Letter: Remember Jane Josiah As A Levittowner

I was just reading the online Tribune today and saw the article on the local people who died on 9/11. My sister-in-law, Jane (Hagan) Josiah, wasn’t mentioned in it. She graduated in ’71 from Division Avenue High School and lived in Levittown for some years after. Technically she lived in Bellmore on that horrible day, but I feel she should still be remembered as being a Levittowner. I know this is too late to change but wanted you to be aware of it for next year. Thanks very much.

Pat Hagan

Letter: Statue of Mary Stolen

As Levittown residents since 1959, we are very saddened to report the loss/theft of our statue of the Blessed Mother, which has stood outside of our Levittown home for close to 50 years.

My parents moved into the beautiful and quiet community of Levittown in 1959. This statue of Mary has stood in our front yard protecting us and our house for as long as I can remember. I and my four siblings have stood in front of this statue for all of our most memorable occasions including baptisms, communions, confirmations, graduations, weddings, births, even for Halloween. Whenever my mother received flowers from her children or after a wedding, she always placed the flowers in front of the statue of the Blessed Mother.

Editorial: Patriot Day: Serve And Remember

Since the tragedies of September 11, 2001, the nation has begun to observe the anniversary as Patriot Day, and also as a day of service. In addition to flying the American Flag in celebration of freedom, it is important to observe a moment of silence to honor the thousands of lives lost on that day, right here on American soil.

Editorial: Proper Flag Disposal

I have been asked several times by residents recently about what to do with worn and tattered American flags. Naturally, when a flag is flown and used enough it will become torn, faded or worn. Flying an American flag in any of these conditions is unacceptable and disrespectful. Never simply put an American flag in the garbage; the only appropriate thing to do with it is a proper disposal.

Believe it or not, there is a whole protocol, an official U.S. Flag Code to abide by for flying, using, or discarding a flag. While the U.S. has a code for the flag, it is only a guide on how to handle and use the flag. Each state has its own flag laws.

Letter: The Poverty That Dare Not Speak Its Name

My advice to teenagers these days is straight forward: Your college diploma must be accompanied with an up-to-date passport because if you are not prepared to leave the U.S. behind and emigrate to where the jobs are located, higher education may prove to be a waste of time and money. I know too many people in their 40s and 50s who have bachelors and masters degrees, years of experience in such fields as engineering and teaching and business management, who are now unemployed and collecting food stamps and other governmental largesse that they paid taxes to support back when they were productive citizens. What’s holding them back is not lack of education, experience, or work ethic, but economic discrimination.

Economic discrimination is the elephant in the living room, nay, a dead and decomposing elephant in the living room. Its previously middle class victims won’t speak of it as there’s a social stigma affixed to being poor because hitherto the chronically unemployed type was a slacker and a troublemaker and the homeless person was the mentally ill fellow on the park bench talking to himself.

Letter: Advanced Placement Programs

We’ve come a long way! It was only a few years ago, 2008, when Island Trees students took at total of 152 Advanced Placement (AP) exams. In 2012, we have more than doubled this amount with 342 exams. Incredibly in this same year, 2008, Island Trees students took a total of six AP exams in English.

Today this number has grown to 97. We’re very proud of the progress we have made with the AP programs. This is the program that all colleges want to see on student transcripts. Below shows how well our students performed on the 2012 exams. In fact, the results this year are stellar. This is a great testament to our students, as well as our dedicated teachers. We’re proud of their performance.

Editorial: The Olympic Spirit

The 2012 Olympics in London have ended. Since the Olympic spirit has always been about competing, we congratulate the Long Island contingent who performed in a variety of challenging sports: Sue Bird of Syosset, Debbie Capozzi of Bayport, Brandon Escobar of Rocky Point, Amanda Clark of Shelter Island, Jamel Herring of Coram, Lisa Karcic of New Hyde Park, Erik Storck of Huntington and Maria Michita of Nesconset.

Editorial: Back To School Approaching

The next three weeks can either be a hindrance or a welcome arrival, depending on your child care arrangements and vacation time availability at work. As a parent, I, for one, am eagerly awaiting back-to-school for the kids.

From the desk of Dr. Charles Murphy: August 17, 2012

The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 will bring many new changes to the Island Trees School Lunch Program. Although the law will help improve the nutritional quality of our school lunches over the next few years, one of the changes associated with this new act has not be welcomed with open arms.

In particular, the sub-section known as “Paid Lunch Equity” requires our school district to begin a series of annual lunch price increases based on the weighted average lunch price established by the federal government.

Editorial: Panel 16E—Row 69: No Greater Honor Than To Keep A Story Alive

A very familiar name to many Levittown and Island Trees residents has crossed my path three times this week and it seemed like a good reason to make mention. It’s one that most surely cannot be forgotten, and through the efforts of many in the community, never will.

His home of record is Bethpage. Island Trees has gone to lengths to remember him, by dedicating its administrative building to him, and the whole world can find his name on the 16E panel, row 69 of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. It’s Stephen Edward Karopczyc, a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army’s Company A, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division.