additional community room. During that time, some residents will be inconvenienced, as organizations that normally meet in the library will have to meet elsewhere. Currently, the offices of the media department and the technical services department are located where the new meeting room will be. These offices will be relocated to existing storage areas. The Levittown School District's annual independent external audit, completed by R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP issued its report on Nov. 9. Every school district is required to complete a similar audit each year. This report is available in the Levittown Schools Central Office for review. The audit found that the district's general fund's expenditures and encumbrances exceeded its final budget by $2,656,276. Superintendent Dr. Herman Sirois also stated that most of the problems that had occurred are now fixed. Timothy J. Courtney was elected Levittown Fire Commissioner on Dec. 11. Courtney, received votes 174, ran unopposed. Vincent R. Raab, received 147 votes, also ran unopposed. Jay Cohen was elected Wantagh Fire Commissioner on Dec. 11. Cohen, received 170 votes, ran unopposed.