Around the Town: August 4, 2011

Make a Difference Awards

I’m sure everyone knows at least one very special person who is always doing for others and never asking for anything in return. He or she may be a neighbor, a friend, or a relative. When thinking about this person, you may ask yourself, where does he or she get the energy or time to volunteer for so many activities?

Each year around this time the Town of Hempstead prepares for a special awards program that is held in November. Our Make a Difference Awards are presented to Hempstead Town residents who have made a difference in the community or in the lives of others.    

From the Desk of Dr. Charles Murphy: July 27, 2011

The summer is a great time for students to relax and recharge for another school year.  Unfortunately, the long summer vacation erodes the knowledge, skills and concepts gained during the school year.  

It is reported that the average student regresses one month by the end of summer vacation. In fact, the loss compounds over time. To help prevent further regression, our teachers and schools have organized summer reading assignments; put together reading lists; and have added new math assignments for students.

From the Desk of Senator Kemp Hannon: July 27, 2011

Senate Gives Final Legislative Passage to Sexting, Cyberbullying Prevention Bill

The New York State Senate gave final legislative passage to a bill (S.5253B) to divert youth to an education program addressing the sending of nude or obscene photographs through electronic technologies, also known as “sexting,” as well as conduct that constitutes “cyberbullying.”

The bill, entitled the “Cyber-Crime Youth Rescue Act,” sponsored by Senator Kemp Hannon, requires the development of an educational program about the numerous perils of sexting and cyberbullying. The program provides an option other than a permanent criminal record for juveniles deemed eligible by a court.

Letter: An Open Letter to the Children, Residents, and Employees of the Levittown School District

Upon the occasion of my retirement, I would like to thank the children, residents, and employees of the Levittown School District for the privilege of having served as its superintendent during what has been the golden era of the Levittown Public Schools.  

Very few school superintendents have enjoyed a more successful and rewarding career than the children, parents, and employees of our school district have provided me for the past 30 years.

Letter: LWV Objects to Hub Referendum Vote Date

The League of Women Voters of Nassau County strongly objects to the August 1 scheduling of a Nassau County referendum on the proposal to permit the county to borrow up to an additional $400 million for a proposed “Nassau County Hub Area Development” construction project, which would include a new Nassau Coliseum and minor league ballpark. Our reasons include the following:

The cost of doing this as a special election, projected to be approximately $2 million, is not necessary and would come at a time when Nassau County is already experiencing serious financial difficulties. Though the cost would be picked up if the vote is “Yes,” if it is “No,” the voters would have to bear this unnecessary burden. This risk can easily be avoided by scheduling the vote on the same day and on the same ballots as those for the general election in the fall. Most bond issue votes have been done that way in the past.

Letter: Manton Follows Up His Opinion About Same-Sex Marriage

My recent letter on same-sex marriage in the June 23 issue of Levittown Tribune prompted many curious questions from people who wondered why my opinion on this issue was so vague given that the letter was several hundred words long. Simple, really. Life’s complicated and same-sex marriage is one of those issues that demonstrate that fact more than many others.

Life’s complicated and any reasonably intelligent understanding of the issues of the day entails, by necessity, a working-out of the dialectics inherent in those issues. If, for example, I wanted oversimplified, pre-packaged, mass-produced answers to life’s Big Question, I’d be a creationist fundamentalist or Marxist atheist rather than an Episcopalian student of Charles Darwin.

Letter: A Debt of Gratitude

As the Levittown Board of Education was honoring the athletic teams, individual athletes and their parents and coaches at this past board meeting, it occurred to me we had missed a key component of the Levittown Athletic success story, our youth programs!

My personal experience in these organizations (my 8 year old Levittown little league picture hangs in my office) puts a unique perspective on the matter. As the picture has yellowed, the memories still linger. The importance of those years for me and the thousands of other kids over these 60 plus years can never be understated.

Letter: It is Time for Alternatives to Opiates for Pain

With all the problems associated with taking pain medication, isn’t it baffling that they are still widely prescribed as a first line of treatment for pain. There are many safe, effective, and cost effective alternatives.

There is no reason why procedures such as chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, massage therapy, and physical therapy should not be a physician’s first choice for referral for pain rather then prescription drugs.  Most of these drugs only mask symptoms.

Letter: NYS Legislature Should Crack Down On Insurance Fraud

The State Legislature accomplished a lot this year, but one important reform was conspicuously left out – passage of the legislation know as the “Fraud Tax Bill” that would crack down on crisis-level auto insurance fraud in New York State.

Letter: Nassau’s Mitchel Field Deteriorating

Our Long Island high school athletes in track and field have proven to be among the best in New York State. It is with great disappointment that Nassau County’s Mitchel Athletic Complex, once considered “The World’s Biggest Stage, a showcase for the best competition the world has ever seen…,” [Goodwill Games] has let the field events deteriorate to the point of forcing our high school athletes and other famous high profile meets to seek other venues for their competition.