Frustrated and angry, Massapequa School District nurses spoke up at the board of education's Oct 8 public meeting charging the district with being uncooperative and unwilling to negotiate a new labor contract. The district's 11 nurses have been working without a new contract since June 1995. Both nurses and District Superintendent James Brucia said the negotiations are stuck over money issues including salary and health insurance. The nurses, who recently declared an impasse, requested that the New York State Public Employees Relations Board provide them with a mediator. FULL STORY

The Plainedge School District's new policy of promotion and non-promotion will go into effect in the 1999-2000 school year at Sylvia Packard Middle School, the Board of Education decided at its Oct. 6 meeting. Schools Supertintendent Gene Grasso said he hopes the criteria by which grade promotion will be determined will be developed within the next two to four months, thus allowing parents, students, teachers and principals ample time to learn the new rules of the game. FULL STORY

Karate students from the American Black Belt Academy's competition team will go to Baltimore, MD Oct. 16-18 to defend their championship title which they have held for the last three years. FULL STORY