Meet The Westbury Board Of Education Candidates

Dickerson, Lanzilotta seek re-election; Bonaparte, Simpkins challenge

Two trustee seats are up for grabs in the Tuesday, May 15 election as Dr. Pless Dickerson and Rocco Lanzilotta look to retain their spots on the Westbury Board of Education against challengers Cosmas Bonaparte and John Simpkins, Jr.

The budget and trustee vote will be conducted from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the following schools: Dryden Street, Park Avenue, Drexel Avenue and Westbury Middle. For more information, visit www.westburyschools.org.

‘See Something, Say Something’ About Domestic Violence

First Baptist Church hosts domestic violence conference

The First Baptist Church of Westbury hosted its 2nd Annual Faith Community Meets Domestic Violence Conference on April 28 to begin a conversation among local residents on domestic violence and spousal abuse in the wake of Nassau County’s perennial battles against such occurrences.

After a handful of instances with domestic violence sprouted up locally over the last five years, including the 2009 murder of Westbury resident Jo’Anna Bird, the First Baptist Church of Westbury and several local organizations joined forces to help to spread the word about the warning signs of domestic violence and spousal abuse to prevent any more violent occurrences from happening in the future.

Mary Lagnado Named Interim Westbury Superintendent

BOE adopts newly proposed budget; candidates forum May 8

The Westbury School District has named Mary Lagnado, former assistant superintendent for business and management services, as interim superintendent. Now in her 11th year with the district, Lagnado will replace outgoing Westbury Superintendent of Schools Dr. Constance Clark-Snead when her retirement becomes effective in June.

“With the superintendent retiring, the school district is in need of someone that’s not only competent, but also sensitive to the needs of the community and student body. Over the years in her tenure at Westbury, Mrs. Lagnado is a person I feel that fits that bill, and we look forward to working closely with her as the leader of the district,” Westbury Board of Education President Dr. Pless Dickerson said.

New Cassel ‘Dentist’ Arrested For Unlicensed Practice

Manuel Carranza ran cash-only business from home, cops say

A helpful neighbor can be a great resource: lending some sugar, getting the mail while you’re on vacation and in one instance, pulling out that nagging tooth.

On April 25, Nassau County Third Squad detectives arrested New Cassel resident Manuel Carranza, 46, who had allegedly been practicing dentistry from his Grand Boulevard home without a license.

Tag Team: Fighting Graffiti In Westbury, Hicksville

The Entrepreneur’s Group is canning spray paint work in area

Westbury’s Kevin Seck says residents along a two-mile stretch of Stewart Avenue that runs through Hicksville, Westbury and Levittown are “fed up” with graffiti in the area.

Seck and his son, Bobby, are members of The Entrepreneur’s Group, a small Westbury-based organization that owns property along the roadway. The group is looking to sponsor the roadway in the hopes that installing cameras and hiring a contractor to maintain the area will help deter further criminal actions.

Mayor’s Report: Village Of Westbury Adopts 2012-2013 Budget

No tax levy increase for second consecutive year

On April 19, the village board adopted the 2012-2013 budget for the Village of Westbury, and I am pleased to report that, as a result of the village’s fiscal discipline and conservative budgeting practices, for the second consecutive year, village residents will see no increase in the tax levy over last year’s budget (well below the state-mandated 2 percent tax cap). 

In addition, this budget represents the third budget in the last four village budgets in which overall expenses are lower year-over-year. With this budget, the average village residential property owner will pay only $966 for all village services in the coming year. It is important for residents to note that, as a result of fluctuating property values, reflected in the village’s 2012 assessment roll update, individual properties may experience small fluctuations (upward or downward) in the actual taxes that they pay, even though the overall tax revenue collected by the village for the coming year will be the same as last year. In fact, since the completion of our revaluation program in 2009, the village has experienced an overall 9.6 percent reduction in the aggregate assessed valuation of all properties in the village.

Tales Of A Power Mom – Westbury Resident Shares Her Story

Donna La Scala’s essay published in Chicken Soup for the Soul series

Given the state of the economy and the dual-income requisite for many families nowadays, “stay-at-home moms” may not be as prevalent as they were years ago.

Good thing nobody told that to Westbury resident Donna La Scala.

The one-time schoolteacher and later Wall Street 9-to-5er (although Long Island to Manhattan commuters might argue that 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. is a more accurate representation) had juggled her city career and motherhood before deciding on giving herself the best of both worlds: working from home and raising a family.

Westbury Resident Indicted On Bid-Rigging, Bribe Charges

A.G. Schneiderman, DOI say Joseph Sdao took $20K in kickbacks

On April 13, New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn announced the indictment of Westbury resident Joseph Sdao, a former project manager for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, for pocketing more than $20,000 in bribes to rig Bronx playground contracts, according to the indictment.

Sdao is charged with five felonies, including two counts of second-degree bribe receiving, one count of third-degree bribe receiving and two counts of combination in restraint of trade and competition, a violation of the Donnelly Act. He was arraigned on April 13 in Bronx Criminal Court before the Honorable Justice Denis J. Boyle.

Little Big League: Road To (And From) The Majors

Tommy “Digger” Donohue recalls 1967 team, MLB career

Baseball players, young and old, learn the game’s fundamentals in Little League: hitting the cut-off man, catching with two hands, running through first base on a grounder … the list goes on, longer than the centerfield fence at the old Polo Grounds.

America’s pastime leaves an indelible imprint on the youth. How could a young ball player forget a walk-off home run, throwing a no-hitter or pulling off a successful squeeze bunt or triple play?

Village Board Increases Housing Violation Fines

New law raises minimum, maximum fines for repeat violators

The Village of Westbury Board of Trustees took action on several significant matters at its April 5 meeting, including the enactment of a new local law that will be the village’s latest tool in curbing illegal housing.

“Virtually every part of the village is affected to some degree or another by illegal housing, and there are certain parts of the village that are affected significantly,” stated Westbury Mayor Peter Cavallaro.