The New York State Senate this week approved legislation (S. 7358-A) sponsored by State Senator Michael Balboni that would prohibit municipalities within the Town of North Hempstead from seizing private recreational facilities in order to use the facility for the same purpose as the private owner. The measure comes in response to a proposal from a municipality to use the power of eminent domain to seize a private golf club for use as a residents-only municipal golf club. FULL STORY

New York once again leads the nation in combined state and local taxes, and the total burden is now over $100 billion, the latest authoritative data from the U.S. Census Bureau show. FULL STORY

Manhasset's 2006 golf season once again began with familiar and new faces. Returning was Jimmy Mulderrig (senior), Ben Meskell (senior), Peter Kratsios (junior), Stephen Colalillo (junior), Kevin Miller (junior), Kirk Reed (sophomore), Ryan Nicolosi (sophomore), and Chris Musalo (soph.). The new faces were JP Rinfret (freshman), Tyler Grimes (freshman), and Dennis Driscoll (eighth grade). FULL STORY

The Nassau Suffolk CYO has announced the winners of the Girls Volleyball 2006 Sportsmanship Awards. St. Mary's CYO has won three of these prestigious awards; one for the seventh grade and one for the ninth and 10th grade TYRO and the 11th and 12th grade senior divisions. FULL STORY