Editorial: Good Choice, But Questionable Process

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Editorial: Good Choice, But Questionable Process

Friday, 22 February 2013 15:43

Recently, the Massapequa School Board approved the appointment of Lucille Iconis to succeed Charles Sulc as superintendent in Massapequa. I’m sure Iconis will do a fine job. Having listened to her presentations at school board meetings, it is easy to determine that she is quite knowledgeable about education and learning. Perhaps just as importantly, she is quite personable and accommodating when speaking with members of the community. Because the school district already has a well-qualified candidate, it makes perfect sense that Iconis would be chosen, without incurring the expense of doing a search.

However, the way the appointment was announced is questionable. Without any notice to the community, and without placing it on the agenda, Sulc announced his retirement and Iconis was immediately appointed. Why was the community not made aware of Sulc’s decision? Did the announcement of his successor have to be made immediately at the same meeting? Wouldn’t it have been better if there had been a gap between Sulc’s announcement and Iconis’s appointment to give the community an opportunity to offer input on selecting Sulc’s successor and allow the school board the same opportunity to present to the people they serve? What was factored into the decision?

Again, there is no reason to question the selection of Iconis, as she is an excellent choice. However, the process should have been more transparent as it would have better-established Iconis’s qualifications to the community. Homeowners who pay high property taxes to reside in the Massapequa School District deserve it.

- Ron Scaglia

News

Dairy Queen Holds Grand Opening In Massapequa

Wednesday, 12 June 2013 00:00

Watch out, Massapequa...there’s a “Blizzard” coming through.

The famous frosted ice cream treat, along with a plethora of other tasty menu items, are now available to Long Island residents as of 10 a.m. on June 10, when popular fast-food chain Dairy Queen held their much-anticipated grand opening in Massapequa.

First debuting in 1940 in Joliet, Illinois, Dairy Queen has since grown to more than 4,500 locations nationwide. However, this is its first Long Island-based location since the 1970’s; the chain has been absent from the island since then.

Town Honors Military With Baseball Showdown

Thursday, 13 June 2013 00:00

America’s pastime gets the local treatment as Town of Oyster Bay officials announced Massapequa’s John J. Burns Town Park will host a special baseball game between the U.S. Military All-Stars and the Long Island Force High School All-Star team on Tuesday, June 25 at 8 p.m.

The teams will play for the 2013 Supervisor’s Trophy and honor the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform to protect the country.

Sports

Chiefs Baseball Not Deterred By Loss

Thursday, 13 June 2013 00:00

For a town with such a proud tradition of baseball excellence, the goal is always to reach the mountaintop. There is no reason to be demoralized, however, by a 1-0 season-ending defeat in the Long Island Class-AA Championship game, according to Head Coach Tom Sheedy.

“It was such a competitive game,” said Sheedy. “We had our chances, but today we didn’t come through.”

Massapequa put together a tremendous season, finishing with a 20-6 record and capturing another Nassau County title. They defeated MacArthur 7-5 in the prior week at Farmingdale State College to capture their 10th county title and first since 2009.

Runners Race Against Prostate Cancer

Thursday, 13 June 2013 00:00

Two Massapequa residents from the opposite ends of the age spectrum led a strong contingent of runners down the stretch at Belmont Park and scored great finishes in the 2nd annual Belmont Stakes Blue Ribbon 5-Kilometer Run to Fight Prostate Cancer June 2.

As the first woman in the 15-19 age group to cross the finish line, 16-year-old Chelsea Hroch of North Massapequa finished in 23 minutes and 10 seconds. Meanwhile, 81-year-old Howard Kestenbaum took second place in the 80 to 84 age group, with a time of 43:11.