"Nassau County has too many layers of government. In addition to the county, three towns, two cities and 64 villages, there are more than 200 other districts with taxing authority, not including school and library districts. They have wildly varying tax rates, and, unfortunately, many of them have little or no public accountability," said Comptroller Howard Weitzman at a Dec. 19 press conference in Mineola. FULL STORY

The League of Women Voters of Port Washington-Manhasset (LWV) is joining a statewide league initiative to do an in-depth study of the way NYS public education is funded. The statewide call for this study is the result of a NYS Court of Appeals decision ordering the State of New York to provide an additional $5.63 billion over five years for operating expenses and $1.836 billion annually for five years for capital costs to the NYC Board of Education in order to guarantee that the students in New York City schools have the opportunity to receive a "Sound Basic Education." FULL STORY

1. Walk-in registration and information session: 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.: Manhasset High Gym FULL STORY

American Yacht Club, the YRA of Long Island Sound and US SAILING are sponsoring a one-day Race Management Seminar on Feb. 11, 2006 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the American Yacht Club House, Milton Point, Rye, NY. Bill Kirkpatrick will be the lead instructor. Kirkpatrick is a US SAILING Regional Race Officer, recognized Senior Race Officer, Area B Race Officer and YRA of LIS Race Management Committee chair. He will be joined by Peter Reggio and Susan Reilly as assistant instructors. Reggio was the Principal Race Officer for the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Races for the America's Cup in Auckland and will be the PRO for the 32nd America's Cup in 2007. FULL STORY