A $106 million budget adopted by the Massapequa School District April 19, will be put to the vote May 15. The 2001-2002 plan reflects a 6.5 percent increase in overall spending over last year's budget, which translates into a 7.5 percent tax increase, considered the average tax increase for school districts in Nassau County. FULL STORY

The Massapequa Basketball Booster Club reports that the girls varsity basketball team has completed another outstanding season. The Lady Chiefs ended with an impressive 18-3 overall record, and were finalists at the Nassau County Championship, held at Hofstra University. This was the sixth year in a row that the team went to Hofstra. Last season, the team traveled to Troy, NY and became New York state finalists. FULL STORY

Nicholas Quaranto is a 10-year-old junior Black Belt karate student at the American Black Belt Academy in Massapequa Park. Recently, he competed in a tournament and won first place in all five divisions he competed in: forms, self-defense, weapons, traditional forms and musical forms. The tournament, the American Championships, was held March 17 and 18 at the Massapequa High School gym. Students from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Maryland were there to show their karate expertise. FULL STORY