Adding to the snowballing tax increases this year, the Port Washington Police Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a budget of $12,552,585 for 2004. This represents an increase of $2,439,309, or 24 percent from the 2003 budget. The tax rate for Class I Residential is 23.63 per $100 of assessed valuation. (The average assessed valuation for a home in Port Washington, with the new county reassessment, is 6,537, Class I Residential. This means that the average police district tax for 2004 will be $1,544. (You arrive at this figure by multiplying 6537 times 23.63. A home assessed at 10,000 will be paying $2,363, while a home with a 4,000 assessment will see $945 on their tax bill for Port police services. FULL STORY

Dr. Frank Banta, Schreiber's principal, began the DWI presentation by reminding the students of the words of a previous speaker, "One moment can change a life." The speaker was Bobby Petrocelli, whose wife was killed when a pickup truck driven by a drunk driver crashed through their bedroom wall, killing Petrocelli's wife. After that presentation, Banta said, the Hon. Scott Fairgrieve, judge of the District Court of Nassau County, had expressed an interest in speaking with the students. FULL STORY

What a week or two can do for your confidence, huh? Port football romped in its Friday night game on Oct. 3 against Oceanside, then had a miraculous game against Valley Stream Central on the 11th, coming back late in the game to pull out its second victory of the year. Hopefully, this will only be a stepping-stone in what is still a very young and promising season. FULL STORY

If you happened to be in the vicinity of Park Avenue and 37th Street in New York City last Thursday in the late afternoon, just about the time commuters were heading for home, you might have thought you heard bagpipes. While a bit unusual, you most likely dismissed the thought, and continued on your way. But invited guests to the Herreshoff Marine Museum's America's Cup Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony knew immediately that the pipers were calling them to the Union League Club to witness the induction of two new candidates to the Hall of Fame, Alan Bond of Fremantle, Australia and Gary Jobson of Annapolis, MD. Jobson was the winning tactician in 1977, sailing with Ted Turner on Courageous, and has been a Cup broadcaster since 1987. Bond challenged and failed three times, including 1977, but the feisty entrepreneur from Western Australia won the Cup on his fourth try, 20 years ago, with Australia II. FULL STORY