Seeking A Vote On Pool Acquisition

Opponents gather over 4,000 signatures; seek vote in November election

Last month, the Town of North Hempstead board voted to acquire the Roslyn Country Club pool and tennis courts.

The vote, which took place before a packed audience, saw many supporters and some opponents, too. Those opponents have now organized. Last Thursday, July 19, they presented a petition to the town, one with 4,074 signatures, requesting that the issue be put to a public referendum during the next Town of North Hempstead election.

Westbury, New Cassel Residents Seek Dust, Odor Answers

Elected officials meet with homeowners to discuss possible solutions

Westbury and New Cassel residents living near Grand Boulevard – a decrepit road that sees a high volume of cars passing through daily – met with local elected officials and representatives from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on July 13 to discuss the ongoing issue of dust and odors affecting homeowners in the area.

At the meeting, which took place at Assemblyman Michael Montesano’s office in Hicksville, DEC’s Long Island Regional Director Peter Scully and his team presented findings of soil samples previously collected and tested from 10 area homes.

Bids For Bruce Flood Terrace Project Are Up For Grabs

Construction phase to start once bids accepted for Mineola, Carle Place, Nassau County project components

What began as an idea culminated into a plan. The plan became a project, which has seen more ups and downs than, during heavy downpours, the rain-flooded streets it will affect.

Residents on the border of Mineola and Carle Place near Bruce Terrace and Fairfield Avenue have had hopes of dry streets for decades. Three municipalities have been working out the kinks to get a flood remediation plan on track. Actual construction work is just over the horizon.

Veterans Housing Facility Planned In Westbury

Converted commercial property to serve 200 veterans each year

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano stood in front of 689 Main Street in Westbury on July 3 to announce plans for the building to be converted to a veteran’s housing complex by early 2013.

Mangano said that Nassau County awarded a $1.5 million grant from Federal HOME Investment Partnerships to the New York Veterans Advocacy Group (NYVAG), a nonprofit organization that will operate the facility.

East Meadow Fire Department Wins ‘BBQ Grilling Throwdown’

Rockville Centre, Bethpage come in second and third place respectively

Firefighters were battling the flames on Friday, June 29, but of a different kind. The smoke billowing from the Nassau County Firefighters Museum emanated the aromas of grilled delight.

East Meadow, Bethpage and Rockville Centre fire departments battled in the 4th Annual “BBQ Grilling Throwdown” sponsored by Fairway Markets in Uniondale last week. The key message of the contest: holiday barbecue safety.

Vision LI Exec ‘Impressed’ With Westbury Downtown

Eric Alexander lauds Westbury Village on downtown revitalization progress

The Westbury Business Improvement District (BID) held its annual board of directors meeting on June 26 at the Bristol on Post Avenue, where Vision Long Island Executive Director Eric Alexander took note of how the village has been taking care of business with its downtown revitalization efforts.  

Dawn Blinn of the Westbury BID said the goal of the meeting was to “get many people involved in the downtown revitalization efforts,” which Blinn said proved to be successful as more than 40 people attended, including Westbury Village Mayor Peter Cavallaro, village board trustees and members of the Westbury-Carle Place Chamber of Commerce. 

SUNY Old Westbury Hosts Forum On Charter School

Residents concerned about funding, curriculum for proposed Doshi STEM Charter School

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 15-year-olds in the United States rank 20th in science proficiency and 30th in math proficiency worldwide. Calvin O. Butts, president of SUNY College at Old Westbury, thinks that this tendency for young people to lag behind the rest of the developed world in math and science is especially hurtful in this area.

“I found this to be a constant discussion; no matter what forum, no matter where on Long Island,” said Butts, who serves on both the board of the Long Island Association and as a member of the Long Island Regional Economic Development. High school students aren’t achieving at the level in the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and math) that may be necessary to prepare them for the careers of the future, and Butts and members of the college’s council feel something must be done about it. Their proposed solution, and the subject of the Monday, June 25 open forum at the student union on campus, is to open a new STEM-focused charter school, slated to open as soon as the fall of 2013.

Police: New Cassel Man Attacks, Robs Hicksville Man, 68

Josue Bonilla, 23, charged with first-degree robbery and assault

Following what Third Squad Commanding Officer Ray Cote described as a “senseless and very disturbing” attack on a 68-year-old man suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia, Josue Bonilla, 23, of New Cassel, was charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree assault.

Cote said that on April 28, the 68-year-old victim, whose identity wasn’t released, wandered two-and-a-half miles from his residence in Hicksville to Grayson Street in New Cassel. Cote said Bonilla, at approximately 8:20 p.m., started kicking the victim and going through his pockets, while witnesses overheard the victim say, “I don’t have anything,” in Spanish.

Jenna Boo Fever Sweeps Through Carle Place Community

Children’s book, events raising funds for 2-year-old girl with brain tumor

Kara Stobe says she’s discovered her life’s purpose – and that passion could potentially help a 2-year-old girl with a brain tumor say the same someday.   

Stobe is an art teacher at Rushmore Avenue School in Carle Place and illustrator for a recently launched children’s book, Jenna Boo, and the 2-year-old girl is Gracie Sweet, whose mother, Sara, is a Carle Pace High School grad and whose grandmother, Wendy Tucker, is an aide at Rushmore.

Carle Place HS Principal Neil Connolly Retires

Longtime fixture, frog leaving following 37 years of service to community

On June 23, Neil Connolly will hand out one last diploma at the Carle Place High School graduation, ending a streak that began more than three decades ago.

“I’ve been at every graduation ceremony since 1980. I’ve shaken hands with every senior that’s graduated here since 1981,” Connolly recalled, and it does not take the former math teacher long to calculate that he has congratulated more than 2,000 graduates.