Manhasset's own Helen Halpin McCarney was crowned Ms. NY Senior America qualifying her to compete in the Ms. Senior America competition in Las Vegas. Munsey Park field is being taken over by the SCA Fair. Dr. Austin Gavin appears on Public Access TV to answer questions about the upcoming school budget vote. The CAC for Finance endorses the school districts budget for 2005-2006 at $67,998,692 - a 4.41 percent increase over the prior year. The Manhasset Press posed questions for the three candidates, Pat Aitken, Mark Aloia, and John Penn, running for the open seat on the school board. Members of the MHS Repertory Company win Best Ensemble Award at the 56th Annual Shakespeare Festival at Hofstra University. MHS girls crew win their event at the NJ State Championships. The League of Women Voters hosts a Meet the Candidates Night. Dr. William Shine, a seasoned administrator with 22 years experience as superintendent of the Great Neck Schools, takes the helm as the interim superintendent in the Manhasset School District. Plandome Manor honors outgoing mayor Carlo Manganillo. A clock at the Mary Jane Davies Park is dedicated to Betsy Chesebrough. Munsey Park considers road reconstruction program. The school budget passes and Pat Aitken is elected to the school board. Transportation outsourcing also passes. Thornton Smith is honored by Boy Scout Troop 71. Manhasset/Great Neck EOC honors Jane and Frank Hone, Gil Anderson and Minnie Carpenter. The MHS crew team brings home gold and bronze from the NYS championships. The MHS JV lacrosse posts an undefeated season. Changing of the guard at the Plandome Fire Department. American Legion Post 304 ran a magnificent parade over the holiday.

Bea Tusuani reads excerpts from her new book, Con Amore. County Executive Tom Suozzi announces his bid for re-election. The Coalition for a Safer Manhasset (CSM) works with town and county officials for improved safety on Plandome Road. Internationally recognized artist, Barbara Ernst Prey, is commissioned by NASA to paint the International Space Station. Barbara's painting from her MHS days still hangs in the hallway. TONH re-instituted Memorial Day fireworks. Transportation outsourcing is a hot topic at the school board meeting. MHS track places third in the counties. MHS junior Samantha Baard meets in Washington D.C. with Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist. The annual Ken Molloy 5K Run takes off down Plandome Road. Tom Maimone honored for six years on the school board. Shelter Rock Church on Plandome Road expands to second campus in Syosset. New Hebrew school under construction at the intersection of the LIE and Community Drive. Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman and his wife announce the arrival of their new baby girl. MHS class of 2005 graduates. Yousuf Qureshi and Nicholas Calluzo are valedictorians and Katherine Aitken is salutatorian. Dedication ceremony honors Sandy Duggan, a longtime teacher at Munsey Park. There is new a kayak launching site at the town dock in Port Washington.

Coalition for a Safer Manhasset (CSM) meets with the 6th Precinct police. Frank Bice is recognized for his motivated and motivational life. Chris Jenne medals at the nationals in the Giant Slalom in Park City, Utah. The Village of Plandome Heights appoints Marion Endrizzi as its new mayor. Bauman and Sons Buses, Inc. is successful in their lawsuit against the school district forcing them to re-bid the transportation contract. The BOE reorganization meeting is swift and proficient, a far cry from the previous year which operated under austerity. Forty continuous miles of HOV lanes opened on the LIE. The new library is under construction altering the landscape of the town. Fifth grade Yankee Baseball Team wins the World Series 2-1. St. Francis Hospital breaks ground for the DeMatteis Pavilion. The building represents a 40 percent increase in space. CSM completes crosswalk study research. The school districts' travel reimbursement policy is examined. The Manhasset Community Fund awards $25,000 in special grants to help local groups. Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman announced 2004 ended with a $19.5 million surplus. It had been a $76.8 million surplus before the county set aside $57.3 million to provide reserves for future budget relief. The MHS graduation rate for 2004 was 99 percent. District championship captured by 11 and 12-year-old girls softball team. MSD meals and refreshment policy reviewed. Michael Farrone is named NY State Firefighter of the Year. Six day garbage pickup begins on Plandome Road. Tuesday's Children hold a fund raiser at the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club. One thousand dollars is offered for the safe return of lost Abyssinian cat. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rawlings is released at midnight at Barns & Noble.

The NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is set to review North Hills site of Chatham II regarding wetlands designation. Summer Center is going strong after 59 years. During August the Manhasset Park District will re-pave the train station parking lot. Preparations are under way for the senior flu shot program. The MSD policy of fiscal accounting and reporting is reviewed. First annual Joseph C. Zoller golf classic is held. Plandome C.C. swimmers raise money for cancer research. MSD policy on attendance boundaries is reviewed. Dr. Robert Feirsen, deputy superintendent of schools since 1996, leaves to be superintendent of the Garden City School District. National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education (NAPCSE) established. American Legion ladies auxiliary installs officers at luncheon. MHS boys varsity lacrosse reaches the finals in the NY State Championship "C" tournament. Trunz closes its doors after 100 years of serving the area. About 223 students participated in eight different Manhasset Youth Council S.H.O.P. excursions over the summer. School district transportation update: Following the re-bid of the contract, one year contracts were given (instead of three years) for home to school, athletic runs and field trips to Huntington Coach and for the remainder of the 2005 summer transportation to Baumann and Sons Buses. The League of Women Voters sponsors a panel on reforming Albany. No decision yet on whether to build up to 58 condominiums on an 18-acre parcel of land in the Village of North Hills. MHS girls lacrosse team reached the finals in the NY State Championship "C" tournament. The 64 municipalities of The Long Island North Shore Heritage Area (LINSHA) Management Plan will vote by the end of 2006 on protection of cultural and natural resources. Munsey Park hosts Hollywood as The Good Shepherd is filmed in the neighborhood. Residents keep a watchful eye for star sightings of Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Robert DeNiro. Of the 150 best lacrosse players in the world, five call Manhasset home: Conor Denihan, John Gagliardi, Tim Goettelmann, Blake Miller and Nick Murtha. Manhasset Bay water quality level rated good. MSD policy on the internal claims auditor reviewed. Suzanne Fields is one of the first five members inducted into the Ultimate Frisbee Hall of Fame.