Congressman Steve Israel (D-Huntington) and local educators recently held a press conference to push for legislation to tie federal mandates on local schools to adequate funding. The No Child Left Behind Act added many requirements to local schools when it passed Congress in 2001, with promises of federal funding that has yet to materialize. Israel has sponsored the Keeping Our Promises to America's Children Act to ensure that schools have the tools necessary to meet their new requirements. FULL STORY

At the end of May, fencing was put around the construction site at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library and the entrance at the east end of the building was eliminated. In preparation for the construction, library officials tried to save as many of the plantings as possible. Most of the flowers were moved to the rear of the building and are thriving nicely. Some of the shrubs were temporarily moved to the lower level of the garden until the area is restored. FULL STORY