Senator Gillibrand Speaks Out About Long Island Issues

Since her appointment by Governor Paterson to the U.S. Senate, taking the seat vacated by Hilary Rodham Clinton, followed by her winning the special election in March of 2009, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has had a lot on her plate- from issues as high profile as the economic stimulus package of 2009, to dealing with issues that are less controversial, such as the risk to infants posed by dangerous drop-side cribs. Gillibrand will be running to hold on to her seat in November.

New Technologies at POB Library

For better or for worse, the days when going to the library was all about wandering the stacks are over. At the May 19 meeting of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Library Board of Trustees, much of the discussion centered around new services and technologies that are either available at the library now, or will be in the near future.

HANC Students Give of Themselves for Cancer Patients

The Hebrew Academy of Nassau County (HANC-Plainview) sponsored a hair drive to benefit the Israeli charity “Zichron Menachem” (www.zichron.org). What started as one girl growing her hair for the project quickly caught on; twelve braided ponytails were donated this week to help make wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy as part of their treatment for cancer. For several students, this was their second time donating.

Local Teens Shine in CAP’s 13

Not everyone has good memories of being thirteen; it’s a time rife with uncertainty, awkwardness, and all manner of skin-related troubles. That’s why it’s such a credit to the Cultural Arts Playhouse production of 13, a musical by Jason Robert Brown intended for an all-teen cast, that they make that time in one’s life seem so appealing in retrospect.

2010 School Budget Vote Results

2010 School Budget

Pass       2,140
Fail        1,492

School Board: Elect 3

Angel Cepeda*    1,552
Gary Bettan*    1,613
Emily Schulman    1,809
Craig Levy     1,491
Stefanie Nelkens     978

Proposition Two (Establishment of Capital Reserve Fund)

Pass    2,223
Fail    1,288

Proposition 3 (POB Library Budget)

Pass    2,176
Fail    1,297

 

Tommy Davis of Plainview Plays the Drums on the Big Stage

For many music-loving college students, pulling an all-nighter to finish their homework because of the demands of juggling schoolwork with a successful, growing music career might sound like a dream come true, but in practice, it can be a lot of work; Tommy Davis of Plainview had an opportunity to learn this first-hand. While playing drums for Gabriel the Marine - a Long Island band that has quickly garnered a lot of critical acclaim, as well as touring opportunities - Davis was too busy from playing shows at night and going to class at SUNY Farmingdale during the day to have much time for any dreaming, period. “I swear, one week I just didn’t sleep,” Davis confided.

Meet the Candidates for the POB Board of Education 

There are two seats up for election, with each term lasting three years. This year, incumbents Gary Bettan and Angel Cepeda are being challenged by Craig E. Levy, Stephanie Nelkens and Emily Schulman. The voting locations are Jamaica Avenue School, Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School, and Old Bethpage Elementary School.

Plainview Water District’s Spring Flushing Program a Success

The Plainview Water District Commissioners Joel Kessler, Edward Shulroff and Andrew Bader announced that the hydrant flushing program this year was a great success.

“The hydrant flushing program is just one example of the many steps we are taking to improve the quality of water supplied to our consumers,” stated Chairman Joel Kessler. “By doing this we were able to assess the quality of our hydrants and the flow of our water system. As we expected, the water system is in great shape and, most importantly, we were able to run these tests with little inconvenience to the residents by having them late at night.”

POB BOE Holds Budget Hearing

The Plainview-Old Bethpage School District Board of Education held a budget hearing at their monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 4. The proposed budget for the 2010-2011 school year was revealed to be $130,888,845, a 2.1 percent increase over the previous year‘s budget. In addition to maintaining all programs, services, and extracurricular activities, the budget includes funding to enhance technology with 61 new interactive whiteboards, 60 audio support devices, and five Mobile Visual Presentation Systems for elementary schools, among other items. While the purchase of new textbooks was limited to those subjects for which the new texts were considered essential to the curriculum (in light of the difficult economic climate), there are plans to purchase many new social studies textbooks. There is also over a million dollars slated to go to building and maintenance projects, such as a partial roof replacement at Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, and masonry reconstruction at several district buildings.

Judge Issues 30-Day Restraining Order to MTA’s Able-Ride Cuts

Disability Groups Expected to Supply $80,000 Bond

A judge recently issued a 30-day temporary restraining order against the MTA, regarding cuts to its Able-Ride program and told disability advocacy groups to raise an $80,000 bond to help pay for the service, according to an attorney for the plaintiffs.

Several disability advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against the MTA after Able-Ride users were informed of cuts to the program, expected to take place on April 12. On April 9, US District Court Judge Joanna Seybert issued a two-week restraining order on the cuts and asked the MTA and groups to discuss options for those affected.