Redistricting Commission Announces Hearing Dates

Commissioners attempt to move forward in a bipartisan way; League of Women Voters advocates nonpartisan process

While the previous meeting of the Nassau County Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission on Thursday, June 28 was somewhat contentious, the mood at the latest meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 5 was very different, with both Democratic and Republican commissioners largely agreeing on most points raised. The commission announced the times and locations of the first round of public hearings on the 2013 redistricting, intended to solicit feedback from residents before the drawing of the new district map, then discussed the logistics of future hearings.

The four public hearings scheduled so far will take place Thursday, Sept. 20 at Long Beach City Hall at 6 p.m.; Monday, Sept. 24 at Elmont Public Library at 7 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 27 at Glen Cove Landing School at 6 p.m.; and Wednesday, Oct. 3 at the Nassau County Legislative Chambers in Mineola at 6 p.m.

Abstract Art Comes To LIU Post With ‘Navigator’

Paintings by Joe Overstreet on display at LIU Post through Sept. 27, lecture tonight

Artist Joe Overstreet has led a fairly interesting life so far. Born in Conehatta, Mississippi in 1933 of both African American and Native American descent, he saw the world from the water when he joined the Merchant Marine right after high school. After spending several years in the Merchant Marine, he was inspired to paint, eventually becoming part of a community of artists in New York City during the Civil Rights movement, fighting bigotry and ignorance through his art. Now approaching 80 years of age, he’s still painting in his NYC studio today.

With such a background, one might expect the current show in the Hutchins Gallery at Long Island University, “Navigator: Paintings By Joe Overstreet,” to be filled with representational work expressing his love for the beauty of the sea, or political paintings from the ’60s and ’70s. However, in recent years, Overstreet has turned increasingly toward abstraction. While the paintings on display at LIU (all recent work from 2011-2012) do feature some recognizable figurative elements, such as birds’ wings, “Navigator” mainly features pieces defined more by bold shapes and bright colors than any easily discernible topic.

Islanders Open Team Store At Cantiague

Championship teams from 1980-83 practiced at Nassau County’s Cantiague Park

During the four years that the New York Islanders practiced at Nassau County’s Cantiague Park in the early 1980s, the organization took home four Stanley Cups.

The team, following its last Stanley Cup title in 1983, relocated to several different practice rinks throughout Long Island but hasn’t been able to recapture the magic of those Cantiague teams since.

Jericho Man Charged With Stealing More Than $600K In Insurance Premiums From Client

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice has announced that a Jericho man has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after allegedly stealing more than $648,000 in insurance premiums from a client and spending the money on country club memberships, luxury car payments, and gambling trips.

Joseph Koch, 54, was arrested on Thursday, Aug. 30 by DA investigators and charged with three counts of grand larceny in the second degree, grand larceny in the third degree, and scheme to defraud in the first degree. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted and was arraigned in First District Court, Hempstead.

Court: MTA Payroll Tax Unconstitutional

Transportation authority to appeal decision

The Metropolitan Transit Authority stands to lose about $1.5 billion in revenue per year after a New York State Supreme Court judge ruled on Wednesday, Aug. 22 that the MTA payroll tax is unconstitutional. The MTA plans to appeal the decision made by Judge R. Bruce Cozzens Jr., according to a statement released last week.

This didn’t stop local officials from calling the ruling a “win for taxpayers” during a press conference last Thursday. Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, along with numerous members of local and state government, were out in full force to applaud the decision, and plead to the powers that be to not grant a successful MTA appeal.

Retired Teacher Continues To Aid Students

Joel Rauch to donate percentage of tutoring earnings to P.S. 19 in Corona, Queens

Joel Rauch of Plainview may have retired from teaching elementary school in Corona, Queens this past June, but he’s not quite done looking out for the kids of Corona. In addition to seeing to it that many of the programs started at the school during his tenure are continued, he also plans to donate 18 percent (or the lucky number chai in Hebrew) of the money he makes from private tutoring to the school. The money will go to special education programs and a Children of Corona scholarship fund.

“I have this emotional attachment to this school, and that’s not going to leave, so I’m desperately trying to find ways to support the community and the kids— especially the special ed kids,” said Rauch.

Residents Criticize Proposed Charter School

Speakers at Jericho School District’s forum on proposed Doshi STEM Charter School largely disapprove of the project

Most of the residents who attended the Jericho School District public forum on a proposed STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) charter school on the SUNY Old Westbury Campus on Tuesday, Aug. 14 voiced strong opposition to the proposed school. They were on the same page as the Jericho Board of Education, which had voted unanimously at the regular meeting before the forum to oppose the creation of the school.

Superintendent Henry Grishman noted that his main concern with what is being called the Doshi STEM Charter School, and charter schools in general, is how the schools are funded under state law.

Barclays Tournament Tees Off At Bethpage Black

It’s about the length of two football fields, but for the world’s best golfers, it is 200 yards that can crush the dreams of winning a prestigious golf tournament, or propel a player into glory with an accurate tee shot and a well-executed putt. It’s the 17th hole of the Bethpage Black, where the Barclays Golf Tournament is being held this week.

The 17th hole is considered to be a signature hole of the course. During the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open Championships, which were held at Bethpage Black, a loud and enthusiastic crowd helped to put a New York stamp on those tournaments. Barclays tournament directors are hoping for that same excitement as players arrive at the challenging hole.

County Executive Touts Assessment Reforms

Claims millions have been saved for Nassau County taxpayers

Denouncing what he called a “dysfunctional” assessment system, County Executive Edward P. Mangano announced that for the first time in county history, there will be zero liability in the assessment system, an achievement that the county executive also claimed would save taxpayers $30 million, including $4.3 million a year in the labor assessment process.

Flanked by several county workers, Mangano praised their diligence, while mapping out a future assessment process for the county. Noting that the majority of municipalities in New York State perform assessments on a five-year period, Mangano said that while the county is currently on a four-year period, he hopes to up that one year to the five year total that he believes represents a prudent assessment system. In addition to a five-year plan, Mangano laid out two other goals. The first is to “stop the debt from growing and then [to] reverse it.” The second, he added, was to “find a better, intelligent system to handle assessments,” including computer software.

LICA To Celebrate 15th Anniversary This Fall

Trained coaches offer personal and professional support, job interview tips

When most people think of coaching, they think of energetic men and women in sweats and baseball caps yelling encouragement at young athletes on the ball field. However, The Long Island Coaching Alliance (LICA), soon to be celebrating its fifteenth anniversary, deals with a very different kind of coaching: helping people better manage their careers, transitions, relationships, parenting, and all manner of concerns. A chapter of the International Coach Federation (ICF), the organization is made up of professionally certified executive, business, and personal coaches from all over the Island.

“Coaching is kind of like a personal trainer for your brain,” explains LICA president Josephine Rotolo. “People benefit from having a kind of partner in crime; someone to help with brainstorming ideas, figuring out where they want to be.”