Port Washington Named County Pilot at Residents Gala

Residents Plan for ‘Vibrant Downtown’

At the Residents For A More Beautiful Port Washington Annual Gala on March 21, it was announced that Port Washington has been named County Pilot for a “Vibrant Downtown.”

‘Finding Port’ Across the Generations at Manorhaven School

The fifth grade at Manorhaven School celebrated communication across the generations with a multi-media production called Finding Port on Wednesday, March 17. Using music, photos, dance and especially drama, they highlighted the stories of many of Port Washington’s senior citizens.

Library Budget Vote and Trustee Election to Be Held April 6

The board of trustees approved the 2010/2011 Library Operating Budget at the Port Washington Public Library budget hearing and meeting on March 17. The public will vote on the budget on April 6.

More Cuts Shrink School Budget Increase to 2.5 Percent

ATLAST to Be Outsourced

Several big-ticket questions cast a pall over an educational discussion at the school board meeting in Schreiber High School auditorium on Tuesday, March 9.

PWMOEM Launches NorthShoreAlert

Residents Urged to Register Online

On Friday, March 12, the Port Washington-Manhasset Office of Emergency Management (PWMOEM) launched its NorthShoreAlert mass notification system (NorthShoreAlert.org), enhancing communication and emergency preparedness across the Port Washington peninsula, which covers all of Port Washington and portions of Manhasset. The launch of this system took place at the Sands Point Village Hall and the system was demonstrated for all attendees through a test call.

Weber’s Big Day in the Science Olympiad

Saturday, March 6 was not a school day – but you could be excused for thinking so, as C. P. Weber Middle School hummed with hundreds of middle-schoolers and their coaches, helpers, and mascots. Weber was hosting 43 teams, representing 29 Long Island schools, in the daylong Division B Regional Competition of the 2010 Science Olympiad.

Several Issues Discussed at Recent Baxter Estates Board of Trustees Meeting

Baxter Estates Village Election to Be Held on March 16

Storm water drainage, delinquent taxes, and the new location for the village office were among the topics discussed at the Baxter Estates Board of Trustees meeting that was held on March 4. Additionally, the village is holding an election on Tuesday, March 16.

School Board Meeting Focused on Community Spirit

The climate outside Schreiber High School was cold and wet on Feb. 23, but indoors, the related themes of volunteer and community spirit carried the night.

The very first announcement of the evening was Board President Karen Sloan’s request that the audience “Please take note of our beautiful podium,” honoring a request made two weeks before by community member Hank Ratner.

Sloan continued with praise for the parent volunteers in the community. “This is the perfect opportunity to recognize parent volunteers, who give of their own time and effort, from before the first day of kindergarten with the bus monitors program, to the Senior Prom, and everything in between. They are a key part of communication between schools and parents, in addition to significant fund-raising accomplishments. On behalf of the entire board, I thank you all for all the public and behind-the-scenes work you do.” Then the entire board stood and applauded the parents and other volunteers in the audience.

Port Residents Build Gigantic Snowmen

After the heavy snowstorm last Friday, several Port Washington residents showed off their creativity by building giant snowmen.

Mark and Julee Freitas and their children, Grace and Christopher, built a large snowman to celebrate the snow day – one that towers high above everyone at nine and a half feet tall. The Freitas family said that their snowman took about an hour and a half to build. “The second stage was the hardest to put in place since it weighed over an estimated two hundred pounds,” Mark said. “We constructed a ramp out of snow next to the bottom stage and then rolled the second stage into position. My wife Julee and I asked that the kids stay away during this process as it could have fallen on them. We used lemons for eyes and a cucumber for the nose. The snow was perfect.”

Sandra Gonzalez, a 21-year-old art student, said that she woke up on Friday morning to “the dreadful task of shoveling snow.” Instead of retreating indoors after spending an hour digging out her car, she decided to make the best of it and have fun in the snow. Sandra and her friend James Cawley, a liberal arts student at Nassau Community College, spent the snowy day building two gigantic snow people on Dunes Lane in Manorhaven. “Almost eight feet tall, they greet every onlooker with a wave while holding each other with their free arm,” Sandra said.

Recent weather reports are showing that this winter has been one of the snowiest ones on record. While everyone looks forward to warmer temperatures as spring approaches this month, these creative Port Washington residents have given the community a fun memory of the massive amount of snow we have had this season.

Possible Change in View for Soundview Shopping Center

Armstrong Capital, the owner of Soundview Shopping Center, would like to tear down the small free-standing building which currently houses Carvel, a small Bank of America branch, and the space vacated by Boston Market, according to Bob Weitzner, mayor of Port Washington North. “There is a proposal to remove that,” says Weitzner, “and put another building of the exact same dimensions” closer to Shore Road, inside and to the north of the main entrance to the shopping center.